Learn how to smoke a duck with our complete meat smoking recipe. For juicy and tender meat, the duck should be cooked slowly over maple wood at low temperatures.
The best thing about this beautiful bird is that it has more dark meat and fat than its poultry contemporaries, giving it an incredible amount of moisture and flavor. If you’re craving smoked poultry that packs in more punch than chicken or turkey, look no further than duck.
If you cook it properly in your backyard smoker, the result will be tender meat that falls off the bone enclosed in a mouthwatering case of crispy skin.
Being primarily made of breast meat is one of my favorite things about duck because it makes it easier to carve and cook more evenly, resulting in smoked dark that is juicy, tender, and simple to serve.
Smoked Duck on ASMOKE Pellet Grill with Plum Glaze
Smoked Duck 🔗
Smoked Duck is a great way to cook up a festive holiday meal. A dry brine and orange juice and maple glaze basting liquid give this bird tons of flavor.
Prep: 20min
Total: 1070min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 271 kcal, Carbohydrate 66 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 1 mg, Sodium 8 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 58 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1 5 pound duck (neck and giblets removed)
- ⅓ cup Kosher salt
- 2 small oranges (halved)
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
Instruction:
- Dry brine the duck. Pierce the skin all over the duck (not into the meat) using the sharp end of a skewer or your thermometer probe. Sprinkle the duck with Kosher salt all over the skin. Place the duck in a shallow pan and into the refrigerator for 15 hours.
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F using maple wood.
- Smoke and baste the duck. Remove the duck from the refrigerator and brush off excess salt. Pat the skin of the duck completely dry. Fill the cavity of the duck with the orange halves. Place the duck directly on the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for about 2.5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the duck reaches 160 degrees F. Baste the duck with the basting liquid after it comes out of the smoker.
- Broil the duck. When your duck has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, transfer it to the oven (on broil) and broil for 2-3 minutes to finish rendering the fat and to crisp the skin. Keep a close eye on the duck to prevent burning.
- Rest. Remove the duck from the oven to a serving platter. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Remove the breasts from the carcass and slice before removing the legs and thighs and shredding. Drizzle with additional maple orange glaze, if desired.
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a duck at 225?
Use a smoker thermometer for the best results. Smoked duck will need to cook for approximately 4 hours at 225°F (107°C) to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Other factors like smoker setup and meat quantity will affect this.
Can you smoke a duck on a pellet electric pellet smoker?
Step 3: Heat a pellet smoker to 225°F. For this recipe, we use a Traeger Pro 34, but any smoker will do. Smoke the meat for 30 to 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 115°F.
How long does it take to smoke duck?
When cooking duck, you want the internal temperature of the breast meat to reach 160 degrees F. It takes about 2-3 hours to fully smoke a duck (depending on size), so I budget about 30 minutes per pound of duck.
How do you smoke a duck on the pit boss?
When cooking duck, you want the internal temperature of the breast meat to reach 160 degrees F. It takes about 2-3 hours to fully smoke a duck (depending on size), so I budget about 30 minutes per pound of duck.