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Make Duck with Orange Sauce for your next dinner party, and impress your friends and family! It's one of the easiest "fancy" dishes you can make - and perfect to prep ahead . With a delicious sweet & tart orange sauce, this is a dish you will be making over and over again!
I'm a lazy cook and I love my simple comfort foods - there's honestly not much fancy cooking going on in my kitchen. For dinner parties I always go one of two ways: a risotto, or this duck with orange sauce. Why? They're both super easy to make - and never fail to impress.
Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy - there are a few steps involved, but they're easy and I go through them in detail below
- It's delicious and the sweet & tart orange sauce pair perfectly with the duck
- It's sure to impress your guests which I bet you don't mind
- It's perfect to prep ahead so you can mingle with your guests, and still serve a great meal
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Duck breasts - make sure they're the skin-on kind
- Oranges - we're just using the juice, so in a pinch you can sub in store bought orange juice. Or use another sweet citrus - like clementines.
- Liquid honey - regular honey works as well
- Rosemary can be swapped for thyme
How to make it
This recipe is done in 5 main steps, and I will go through them all in detail below:
- Prep the duck breasts
- Render off the fat
- Make the orange sauce
- Finish the duck breasts in the oven
- Let them rest
If you want to prep this dish ahead of time complete step a-c above to prep, and then 20 minutes before dinner follow with step d-e, and heat up the orange sauce just before serving.
- Start by bringing out your duck breasts and patting them dry
- Make sure to dry them on both sides
- Then score the skin in a criss-cross pattern. Do this by cutting all the way through the skin and fat, but not cutting into the duck meat. This is easiest done with a really sharp knife - with just light pressure the sharp knife will glide easily through the skin and fat, but meet resistance when it reaches the meat.
- This is what the skin should look like - see how the cut is straight through the skin, but hasn't touched the meat.
- Season the skin-side with salt & pepper
- Flip and season on the other side
- Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold pan without any butter or oil. Then place it over medium heat. Now render off the fat until there's not so much fat coming out from the skin anymore, and the skin is crisp and golden. There will be a lot of fat - so you need to pour it off a few times while rendering. Pour it into a bowl and set aside for now.
- When you're done rendering off the fat, turn the duck breasts skin-side up and sear for about a minute. Then sear quickly on all other sides as well, before moving the duck breasts from the pan to an oven-safe dish.
- To start the sauce, place the same pan back over the heat and add back some off the duck fat
- Pour in the orange juice
- Add garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary
- Pour in the honey
- Mix
- Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- The sauce should reduce by half, and get a bit sticky - then it's done
- Turn off the heat and remove the garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary
- Preheat the oven to 175 C/350 F and bring out your duck breasts. Glaze them with a bit of the orange sauce on all sides and then place them skin side up and insert a thermometer halfway into one of the duck breasts.
- Roast in the middle of the oven for 5-10 minutes, until they have reached your desired temperature. They should be 58 C/137 F for pink, 53 C/128 F for rare and 65 C/149 F for well done.
- Wrap each duck breast in foil and let sit for at least 5 minutes
- Place on a chopping board and cut in slices. Top with orange sauce to serve.
Tips & tricks
- Use a really sharp knife to score the skin
- Render off the fat - it reallyis worth the time
- Always start with a cold pan when rendering off the fat
- Don't pour the fat straight down the drain as this might clog it - instead, pour it into a bowl to cool and either use to cook other things in (duck fat potatos are delicious), or:
- Place it in the fridge to cool and solidify, then throw in the trash
- Soak up with paper towels and throw them in the trash
- Know your temperature point - do you like it rare, medium or well-done? In the recipe card below you can see which temperature you should aim for depending on your preference.
- Use an oven thermometer to get your duck to just the right temperature
- Always take your duck out at a few degrees below the target temperature - in the recipe card below you will find suggestions for at what temperature to bring it from the oven as well.
- Let your duck breasts rest for at least 5 minutes. This is the best way to ensure perfectly cooked, extremely juicy meat.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days - great cold or heated, as well as added to pastas, salads and thai curries
Recipe FAQ
Duck goes great with orange and other citrus flavors as well as earthy flavors like cabbage, beets, pumpkin and potatoes.
To prepare duck breasts in advance, score the skin, season them, render off the fat and sear them ahead of time. Then place covered in an oven-safe dish (in room temperature if just for a few hours, otherwise in the fridge) until 20 minutes before you want to eat. At this point, place them in a preheated oven with an oven thermometer and cook to your set point - and don't forget to let them rest at least 5 minutes after cooking.
For this specific recipe, I recommend making the orange sauce in advance as well, and heating it up just before serving.
The best way to ensure your duck breasts are perfectly cooked is to allow them to rest. While resting, the temperature will rise just a few degrees which makes it less likely to overcook them. So you basically take them out when they're not really done, and let them finish cooking in foil. The temperature won't rise more than 2-5 degrees even if you let them rest for longer.
Resting duck - like any type of meat - also allows for the juices to settle back in, which gives you a juicier meat.
What to serve with it
I love potatoes with duck in orange sauce. Especially crispy, cheesy smashed potatoes, but it's also delicious with a Hasselback Potato. For a veggie, why not go for garlic roasted broccoli, classic steamed or boiled haricot verts or an earthy Roasted Beetroot Salad with Feta Cheese.
What to drink with it
There's a lot of flavor in this dish, with generous helpings of fat, sweet honey and acidic orange. To make the best of this, you want the wine to have some of that acidity as well, and if it has some sweetness too - then even better.
I'd generally go for a red wine with duck, and for this specific dish I'd pair it with (in descending order of price) a good Italian Amarone, Ripasso or other Valpolicella wine.
White wine is also great with this dish, and I actually think that's the classic Le Cordon Bleu choice for a Duck a l'Orange. If so, go quite rich and a bit acidic - like a nice Chardonnay or Bourgogne Blanc.
For a non-alcoholic choice, a good quality apple juice is great as it has a balanced sweetness and is high in acidity.
More easy dinner party recipes
Love impressive-yet-easy recipes, like this duck with orange sauce? Then I think you will love these!
Did you love this recipe? Rate it 5 stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Ingredients
- 2 large duck breasts with skin
- ½ tsp fine table salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ dl duck fat
- 5 oranges juice only
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and slightly crushed, but in one piece
- 10 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 dl honey
To serve
- sea salt flakes optional
Instructions
Prep & stovetop cooking (20 minutes)
- Bring out the duck breasts and pat them dry. Turn them skin-side up and carefully cut a criss-cross pattern in the skin. Take care not to cut into the duck meat, but still cut as deep into the skin as you can. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold pan without any oil or butter, then place the pan over medium heat. Allow the fat to render off until skin is crisp and golden and the fat has stopped seeping out of the duck skin. This takes 10-15 minutes. Pour off excess fat regularly while cooking and save for later.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, flip the breasts over and sear skin-side up for 1 minute. Then sear quickly on the other sides of the duck breast and transfer them to an oven safe dish.
Orange Sauce (10 minutes)
- Place the pan back over the heat and pour in some of the duck fat you rendered off. Add the orange juice, honey, sprigs of rosemary and garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until a bit sticky and reduced by half, this takes 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and remove the garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary, then set aside for now.
Finishing the duck breasts in the oven (5-10 minutes if starting with a hot oven)
- Preheat the oven to 175 C/350 F.
- Glaze the duck breasts with the orange sauce on both sides, then place skin-side up and stick in a meat thermometer. Place uncovered in the middle of the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes until inner temperature is 58C/137F (for a pink center, see notes below for other temperatures).
- Wrap the cooked duck breasts in aluminum foil and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up the orange sauce.
- Slice the duck breasts and serve topped with orange sauce and sea salt flakes.
Equipment needed for this recipe
Video
Notes
Suggested cooking temperatures:
- Rare: Cook to 53 C/128 F and let rest to reach 56 C/133 F
- Medium: Cook to 58 C/137 F and let rest to reach 62 C/144 F
- Well-done: Cook to 65 C/149 F and let rest to reach 70 C/158 F
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Duck breasts - make sure they're the skin-on kind
- Oranges - we're just using the juice, so in a pinch you can sub in store bought orange juice. Or use another sweet citrus - like clementines.
- Liquid honey - regular honey works as well
- Rosemary can be swapped for thyme
Tips & tricks
- Use a really sharp knife to score the skin
- Render off the fat - it really is worth the time
- Always start with a cold pan when rendering off the fat
- Don't pour the fat straight down the drain as this might clog it - instead, pour it into a bowl to cool and either use to cook other things in, or:
- Place it in the fridge to cool and solidify, then throw in the trash
- Soak up with paper towels and throw them in the trash
- Use an oven thermometer to get your duck to just the right temperature
- Always take your duck out at a few degrees below the target temperature - in the recipe card below you will find suggestions for at what temperature to bring it from the oven as well.
- Let your duck breasts rest for at least 5 minutes. This is the best way to ensure perfectly cooked, extremely juicy meat.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days - great cold or heated, as well as added to pastas, salads and thai curries
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Dannii
My husband loves duck, but I never think to make it at home. I am going to have to try this.
Emmeline Kemperyd
I hope you do! Let me know how it turns out!
Shelley
So gorgeous - absolutely company-worthy! Love that it can be prepped ahead to make things so easy and stress-free for entertaining! Thanks for the great tips, too - especially about taking the duck out a few degrees early and then letting it rest - so it turns out perfect in the end!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Shelley!
Sue
I love duck, and your recipe looks so easy and delicious! Going to give it a try!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Sue! Let me know how it turns out!
Jacqueline Meldrum
That orange sauce sounds wonderful. I would not have thought to mix orange with rosemary.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Jacqueline! It's a good mix but yes maybe a bit unusual??
Gina
Love how you break the recipe down into such easy steps, makes something that sounds complicated seem approachable and doable at home. Love duck and can't wait to make this now!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Gina, happy to help!
April
My mouth is watering just from reading your post. I can't imagine what would happen if I had this in front of me on the table! Actually, I don't have to imagine - I can just make it happen now! 🙂
Emmeline
I love it! Thanks for commenting and let me know if you try it out!
Cheese Curd In Paradise
These turned out absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to try this recipe as we love duck in or house.Perfect for the holidays!
Emmeline
Thank you! Let me know if you try it!
Catalina
Duck a l'orange is such a fancy dinner! But I love that it's so easy that anyone can make it! So perfect for a romantic dinner!
Emmeline
Right?! Nothing better than a fancy yet easy dinner!
Marisa Franca
We really like duck but we've never made it at home. This recipe certainly makes it seem easy to do. This is definitely on my bucket list to make. And thank you for the wine suggestions. We do like our wine with our meal. This will make a special meal.
Emmeline
Let me know if you try it!
Sam
Wow! Sounds delicious! Going to give this a try. what is 4 dl orange juice? How much orange juice is that?
Thanks Sam
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hi Sam! Thanks for commenting. Truly one of my favorite recipes so I'm happy you want to try it! 4 dl of orange juice is the same as 400 ml or about 1.75 cups, for me it corresponde to the juice from 4 arge oranges but that of course depends on how juicy your oranges are 🙂 You can change measuring system from metric to US customary in the recipe card if you wish to see that instead! /Emmeline
Danielle Wolter
This looks incredible! Duck is one of my all time favorite meats, and this looks like its cooked beautifully. And who doesn't love a good duck with orange sauce (I just made one myself 🙂
Emmeline
Oh yes I saw your duck with orange sauce it looked sooo amazing. The whole duck is on my list to make - just gotta find a whole duck somewhere. 😉
Mahy Elamin
I’ve actually made the original Julia Childs duck a l’orange recipe which, like most authentic French cuisine, is complex and very time-consuming. This recipe is so much simpler, I decided to give it a whirl and was delighted with the results. The sauce tasted great and the finished dish looked professional. Excellent recipe.
Emmeline
Wow, that's awesome! Never tried to make the original but seems like a lot of work... Happy you enjoyed this version!
Claudia Lamascolo
I have heard duck is wonderful but never had it before. I wouldnt even know how to prepare it until now. This is awesome thank you
Emmeline
Happy you liked it! 😀
Edyta at Eating European
This duck looks absolutely fantastic. I love your step by step tutorials. It's very helpful 🙂
Emmeline
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoy them 😀
Jill
Very informative post - especially since I have never tried duck! It looks fairly easy to fix at home - great process photos!
Emmeline
Thank you! So happy you liked it! 😀 It really is quite easy to make if you just know how to do it 😉
Elaine Benoit
I adore duck but I usually get the whole bird! Now, I need to go out and get some duck breast meat so I can make this! It looks so delicious and I love the sauce.
Emmeline
You sure do! Thanks for checking it out and commenting!
tayler
I love that this recipe has a simple ingredient list yet packs a ton of flavor.
Emmeline
Right?! Nothing like a simple but flavorful dish!
rebecca
thanks for showing how to render off the fat! you make it look so simple & delicious
Emmeline
It really is quite simple if you just know how to do it 😉
Suzy
Wow! I love duck, but have only eaten it at restaurants. Thanks for the recipe.
Emmeline
You are very welcome! 😀