Meat & Poultry

Slow Cooking a Duck

Slow cooked duck meat is wonderful!
Slow cooked duck meat is wonderful!

See also How to Use Duck Eggs & Pekin Ducks for Sustainable Meat Production

Slow Cooked Duck Meat

Yesterday afternoon I put a duck in the slow cooker and let it simmer on low until dinner time. I poured some cranberry walnut dressing over it for flavor. You could use Italian dressing, Thai Peanut Sauce, or another marinade or salad dressing for variety, if you like. You may also stuff the body cavity with stuffing, herbs, or dried fruits and nuts.

We enjoyed the duck for dinner with smashed potatoes (flavored with juice from the duck) and a green salad of kale and romaine lettuce. It was delicious!

Slow cooking a duck is a great way to let it stew in its own delicious juices. The meat is tender and flavorful. I tried using the slow cooker on high, but I think it is best to use the low setting and start a bit earlier. Avoid overcooking and drying out the meat.

 

What is your favorite way to cook a duck? Have you ever raised your own ducks for meat?

 

6 Comments on “Slow Cooking a Duck

  1. I have 2 ducks ready to go (unless one of them starts laying eggs for me!) I love my slow cooker. As a busy mom, I use it for everything! Last time I tried duck, I roasted it with a Duck L’Orange recipe. It is very hard to manage a moist bird that way, but the slow cooker never fails. I can’t believe I never thought of it! Thank you! Side note… My ducks are about 20 weeks old. Any idea why no eggs?

    1. Hi WesternWoman,
      Oooo…that would be delicious in a crockpot! Let me know if you try it. 😉 Ducks normally start laying around 5 to 6 month old, depending on the time of the year. I suspect that your ducks (if they are female) will start laying in the spring, when the daylight hours get longer. You could put a light on a timer in their coop so that they will have light on for around 15 hours a day. This may stimulate them to begin producing sooner.

      You can tell male ducks from female by the curly little feathers at the top of their tale. My ducks are laying an egg almost every day and they started in September. I’m hoping to hatch some babies this spring. 🙂 Best wishes and let me know if you have any more questions!

  2. Hi Lisa, Great info on ducks in the past few posts. I’ve never raised ducks, but we do love to eat them. I’ve only baked them so far. Just read your article in From Scratch and enjoyed it very much.

    1. Thanks so much, Toni! I want to try some other ways of preparing duck…so stay tuned! Thank you for reading my article and leaving a comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

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