Slow Cooker Duck

Slow cooker duck is a simple recipe that can be served your next holiday gathering or Sunday dinner. Cooking a whole duck is easy yet it will impress almost any crowd. Instructions to make this flavorful duck recipe in the Instant Pot are also included. 

Ingredients For Slow Cooker Duck

• Whole Duck
• Potatoes
• Onion
• Celery
• Carrots
• Chicken Broth
• Oil & Butter (optional)
• Seasonings: paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, pepper

 

How To Cook A Whole Duck In The Crockpot

Prepare The Duck:

• If your duck came with a bag of giblets inside the cavity, remove it.
• Rinse & pat the duck dry. 
• Drizzle the oil evenly all over the duck.
• In a small bow, mix the seasonings spices. Season the duck all over on each side.
• Proceed to slow cooker or Instant Pot steps.

Slow Cooker

1. Pour broth into the slow cooker. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add the prepared duck on top.  Add butter on top if using. 
3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.
4. Remove duck from slow cooker. See BROIL step below or and let it rest for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.

Instant Pot

1. Place the trivet in pressure cooker. Add 1 cup broth. Place prepared duck on the trivet, breast side up. Add butter on top if using. 
2. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 12 minutes per pound of duck if cut into pieces or 15 minutes per pound if cooking a whole duck.
3. When cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the duck using tongs. See BROIL step below or let the duck rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Add the potatoes, celery, onion, and carrots to the Instant Pot. Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook 3 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. 

BROIL (crisp the skin)

1. Preheat your broiler to high.
2. Carefully remove the duck from the appliance and place on a baking sheet.
3. Place the baking sheet the oven & broil for 3-5 minutes or until the skin is crisp to your liking.

 

FAQs & Tips

Is duck white or red meat?

Duck is a bird of flight so it’s considered to be poultry or white meat. Having said that, in a lot of ways duck very much resembles red meat. Duck has a darker, red meat-like flesh. It also has a higher fat & cholesterol content compared to other poultry. But duck is poultry so please note that while duck has characteristics of red meat, the USDA recommends cooking whole duck to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. Duck is a fatty meat. One thing to note is that a lot of a duck’s fat is actually in the skin. One way to cut back on your fat intake is to remove the skin after it’s done cooking.

Do you have to use the seasoning I provide?

Of course you can always use your preferred seasoning for this whole duck recipe. But if you’re looking for homemade seasoning, there’s one in the recipe box. The seasonings mix is enough for a 5-pound whole duck without having to make any adjustments to the measurements. Anything larger you may need more spices. 

Do you need to add the potatoes?

Nope! Omit the potatoes if you do not want to use them. Same with the butter; omit it if you don’t want to use it.   

Making this in the Instant Pot

With the Instant Pot, you will need 1 cup of water for it to pressurize. Also, you may have to cut the duck up to fit properly. Some Instant Pot duck recipes will tell you to first brown the skin using the saute function. In my version, I do not take the time to do this. If you want to, you absolutely can. I do not do this because I broil the skin afterwards. 

Will the duck fit in the slow cooker or Instant Pot?

You may need to cut your whole duck into pieces depending on the size of your appliance. 

 

Will the skin be crispy?

The only downfall of cooking a whole duck in the slow cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) is that the duck will not have crispy skin. Regardless of whether you use a slow cooker or pressure cooker, if you want crispy skin on your whole chicken, you will need to remove it from the appliance and broil it in the oven after it’s done cooking. There’s no way around it. This is an optional but recommended step. 

How do you store leftovers?

Store leftover slow cooker whole duck in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

What size slow cooker did you use?

I use a  6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

Holiday Meats 

• Turkey Breast

• Whole Turkey

• Turkey Legs

• Leg of Lamb

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