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Grilled Duck Breast Tacos with Apple Slaw are a great way to enjoy fresh duck breast in a simple grilling recipe! The sweet and tangy slaw perfectly compliments the sliced duck that’s been simply scented with orange. It’s a great dinner recipe you’ll want to make again and again!
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Are you unsure of how to enjoy boneless, skinless duck breasts? You’re certainly not alone! That’s why I developed this recipe!
Not only is grilling a supremely easy way to cook fresh duck meat, but the flavors of apple, orange, and cilantro are practically tailor-made to pair with the richness of duck!
Key Flavors in this Recipe
Boneless, skinless duck breasts – I used teal duck breasts. They are small, but mighty and have such a delightful texture and flavor.
Apple – Granny smith apples are crunchy with a beautiful balance of tart and sweet.
Orange – The quintessential pairing with duck! It’s on both the breasts and in the slaw.
Cilantro – The bright, fresh, herbaceous green is a wonderful compliment to the richness of duck.
Seasoning Duck for Grilling
While duck may technically be poultry, it’s flavor profile is more “red meat” than chicken or turkey.
Because I didn’t want to lose that delicious flavor, I seasoned the duck breasts simply with avocado oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and the zest and juice of an orange. Easy, peasy!
I like to season my duck breasts and then go outside and get my grill going, but you can season the duck up to a day in advance. Store in the fridge covered in plastic wrap, removing 30 minutes before cooking.
Making the Granny Smith Apple Coleslaw
Mix together mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, the zest and juice of one orange, kosher salt and pepper.
Cut the apples and carrot into matchsticks and add them to the bowl. Then add sliced scallions, one seeded and diced jalapeño, and some chopped cilantro. Mix everything to combine!
You can prep this slaw a day in advance or make just before grilling the ducks. Either way is delicious!
Getting the grill ready
For this recipe, I converted my Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Drum Smoker to a charcoal grill to get that delightful charcoal flavor into the meat. Here’s how I did it:
- Convert the Bronco from smoke configuration to the charcoal grill setup.
- Start your charcoal so it can get a good ash, using the Halftime XL Charcoal Starter made this process quick and easy for me!
- When the charcoal is ashed over (it will be grayish-white and HOT), add it to the charcoal basket of the grill.
- Top the Bronco with the grill grate and get cooking!
How long to grill duck breasts?
The cook time for duck will vary based on the type of duck you use and the thickness of the breast.
Teal are small ducks and using a boneless, skinless breast meant the pieces of meat were about ½ an inch wide, maximum.
I grilled the seasoned duck breasts over hot charcoal for about 2 minutes per side. This meant that after resting the meat was beautifully medium rare and ridiculously tender!
A larger duck breast will require a longer cook time. Additionally, if you are uncomfortable cooking the ducks to medium rare, you’ll want to lengthen the cooking time.
What temperature for duck?
Most restaurant chefs and wild game cooks agree that the best way to enjoy duck breast is medium rare, meaning it temps out at 145 degrees after resting. If that makes you wary, feel free to cook the breasts until they reach 165 internally for well-done.
Talk about a great taco!
If you're looking for more great taco recipes check out my ground venison tacos and slow cooker chicken salsa tacos!
Grilled Duck Breast Tacos with Apple Slaw
Equipment
- Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Drum Smoker (or charcoal grill)
Ingredients
For the apple slaw:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 granny smith apples, cut into matchsticks
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup chopped scallions, plus more for serving
- ½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
For the grilled duck breasts:
- 1 pounds boneless, skinless duck breasts (I used teal duck breasts)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
For the tacos:
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
Instructions
For the apple slaw:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, the zest and juice of one orange, and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Add the matchstick apples, carrot, ½ cup chopped scallions, ½ cup chopped cilantro, and 1 seeded and diced jalapeño. Stir well to combine and place in fridge until ready to serve.
- This can be done a day in advance, if desired.
For the grilled duck breasts:
- Convert your Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Drum Smoker to the charcoal grill configuration. Load your charcoal starter with briquettes and light. When charcoal has ashed over, transfer to the charcoal basket of the Bronco and top with the grill grate.
- While the charcoal preheats, pat the duck breasts with paper towel and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon avocado oil, kosher salt and pepper to taste, and the zest and juice of one orange. Set aside until grill has preheated.
- When grill is ready, set the duck breasts over the direct heat of the coals. Grill for 2 – 3 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.
- Remove meat from grill and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
- Meanwhile, if desired, quickly toast 8 corn tortillas over the grill and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to stay soft.
For the tacos:
- To assemble the tacos, thinly slice the duck breasts and divide among prepared tortilla shells. Top with the apple slaw, sliced jalapeños, and additional scallions and cilantro, if desired.
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- This recipe can also be made indoors on a grill pan set over high heat, if desired.
· by Amanda Gajdosik