This smoked duck is tender, juicy, smoky, and basted with sweet maple syrup and honey glaze for a showstopping meal! The bird is dry-brined overnight and then spatchcocked so that it cooks evenly and quickly. Pair it with any of your favorite side dishes for a dinner that is sure to please!
Easy Smoked Spatchcock Duck
If you're new to preparing and eating game meat, then duck is a fantastic place to start! It is easy to cook and has a rich flavor that resembles red meat more than chicken.
Using your smoker makes it essentially effortless to prepare (besides needing to spatchcock the duck, which is super easy!) Plus, the smokey flavors complement the earthy taste of the meat wonderfully.
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🥘 Smoked Duck Ingredients
Since duck is so flavorful on its own, you're only going to need a total of 5 ingredients. The honey and maple syrup are combined to make a sweet glaze that is completely irresistible!
- Duck - One whole 5-pound duck.
- Salt - 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- Honey - ¼ cup of honey.
- Maple Syrup - ¼ cup of maple syrup.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Smoked Duck
Prepare your duck, and then let the smoker work its magic! All you need is your smoker, some kitchen shears, a cutting board, and your measuring utensils.
One 5-pound duck will yield about 3 servings of meat. Of course, you can use whatever size duck you like!
- Prepare. To get started, rinse your duck under cold water and pat it completely dry using paper towels. Trim off any excess skin, remove the tail, and trim the wing tips if desired. If there are any giblets or other packages inside the body cavity, remove those and discard them (or save them for something else).
- Dry brine. Use corn on the cob keepers to carefully pierce all over the skin of your 5-pound (2.27 kilograms) duck (avoiding piercing the meat itself). Generously season the entire bird with 1 tablespoon (18 grams) of salt, set it into a baking pan, and then place it uncovered in the fridge to dry brine overnight.
- Spatchock the duck. The next day, preheat your smoker to 275°F (135°C). Remove the duck from the fridge and spatchcock the bird (remove the backbone, flip it over, and firmly press down to break the breast bone so that it lays flat).
- Season. Sprinkle the duck with a little more salt and ¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) of fresh ground black pepper and then place it into the smoker.
- Smoke. Smoke your duck for a total of 30 minutes per pound. After the first 40 minutes of cooking, mix together ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of honey and ¼ cup (60 milliliters) of maple syrup and brush the mixture onto the duck every 30-40 minutes until it is done cooking.
- Rest. Once the internal temperature has reached 160°F (71°) (checking at the breast), remove it from the smoker, lightly cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
🥗 Sides
Pair your smoked duck with some roasted yellow squash and roasted potatoes and onions for a complete and delicious meal! Choose any of your favorite veggies or starches, as this duck will taste great with tons of different things!
Take a look at my post on what to serve with duck for some more ideas and recipes! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Hang on to your trimmings and giblets to make some duck broth that can be used in a delicious smoked duck and mushroom risotto!
- Duck is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°), but you'll want to remove it from the smoker when it reaches 160°F (71°) as the internal temperature will continue to rise an additional 5°F while resting (called "carryover cooking").
- Soy sauce OR balsamic vinegar would make a great addition to your honey and syrup mixture. You could also add a splash of orange juice!
- Spatchcock the duck so that it can lay flat in your smoker and cook evenly.
- Dry brining the duck will help to remove any excess moisture from the skin, causing it to become nice and crispy.
- I recommend using fruity hardwoods, such as maple, apple, cherry, or pecan.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep any leftover duck stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend carving the duck for easier storage.
Reheating Duck
Place your duck meat into a baking dish with a small amount of chicken broth or water. Tightly cover it with some aluminum foil and warm it in the oven at 300°F (150°C).
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Hang on to all of the bones, trimmings, and giblets that come inside the body cavity. You can use these to make an incredibly rich and delicious duck broth! Use your broth to make tons of tasty dishes, such as smoked duck and mushroom risotto.
The best wood for smoking dark meat such as duck is fruity hardwood. Use wood such as apple, maple, cherry, or pecan. I would avoid soft wood like pine and cedar as the flavors don't pair well, and it could cause the duck to taste odd.
Place the duck onto a cutting board or platter with the breast facing down. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Flip it over and give a firm press to the breast bone in order to crack it so that the bird can lay flat and cook evenly.
🍖 More Recipes Using Game Meat
- Creamy Duck & Wild Rice Soup - If you have any leftover duck meat on hand, use it for this creamy soup!
- Goat Curry - Tender chunks of goat are coated in a delicious coconut milk gravy.
- Roasted Quail - A simple and tasty dish where everyone can enjoy their own bird.
- Rabbit Stew - Rabbit meat is cooked low and slow until incredibly tender and flavorful.
- Grilled Cajun Alligator Bites - Bite-sized pieces of alligator sirloin are coated in Cajun seasoning and grilled to perfection.
- Venison Tenderloin Roast - This roast is the best way to use up some venison from your last hunting trip.
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📖 Recipe Card
Smoked Duck
Ingredients
- 5 lb duck
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- To get started, rinse your duck under cold water and pat it completely dry using paper towels. Trim off any excess skin, remove the tail, and trim the wing tips if desired. If there are any giblets or other packages inside the body cavity, remove those and discard them (or save them for something else).
- Use corn on the cob keepers to carefully pierce all over the skin of your 5 lb duck (avoiding piercing the meat itself). Generously season the entire bird with 1 tablespoon salt, set it into a baking pan, and then place it uncovered in the fridge to dry brine overnight.
- The next day, preheat your smoker to 275°F (135°C). Remove the duck from the fridge and spatchcock the bird (remove the backbone, flip it over, and firmly press down to break the breast bone so that it lays flat).
- Sprinkle the duck with a little more salt and ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper and then place it into the smoker.
- Smoke your duck for a total of 30 minutes per pound. After the first 40 minutes of cooking, mix together ¼ cup honey and ¼ cup maple syrup and brush the mixture onto the duck every 30-40 minutes until it is done cooking.
- Once the internal temperature has reached 160°F (71°) remove it from the smoker, lightly cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Hang on to your trimmings and giblets to make some duck broth that can be used in a delicious smoked duck and mushroom risotto!
- Duck is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°), but you'll want to remove it from the smoker when it reaches 160°F (71°) as the internal temperature will continue to rise an additional 5°F while resting (called "carryover cooking").
- Soy sauce OR balsamic vinegar would make a great addition to your honey and syrup mixture. You could also add a splash of orange juice!
- Spatchcock the duck so that it can lay flat in your smoker and cook evenly.
- Dry brining the duck will help to remove any excess moisture from the skin, causing it to become nice and crispy.
- I recommend using fruity hardwoods, such as maple, apple, cherry, or pecan.
- To store: Keep any leftover duck stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend carving the duck for easier storage.
- To reheat: Place your duck meat into a baking dish with a small amount of chicken broth or water. Tightly cover it with some aluminum foil and warm it in the oven at 300°F (150°C).
Čikara Drazenko says
Savrsen odnos .mislim da uz med i javorov sirup ide 30g maslaca
"A perfect relationship. I think 30g of butter goes with honey and maple syrup."