15 Leftover Duck Recipes: Favorites for All-Time (2024)

I think that we all agree that duck meat is one of the most flavorful dishes to serve.

Duck is the right combination of texture and taste, and when cooked right, it tastes closer to red meat than chicken. It even contains more vitamins than chicken meat.

But when you cook one whole duck, you’re likely to end up with some leftovers. So, should this go to waste?

Definitely not!

And I’m here to share with you the tastiest leftover duck recipes that you can try today.

All you have to do is to gather the ingredients, and before you know it, everyone will be swearing by culinary skills. So, check out my leftover duck ideas.

1. Chinese Leftover Duck Fried Rice

Here’s the deal:

Chinese fried rice is meant to be made using leftover rice and veggies, so adding leftover duck meat actually makes perfect sense.

Use leftover duck legs and wing meat to prepare this dish by dicing the meat and stir-frying it with the veggies. Duck fat will add a rich and hearty flavor to your plate.

I usually don’t stick to a single type of vegetable, but carrots, peas, and scallions usually work. Then, add some more soy sauce to enhance the flavor.

I personally love serving jasmine rice with this dinner plate because it’s fragrant and has a fluffy texture when cooked.

2. Duck Curry Skillet

The punchy taste of curry is an excellent addition to the intensely flavored duck meat.

Use leftover duck breast but remove the fatty skin. You can use it to roast potatoes as a side dish.

This recipe calls for several Asian ingredients like coconut milk that adds warmth and sweetness to neutralize the punchiness and spiciness of the curry.

Serve this dish with jasmine rice which absorbs the sauce beautifully, or roasted potatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

3. Orange and Pickled Fennel Duck Salad

You probably know that you can use orange juice to roast a duck in the oven.

But it gets better:

Orange can actually be used to prepare a flavorful salad that uses duck meat as the main ingredient. Just shred any leftover duck or dice the meat.

The other main ingredient is pickled fennel, which you can prepare using white wine vinegar. You can keep it in the fridge for up to two months.

Mix the orange juice with the pickle water and serve the leftover duck meat with orange segments and the pickled fennels.

4. Salt and Pepper Fried Ducks Breasts

If you live with one or two people, you might have one extra duck breast left after enjoying the main meal.

Use this duck breast to prepare a tangy and delicious dish that uses lemon juice as its base.

This recipe works with half-cooked or fully cooked leftover duck meat, as you need to deep fry the duck breast.

For this recipe, you need to use Sichuan peppercorns which have citrusy overtones, and mix the peppercorns with sea salt.

Grind the spices and sprinkle the mixture on top of the breasts when the plate is done. Serve the duck meat with sliced lemons and shredded spring onions.

5. Mango and Duck Noodles

Do you want to enjoy duck meat in a sweet and spicy noodle dish?

For this gourmet-grade dish, you need a single duck breast or the leftover meat from the legs and wings to add a tasty topping to your noodles.

Pre-cooked meat is seasoned with hoisin sauce, and a dressing is made of soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and oil.

Mix the noodles with the sauce and add the duck meat on top.

The mango slices add the sweet and tangy component that makes this noodle dish a delightful addition to your dinner table.

6. Leftover Duck Confit Salad

Here’s how to transform a classic dish into an impressive salad:

Duck confit is a tasty dish, and the leftovers will make a tasty salad using bitter greens.

The residue of duck fat will add extra richness to the veggies. Don’t forget to season them with sea salt.

On top, sprinkle the salad’s dressing, which you made using white wine vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard and olive oil.

7. Leftover Duck Stir-Fry

Want to know what to do with leftover duck?

Duck stir-fry is an excellent and fast recipe to prepare with leftover duck meat and the vegetables you have in the kitchen.

Take your leftover duck meat and slightly fry with duck fat or oil until golden, then remove.

In the fatty residue, cook your onions, garlic, chili peppers, green and red peppers, carrots, and mushrooms, and add ginger for a spicy taste.

Add the duck meat and soy sauce to infuse the flavors. Finally, a tasty dinner is ready to be served.

8. Summer Duck Rice Rolls

Rice rolls are incredibly versatile because you can add any ingredients you like to create mouthwatering rolls.

After softening them, fill your rice rolls with leftover duck, sliced red onions, sliced mangoes, mint, coriander, and spring onions.

Serve your rice rolls with plum sauce for an extra sweet twist.

9. Leftover Duck Pizza With Sweet Figs

Want to know what to make with leftover duck?

You can prepare a Chinese-style pizza with duck meat, and it will be ready in less than 10 minutes.

Brush the pizza crust with hoisin sauce and arrange figs, onion slices, and shredded duck meat on top.

Add some cheese on top of your pizza and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Sprinkle with peppery arugula for an extra kick.

10. Hearty Duck Casserole with Port

You might be wondering:

How can I make a hearty dish in less than 30 minutes?

Keep the duck fat from the first time you cook a whole duck or duck breasts, and prepare this dish using a whole breast or some leftover duck meat.

This casserole feels divine because you cook the vegetables in the duck fat, so they absorb all the richness.

The port flavor will get infused into the duck meat and richen the taste of your casserole.

If you’re using raw duck meat, this recipe can take up to two hours until the meat is fully cooked.

However, since the meat is already cooked, you can cover the casserole until the liquid is reduced.

11. Pineapple, Peanut, and Duck Salad

For this recipe, you need tamarind paste, lemongrass, and rice wine vinegar to create a tangy dressing.

You also have to simmer the radishes and shallots until they’re soft.

To assemble, you’ll have to arrange the radishes, shallots, pineapple slices, and shredded duck meat, and then pour the dressing on top.

Then, add some peanuts for an extra crunch and mint leaves for garnish.

12. Duck and Plum Sauce Samosas

Use leftover duck breasts or legs to prepare the filling for the samosas.

Cook the garlic in some leftover duck fat or oil and add your Asian sauces for a sweet taste.

Wait until the filling is cold before adding it to the samosas, and put one spoon of the filling into the filo pastry or make your own dough.

Fold, and then brush with oil. You can bake, fry, air fry, or deep fry your samosas and then serve with plum sauce or cooked plums.

13. Warm Duck Salad

Who said that salad has to be cold?

This warm salad is made of beetroot, pomegranate, green beans, and feta cheese for some extra freshness.

All you have to do is add some shredded duck on top to assemble your salad.

Then, you can serve this warm salad with a dressing made of sherry vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.

14. Duck and Bean Stew

On cold evenings, prepare this leftover duck recipe using leftovers in your kitchen.

In addition to duck meat, the mushrooms and beans increase the protein content of this dish to make it the perfect family dinner.

Using star anise, cumin, and ground coriander will add more warmth to this hearty and flavorful stew. You can serve it with rice for a balanced meal.

15. Leftover Duck Ragu Pasta

Instead of minced meat, use shredded duck to prepare a special ragu sauce for your pasta.

Use red wine, parsley, and tomato purée to prepare the sauce, cook in duck fat, and then add the shredded duck meat.

Mix the leftover duck ragu with cooked pasta and grate parmesan cheese on top to prepare one of the warmest and most delicious leftover duck recipes.

Finally, don’t forget to pair your Take-two duck with some yummy duck side dishes like these – you can create a whole new meal!

FAQs

1. Is it better to use leftover duck meat from the breast or legs?

This depends on the recipe you want to prepare. If you’re going to cook the ingredients, use duck meat from the legs because it can tolerate more cooking.

Duck breasts are tender, so use them if you’re going to prepare a salad.

2. How can I store cooked duck meat?

To store cooked duck, remove the meat from the bones and wrap it in plastic foil or aluminum foil.

The idea is to make sure that the air doesn’t get in contact with your duck leftovers to avoid contamination.

3. How long will stored leftover duck last?

After keeping it in a plastic wrap and sealing the meat in an airtight container, duck leftovers can last between 2 and 3 days in the fridge.

You can use the same technique to store the leftovers in the freezer, where they can last for three months.

4. What is the best way to reheat duck meat?

The best way is to stir-fry it using the residual duck fat.

If you have a whole piece, you can also roast it in the oven.