This easy air fryer duck recipe only needs a few simple ingredients and gives you the perfect crispy brown skin wrapped around moist and tender duck meat. It's a dish that's bursting with flavor and perfect for holidays or weeknights.
Duck is often served for special occasions and holidays but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it all year long or when you're craving the delicious flavor of the meat.
The air fryer allows you to cook up a perfectly moist whole duck and gives it that famous crispy golden skin. It's a dinner idea that you can have ready to eat in no time.
❤️ Why You'll Love It
There's no need to bring out the spice pantry for this air fryer duck recipe. This recipe uses just one seasoning to help give it a boost of flavor. It's versatile too though so you can change up the seasoning or create your own blend of spices.
Since it's made in the air fryer, it's done in no time and you won't have to wait on the oven. Plus, you still get that beautiful brown skin and the juicy meat duck is famous for.
🥘 Equipment Used
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We cook this whole duck in the air fryer so there are no special tools or equipment needed. The size of the air fryer you need will depend on the size of your air fryer so when you're shopping for your duck you will want to keep that in mind.
🧾 Ingredients Used
- Whole duck: You'll want to make sure your whole duck is thawed out completely. If your duck is frozen, it won't cook all the way through.
- Chicken seasoning: You can adjust the amount of seasoning used to give you the desired amount of flavor.
- Olive oil: This will help keep the duck from sticking and will help brown the skin as it cooks in the air fryer.
🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Duck
- First, remove the giblets from inside the duck and set them aside. You can air fry them separately.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350F. Then, pat the duck meat dry with paper towels.
- Using a sharp knife, make a crisscross pattern on the duck. Liberally rub the chicken seasoning all over the duck and inside the cavity.
- Spray the air fryer with some olive oil to prevent the duck from sticking to it. Place the whole duck in the air fryer, breast side up.
- Air fry for 30 mins, then flip and air fry for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. If the skin is not crispy enough, increase the temperature to 380F and let it air fry for another 5-10 minutes.
- Let the air-fried duck rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
🥫 Storing and Reheating
To store, let the duck cool down completely and then slice or cut the duck into pieces and put them in an airtight container. You can store the leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stove, in the oven, or the air fryer.
💭 Tips and Variations
- Instead of using chicken seasoning, you can create your own blend of spices. Another excellent option is all-purpose seasoning or creole seasoning.
- When you're making the crisscross pattern in the duck, try to cut the skin only. This will help prevent the duck from drying out as it cooks.
- If you notice a lot of grease from the duck, you may want to empty it out of the basket between cooking times.
🍽️ WHat Can I Eat Air Fryer Duck With?
Air fryer duck will go well with a side of vegetables. Sautéed green beans and mushrooms, Instant pot asparagus, and mashed cauliflower are all great healthy options.
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen duck?
No, you'll want to make sure the duck is completely thawed out so that it cooks all the way through.
How long do I cook duck in the air fryer?
This air fryer whole duck takes about an hour. It's cooked for 30 minutes on one side and then flipped and cooked for another 30 minutes.
Do I need to drain the grease?
Depending on the duck, you may need to drain some of the grease out of the basket throughout the cooking process. You can do this once you flip the duck. If you notice the air fryer starts to smoke, you'll want to make sure the grease is drained.
What if the skin isn't crispy enough?
If the skin is not crispy enough, increase the temperature to 380F and let it air fry for another 5-10 minutes.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Duck
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck approx 4 lbs
- 4 tablespoon chicken seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350F.
- Remove the giblets from inside the duck and set them aside. You can air fry them separately.1 whole duck
- Pat the duck meat dry with paper towels.
- Using a sharp knife, make a crisscross pattern on the duck.
- Literally rub the chicken seasoning all over the duck and inside the cavity.4 tablespoon chicken seasoning
- Spray the air fryer with some olive oil to prevent the duck from sticking to it.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Place the whole duck in the air fryer, breast side up.
- Air fry for 30 mins, then flip and air fry for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- If the skin is not crispy enough, increase the temperature to 380F and let it air fry for 5-10 more minutes.
- Let the air-fried duck rest for 10- 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Instead of using chicken seasoning, you can create your own blend of spices. Another excellent option is all-purpose seasoning or creole seasoning.
- When you're making the crisscross pattern in the duck, try to cut the skin only. This will help prevent the duck from drying out as it cooks.
- If you notice a lot of grease from the duck, you may want to empty it out of the basket between cooking times.
Nutrition
Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
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