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Crispy roasted duck leg served with mashed potatoes and braised cabbage
Roasted duck leg with crispy skin, served with mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage.

Crispy Slow-Roasted Duck Legs

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses

The secret to a perfect duck leg is time and fat. This meat hates haste: it must be cooked low and slow so connective tissues soften and the thick layer of fat under the skin renders out. The result is meat that falls off the bone and skin that cracks like a chip. Marjoram and garlic are faithful companions to the duck's bold flavor.

🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 2 hrs
⌛ Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 850 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Deep roasting pan
  • Aluminum foil
  • Meat fork for checking doneness

Instructions

1 ✓

Clean the duck legs of any feathers. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat.

Tip: Scoring helps the fat render out from under the skin.
2 ✓

Rub the legs thoroughly with salt, pepper, and marjoram on all sides.

Tip: If you have time, let them sit in this dry rub for a few hours.
3 ✓

Place the legs in a roasting pan, skin side up. Toss in the unpeeled garlic cloves and apple wedges. Pour the water underneath.

Tip: The steam from the water tenderizes the meat, while garlic and apple aromatize it.
4 ✓

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast at 320°F (160°C) for about 2 hours.

Tip: This is the steaming phase. It's ready when the meat pulls back from the bone.
5 ✓

Remove the foil. Increase heat to 400°F (200°C). Baste the meat with the rendered fat.

Tip: The fat conducts heat to crisp up the skin.
6 ✓

Roast for another 20-30 minutes until the skin is red and crispy.

Tip: Serve with braised red cabbage and mashed potatoes.

Recipe FAQ

What should I do with the rendered fat?
Never throw it away! Strain it into a jar. Duck fat is liquid gold: great for roasting potatoes or spreading on bread.
The skin isn't crispy.
After the steaming phase, remove the foil, increase the heat, and baste with its own fat. You can use the broiler for 5 minutes, but watch closely so it doesn't burn!

Ingredients

  • 4 pcs Duck legs (Moulard or Pekin)
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Ground black pepper
  • 6 cloves Garlic (unpeeled)
  • 1 tbsp Dried marjoram
  • 0.5 cup Water
  • 2 pcs Apples (cut into wedges, optional)