Duck Tacos Recipe: How to Make Duck Carnitas

Duck tacos are a Mexican-inspired dish of corn tortillas filled with duck meat (carnitas de pato). Duck meat is a decadent, rich protein with flavorful and—when appropriately cooked—incredibly crispy skin. Duck meat generally refers to the breast and legs of the bird, though the liver, known as foie gras, is a delicacy in France. Ducks have a layer of fat between the outer skin and meat (primarily to insulate in water environments), giving it extra rendering power and soaking the meat with flavor when cooked, similar to the crispy meat in pork carnitas recipes.

In duck tacos, duck meat gets cooked to produce a carnitas-style protein, shredded and dotted with pieces of crispy duck skin.

Serve duck carnitas packed into warm corn tortillas, topped with slaw, fresh lime juice, cilantro, and queso fresco. Here are some more ideas for toppings and sides:

1. 1. Cabbage: Cabbage and duck are a great combination, so either top your taco with a slaw or serve it alongside. Crisp, crunchy red cabbage tossed with an aggressive vinaigrette, and some mix-ins (nuts, seeds, grains, or cheeses) are a great pairing. Mix and match your cabbage for textural differentiation: Try napa cabbage and red cabbage, savoy cabbage and green cabbage, and so on.
2. 2. Chips and salsa: Chips and salsa are an excellent pairing with duck tacos. If you’ve made a flavorful homemade salsa for spooning onto your tacos—like Chef Gabriela Cámara’s charred salsa—you’ll want a side of totopos (crisp tortilla chips) for dipping as well. Learn how to make them from scratch with this tortilla chip recipe.
3. 3. Grilled fruit: Acidic fruit can help balance the richness of duck meat. Take inspiration from a traditional tacos al pastor recipe and top each taco with a piece of grilled pineapple. Other fruits such as apricots, pears, or peaches would also be a wonderful and unexpected pairing for the duck. To make grilled fruit, drizzle fresh fruit with oil, season it with salt and chile powder or sumac, and grill until charred.
4. 4. Refried beans: Serve duck tacos with rich, creamy refried beans to complete the meal. Make them at home using this easy refried beans recipe and top with crumbled cotija or queso fresco to tie it all together.

Duck skin is famous for its rich flavor and incredible crispness, but if you’re not a fan, feel free to omit it—the shredded duck meat has plenty of flavor on its own. Here’s what else to know:

1. 1. Choose duck legs. Skin-on duck legs work best for carnitas-style duck tacos since they can withstand a longer cook time than breasts. (Save duck breasts for medium-rare preparations, like Chef Thomas Keller’s pan-roasted duck recipe.) The leg meat shreds well, and the layer of fat between the meat and the skin gives it a crispy, unctuous texture. Legs are also much easier to prepare than a whole duck.
2. 2. Save the duck fat. Chefs consider duck fat “liquid gold,” so make sure to save it for later use. Rendered duck fat takes crispy potatoes to another level. Simply pour the drippings through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar, and place it in the refrigerator. Once cold, the fat will separate from the cooking liquids and solidify. Spoon the fat into an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
3. 3. Top the tacos with raw or pickled fruit. The inherent fattiness of duck blends incredibly well with fruit and acidic flavors, like pickled plum. Pickled red onions or radishes also work beautifully, and lime wedges are a must.