Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Reduction
Juicy duck breasts seared to golden perfection and paired with a sweet-tart cherry sauce that enhances the meat's natural richness. This French-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 35 minutes, pairs duck breast, olive oil, salt for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 (6 oz each) duck breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup cherry preserves
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat duck breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place duck breasts skin-side down and cook undisturbed for 8 minutes until skin is golden brown and crisp.
- Step 3: Flip duck breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes more for medium-rare; transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Add cherry preserves, red wine, and thyme to the skillet, scraping up browned bits, and simmer for 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Step 5: Stir in butter and parsley, then pour sauce over sliced duck breasts.
