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Keto Duck Breast with Orange Sauce Recipe

This elegant keto duck breast with orange sauce recipe may look intimidating, but it’s really easy. Try it once, and this duck dish is sure to become a favorite.

If you don’t tend to like duck meat all that much, you might like our lemon chicken recipe – you’ll still get that fruity zing!

How I Made This Dish Keto

The biggest difference between this keto seared duck breast recipe and its traditional preparation is in the orange sauce.

While you may not think there is a huge difference between orange juice and the juice of an orange (that you squeeze yourself), trust me, there is.

If you’ve never checked out an orange juice label, you’re in for a not-so-sweet surprise. Your average jug of OJ is loaded with sugar.

And not just a sprinkle either. The sugar content of some brands of orange juice falls right behind that of a soda.

To make matters even worse, orange juice (with the likely exception of some of the “light” brands out there) has even more calories than soda. No thanks.

Instead, you’ll get the same tangy punch of orange from your freshly squeezed orange and orange zest.

Knowing When Your Duck is Done

Keep in mind when cooking duck that it’s actually red meat. Using “pinkness” as your guide as you might do when you’re cooking poultry will likely leave you with overcooked meat.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that duck breast should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. If you want to play it safe, you can let that be your guide, however the meat might be tough.

For a more succulent, juicy result for this keto duck breast with orange sauce recipe, professional chefs recommend cooking to 135 to 140 degrees.

Again, feel free to do what you’re comfortable with. You might decide to cook one breast a bit more and see which one suits you.

You may have heard of duck a l’orange – this is a more traditional version of that dish.

Keto Seared Duck Breast with Orange Sauce Recipe

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• Author: Louise Hendon
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: French

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Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts (770 g), with the skin
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml), to cook with
• 1/2 medium onion (55 g), sliced
• Juice from 1/2 small orange (50 g)
• Zest from small orange (strips tied in a muslin parcel)
• 3 pcs. star anise (tied in the same above-mentioned muslin parcel)
• 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour (2 g), for thickening sauce
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth (120 ml)
• Pinch of stevia
• 2 Tablespoons of fresh parsley (2 g), finely chopped for garnish
• Additional grated orange zest for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F / 150°C.
2. Using a very sharp knife, score the duck breast skin at a 45 degree angle and rub salt and pepper all over the duck breast, including into the scored skin.
3. Heat up a frying pan or skillet to high heat and place the duck breasts skin-side down into the pan.
4. Sear the duck breasts until the skin has caramelised and crisped, about 5 minutes.  Then using tongs, turn the breasts over and cook the meat side for a few minutes until browned.
5. Remove the duck breasts and place on a greased roasting tray. Place in the oven skin-side up to cook a little further while you finish the rest of the dish (approx. 10-15 minutes).
6. Keep the rendered duck fat in the pan and add in the olive oil, and cook the diced onions until they’re caramelized and golden.
7. Add the orange juice to deglaze as well as the muslin parcel containing the strips of orange zest and star anise.
8. Cook for a minute or two, then remove from the heat and strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the onions – but not the muslin.
9. Return the strained sauce to the heat and open the muslin parcel of zest strips and star anise and add into the sauce. Add a pinch of Stevia if you feel it is not sweet enough.  Whisk the arrowroot into the chicken stock in a small jug, then pour into the pan.
10. Cook the sauce gently for 1-2 minutes until it has sufficiently thickened.
11. Serve the duck with the sauce and garnish with the chopped parsley and additional orange zest.

Notes

All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.

Net Carbs: 5 g

Nutrition

• Calories: 963
• Sugar: 4 g
• Fat: 72 g
• Carbohydrates: 6 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 66 g