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Looking down on the smoked duck on a bed of green lettuce with pomegranates and the glaze to the side.
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Smoked Duck With Spiced Pomegranate-Maple Glaze

Put an extra delicious touch to your holiday dinner with this juicy smoked duck! Finished with a spiced pomegranate-maple glaze for a festive spin, this duck features the most tender, succulent meat to make one memorable meal that's sure to impress. Don't be surprised if this smoked whole duck becomes a new family tradition.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 4 people
Calories 800kcal

Equipment

  • Smoker any kind
  • Wood chunks or pellets preferably cherry but apple, maple and pecan are good options
  • Leave-in meat thermometer
  • Water pan
  • Drip pan

Ingredients

Smoked Duck

  • 1 whole duck innards and giblets removed
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ yellow onion cut into wedges
  • ½ orange cut into wedges
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Spiced Pomegranate Glaze

  • 1 cup pomegranate juice
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove grated or minced
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • teaspoon ground allspice
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • Splash of water
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Instructions

Smoked Duck

  • Trim off excess fat on the side opposite of the duck cavity. If there's excess fat by the cavity, you can trim that too.
  • Place the duck on a sturdy cutting board and score the breast skin using a sharp knife. Cut the skin in a criss-cross pattern but make sure you don't pierce the meat to avoid drying it out.
  • Pat the duck dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible and sprinkle salt all over the bird. It will seem like a lot of salt, but that's normal for dry brining. Fill the cavity with the onion and orange wedges. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours to dry brine.
  • Remove the duck from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before smoking. Heat the smoker to 225 degrees F. Stir together the smoked paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder and chili powder. Rub all over the duck.
  • Place the duck directly on the grates of the smoker breast-side up with a water pan and drip pan underneath the duck to catch any rendered fat. Insert a leave-in meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. Close the lid.
  • Smoke until the duck reaches 130 degrees F and brush with the glaze. Continue smoking until the meat reaches 145 degrees F, about two to two and a half hours. Crank up the heat to 400 degrees F, brush with glaze again and smoke until the internal meat temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about another 20 minutes or so.
  • Remove the duck from the smoker and place on a cutting board. Brush with the glaze one more time and allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes to allow the juice to redistribute to the meat before carving. Serve with additional glaze on the side. Enjoy!

Spiced Pomegranate-Maple Glaze

  • In a small skillet or saucepan, stir together the pomegranate juice, orange juice, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then simmer until it slightly reduces.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and a little bit of cold water until it becomes a smooth slurry. Whisk into the sauce to avoid any clumps forming and bring to a boil. Keep whisking and allow the mixture to boil for about a minute until it thickens.
  • Turn off heat and stir in orange zest. Use to glaze the duck. You'll also have additional glaze leftover to serve on the side. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • The smoking time is just an estimate. A lot of factors, such as weather, can affect the cooking time. 
  • Don’t rely on color to check for doneness. Even when fully cooked, duck will retain a bit of pinkness. Use a probe thermometer to constantly monitor the temperature and rely on that measurement to tell you when the duck is ready.
  • Slice the duck skin while cold: It’s much easier to slice through cold duck skin, so take care of this step as soon as you remove the meat from the refrigerator.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can also freeze it for up to six months.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25duck | Calories: 800kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1875mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1002IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 5mg