Fried Rice with Duck
Fried rice with duck makes the most of cold cooked rice and a pair of duck breasts, which give off plenty of their own fat for frying. Strips of duck are browned until crisp and cooked right through, then the rice, peas, egg and spring onions go into the same pan with soy sauce and sesame oil. It serves two, takes about 35 minutes, and also works with leftover roast duck.
- Total
- 32 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 17 min
- Serves
- 2
- Per serving
- 760kcal
Buying and preparing fried rice with duck
Skin-on duck breasts are what give the dish its flavour, because the skin renders to a savoury fat that fries the rest of the ingredients. Look for breasts of about 170g each, which makes two good portions once the fat has run out. Slicing them into thin strips before cooking means the duck is crisp outside and cooked through in about 6–7 minutes, so there is no need to roast it separately.
Cooked duck should have no pink meat and be steaming hot all the way through. A meat thermometer reads at least 75°C in the thickest strip, if you want to be sure.
The rice matters as much as the duck. Cook about 160g of dry rice the day before, spread it on a tray to cool quickly, and chill it within an hour. Fridge-cold rice stir-fries into separate grains, whereas freshly cooked rice stays wet and clumps. Have everything chopped and within reach before you start, because the frying itself goes quickly.
Method for fried rice with duck
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Brown the duck Pat the duck breasts dry with kitchen paper and slice them across the grain into strips about 1cm thick, skin and all. Put the strips skin-side down in a large, cold frying pan, set it over a medium heat and cook for , turning once, until the skin is crisp and the meat is browned with no pink. Lift the duck onto a plate.
- Pour off the fat Carefully pour all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan into a heatproof jar. Keep the jar for roast potatoes. Turn the heat to high.
- Fry the aromatics Add the garlic, ginger and white spring onion and stir-fry for until fragrant. Add the frozen peas and cook for .
- Add the rice and egg Tip in the cold rice and stir-fry for , pressing out any lumps with the back of the spatula, until it is steaming hot all the way through. Push the rice to one side, crack the eggs into the gap and stir for about until they are scrambled, then mix them through the rice.
- Season and serve Return the duck to the pan, add the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss for to heat everything through. Scatter over the green spring onion and serve straight away.
Serving and swaps
Serve the rice in warm bowls with a few extra spring onions on top. A cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar makes a cooling side. A drizzle of chilli sauce suits those who like heat.
If you prefer a different meat, fried rice with chicken uses the same method with chicken breast. Frozen peas can be replaced by sweetcorn or sliced pak choi, and a splash of oyster sauce deepens the flavour if you have some. To cook the breasts whole instead, air fryer duck breast gives you slices to lay over plain rice.
Common problems and fixes for Fried Rice with Duck
- The rice turns mushy and sticks together.
- It was too warm or too wet. Use rice that was spread on a tray and cooled within an hour, then kept in the fridge and used within 24 hours. Stir-fry it on a high heat so the steam escapes and the grains separate.
- The dish is greasy.
- Too much duck fat was left in the pan. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon after browning the duck, as in the second step, because even this small amount coats every grain.
- The duck is tough.
- The strips were too thick or were cooked for too long. Slice them across the grain to 1cm, and stop as soon as the skin is crisp and there is no pink. They will finish heating in the rice at the end.
Frequently asked questions about Fried Rice with Duck
Can I use leftover roast duck?
Yes. Shred about 250g of cooked duck, skip the first two steps and heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan instead. Add the duck with the rice so that it is steaming hot all the way through.
What can I use instead of duck fat?
Use 1 tablespoon of vegetable or sunflower oil. Chicken or pork fried this way will not give off enough fat of its own, so add the oil before the garlic.
Can I keep and reheat leftovers?
It is safer to cook only what you will eat. The rice has already been reheated once in the pan, so throw away any leftovers and do not reheat them.
Which rice works best?
Long-grain rice such as basmati or jasmine. Cook it with a little less water than usual so the grains stay firm and separate.
How did you like the recipe?
4.8 / 5 · 76 ratings
