Homemade duck broth is an easy broth recipe made with whole duck, water, salt, onion, and spices. Duck broth is a richer and fattier substitute for chicken broth.
Homemade chicken broth is known for its flavorful taste, but what if I told you duck broth was even tastier! This recipe is straightforward and easy to make.
What's the Difference Between Stock and Broth?
Stock is cooked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, whereas a broth is cooked over a shorter period of time at a higher temperature. A stock has a deeper and richer flavor than a broth. This recipe is a cross between stock and broth.
Tips For Making The Best Broth
- Thaw frozen duck prior to making duck broth. I thaw my frozen duck in the sink using room temperature water. It usually takes about 2 to 3 hours for a 4 lb (2 kg) duck to fully thaw.
- Make sure the weight of the duck is appropriate for the water amount. The ratio of weight to water for the pressure cooker (or instant pot) is 1 lb (0.5 kg) of duck use 3 cups of water. The ratio of weight to water for the stovetop is 1 lb (0.5 kg) of duck use 4 cups of water. This ratio yields the best-tasting broth that's not too rich or too watered down.
- Adjust the salt. Everyone has a slightly different preference for salt levels, so adjust the salt as needed for your own personal preference.
- Strain the broth. Once the duck is finished cooking, strain the liquid from the solids.
- Use the duck meat. I roast the duck in the oven with a little bit of tomato paste, lime juice, salt, and pepper. If the duck is falling off the bone, this is perfectly normal.
How To Use Duck Broth
Duck broth is my broth of choice for mahshi crumb and taro root stew (Egyptian kolkas). Duck broth can also be used for homemade ramen.
📋 Recipe
Homemade Duck Broth
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
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This homemade duck broth recipe is made with whole duck, water, spices, and salt. Duck broth is a richer and fattier substitute to chicken broth, and it's so easy to make!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs whole duck
- 12 cups water
- 1 large onion halved
- 8 cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- You need a large pot that can handle a 4 lb (2 kg) duck. Add the water, cardamom pods, onion, salt, pepper, bay leaves to the pot.
- Rinse the whole duck in your sink. Make sure to disinfect your sink after.
- Put the whole duck in the pot. Bring the duck to a simmer, cover the pot, and turn the stove to medium low. Cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours until the duck meat is falling off the bones. For pressure cooker instructions, see note 1.
- Strain the liquid from the duck and other ingredients.
Notes
- If cooking the duck with the Instant Pot for 45 minutes, the duck meat will be falling off the bone quite literally. If using the duck for another recipe after, just keep in mind it won't stay all together. I prefer to cook the duck for 45 minutes because the stock is much richer.
- If there's no room in the cooking pot, you can quarter the duck.
- For every 1 lb (0.5kg) increase of weight of duck using a pressure cooker, add 3 cups of water.
- For every 1 lb (0.5kg) increase of weight of duck using a stovetop pot, add 4 cups of water.
- If using anything over a 6 lb (3 kg) duck, I recommend adjusting the seasoning ratio as well.
- Storage: Store duck broth in the freezer by allowing it to cool and then pouring it into freezer-friendly storage bags. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 cups | Calories: 205 kcal | Carbohydrates: 2 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 388 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 0 g
Susan says
This recipe is fabulous and I’m so glad that I came across it when I was looking for easy duck stock recipes. I also needed the fall-off-the-bone meat for the same purpose as the stock.
I had to slightly reduce the water amount to fit everything in my 8 quart pressure cooker, but it still yielded 3 quarts of perfect stock and cooked duck.
Lily says
Hi Susan, thank you for the comment! So glad it worked well for you.
Marwa says
My duck **just fit inside the largest Instant Pot. It made the most flavorful and rich broth. I put it in the glad freezer bags to store in the freezer for future use for mahshi.
Lily says
That's a really great comment. I don't think the large Instant Pot (8 quart) can fit a duck larger than 5 lbs. I wouldn't try making this in a smaller Instant Pot.