Hoisin Braised Duck Legs (Pulled Duck)
Duck legs marinated in hoisin sauce then slowly braised in a flavourful stock, until the meat’s melt in your mouth tender! This pulled duck works great on tacos, in spring rolls & loads more.
Everyone’s had pulled pork but have you tried pulled duck? It’s even easier to cook than pulled pork & takes a fraction of the time! The meat’s super tender, incredibly flavourful and works in a wide range of dishes (both hot & cold!). From duck spring rolls, to tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bao buns, pies, pizzas, salads & loads more.
To give this duck even more flavour, we’re going to be marinating the meat with a quick hoisin marinade before we cook it. It’s flavoured with fresh ginger, garlic, honey & soy sauce, which all complement the flavour of hoisin perfectly. Then any excess marinade is added into the pan with the braised duck, for extra hoisin flavour!
To cook, the duck legs are seared to give them a caramelised crust then they’re slowly braised in the oven, in a punchy braising liquid that’s made with chicken stock, fresh ginger, garlic, chilli, cinnamon & star anise. There’s loads of flavour in this stock & it can be used to make soups, broths & sauce once the duck is cooked!
Take a look at our ever growing collection of main course recipes for more dinner inspiration! And for side dishes to serve with your pulled duck check out our collection of sides.
What You’ll Need
- Duck Legs – This recipe uses 4 whole duck legs. I used Gressingham duck legs which are available in most supermarkets & butchers.
- Hoisin Sauce – Used to marinade the duck legs. Using a good quality hoisin sauce works best!
- Soy Sauce – We’re using dark soy sauce in the hoisin marinade, for a deep, slightly sweet flavour.
- Honey – Added to the marinade, for sweetness.
- Rice Wine Vinegar – Hoisin sauce contains vinegar, so we’re adding a splash to give it a thinner consistency that will coat the duck legs more evenly. I used rice wine vinegar but if you haven’t got any, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work instead.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is used in the marinade & in the braising stock. We’re grating it for the marinade & crushing for the braise.
- Fresh Ginger – Again, used in both the marinade & braising stock. I like to slice it when adding to the braising stock, with the skin on still!
- Chilli – I added a mild red chilli to the braising liquid, for a small hit of spice. Feel free to use a hotter chilli if you’d prefer more heat.
- Cinnamon & Star Anise – Both work really well with duck & hoisin sauce! We’re adding 1 of each into the pan when we braise the duck.
- Stock Pot – I like to braise duck in chicken stock, in the form of a stock pot as it will dissolve easier.
How To Make Hoisin Braised Duck Legs
Braising duck legs is a great way to cook tender, flavourful meat! For this recipe, we’re cooking the duck legs low & slow in the oven for a couple of hours until the meat is fall apart tender. However, if you wanted to leave the legs whole to serve, you can take them out of the oven half an hour (or so!) earlier.
Hoisin Marinade For Duck
Before we cook these duck legs, we’re going to marinate them in a mix of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger & garlic. To do this, we simply mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl then add in the duck legs & toss to coat. The duck & marinade get transferred to a container then chilled in the fridge overnight.
Braising
The next day, we can braise the duck. This is done in 2 steps; frying on the stove to sear the skin and a low & slow braise in the oven to make the meat tender. Make sure not to throw away the marinade after you take the duck legs out. We’ll be adding it to the braising liquid, for extra flavour!
Step 1 – Searing
First, we need to sear the duck legs on both side, until golden brown. We’re not really doing this to crisp the skin up as it won’t stay crisp as it the meat braises. Instead, searing is done for flavour! A well seared duck leg with caramelised edges is going to have loads more flavour than if we just threw the meat in a pan, covered it with stock & cooked it in the oven.
Searing the duck legs is super easy, we just need to keep an eye on them as they fry, as the hoisin marinade will burn quite easily. So the first step is to set a large, oven proof saucepan over a medium heat, add in a tablespoon of vegetable oil then let it heat up for a minute or so. Then once the oil’s hot, we carefully add in the duck legs & fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides, until a deep golden brown. The seared duck legs get transferred to a plate whilst we prepare the braising liquid.
Step 2 – Braising
To prepare the braising liquid, we first need to deglaze the pan with a splash of cold water. This gets all the flavour off the bottom of the pan & to do this, we add a small amount of water to the pan then use a wooden spoon to scrape the stuck on bits off the bottom.
Once the pan’s deglazed, we add in crushed garlic cloves, sliced fresh ginger, a chopped red chilli & a chicken stock pot. The seared duck legs then get added back into the pan, we pour over the reserved hoisin marinade & enough cold water to just cover the duck.
Now it’s just a case of cooking the legs in an oven set to 160°c/320°f, for 2-3 hours until tender. If your pan has an ovenproof lid, stick that on top before the pan goes in the oven. If it doesn’t, place a disc of baking parchment (a cartouche) on top of the duck, cover the top of the pan with foil then place into the oven. You’ll know when your duck is cooked, when the meat is pulling away from the bones & a skewer/food probe inserted into the meat will slide in with little to no resistance.
Shredding The Meat
Once our duck legs are cooked, we’re going to let them cool in the braising stock until they’re cool enough to handle (30 minutes or so). Then we can lift them out of the pan, onto a plate then shred the meat. You can do this by hand (wear gloves!) or with 2 forks! Just make sure to pick out any bones. To finish, I like to mix a spoonful of the braising liquid into the meat as well.
Serving Suggestions For Pulled Duck
I used my pulled duck as the filling for a batch of spring rolls (with carrots, spring onions, hoisin sauce & sesame seeds). Pulled duck also works really on tacos, as a filling for bao buns, inside burritos, on pizzas & loads of other stuff! As we marinated & cooked these duck legs in hoisin sauce, the shredded meat works really with complementing flavours & ingredients, like coriander, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce & honey.
Frequently Asked Questions
To braise duck legs in an Aga, use the boiling plate to sear the duck legs & to prepare the braising liquid. Braise the duck in the baking oven, on a grid shelf placed onto the floor.
Pulled duck legs need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge & will keep for up to 3 days.
Pulled duck can be reheated in a pan on the stove or in the oven. I’d recommend adding a splash of the braising liquid (or water) to the duck to keep it from drying out. I’d recommend baking in an oven set to 180°c/356°f or on the stove, over a medium-low heat.
Leftover braising liquid can be used as a sauce for serving with the duck or it can be passed through a sieve & used for stock (for soups, noodles, etc). To thicken the braising liquid for a sauce, I’d recommend bringing it to a boil over a medium heat then stirring in a cornflour slurry (cornflour & cold water).
More Dinner Recipes To Try!
- Hoisin Honey Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Gochujang Fish Cakes
- Classic Confit Duck Legs
- Honey Roast Ham, Egg & Chips
- Black Garlic Roasted Picanha (Beef Rump Cap)
- Beef Burritos
- Tikka Masala Roast Chicken
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Hoisin Braised Duck Legs (Pulled Duck)
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Large Saucepan
- Airtight Container
Ingredients
- 4 Duck Legs (See Notes)
Hoisin Marinade
- 150 g Hoisin Sauce
- 25 g Rice Wine Vinegar
- 20 g Honey
- 15 g Dark Soy Sauce
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- A 1" Piece Of Fresh Ginger
Braising Liquid
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- A 1" Piece Of Fresh Ginger
- 1 Red Chilli (See Notes)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Chicken Stock Pot
Instructions
Hoisin Marinade
- Add the hoisin, vinegar, honey & soy sauce into a large mixing bowl.
- Next, peel the garlic & ginger then grate both into the hoisin. Give the marinade a stir to combine then add in the duck legs, tossing them in the marinade so that they're completely coated.
- Transfer the duck & marinade into an airtight container (or ziplock bag) then chill in the fridge overnight.
Braising
- The next day, preheat an oven to 160°c/140°c fan (320°f/284°f).
- Next, crush the garlic cloves, cut the the fresh ginger into thick slices & roughly chop the chilli. Set these aside for now.Don't worry about peeling the garlic or ginger! Use the flat side of a large knife or rolling pin to crush the garlic.
- Set a large ovenproof saucepan over a medium heat, add in the vegetable oil then leave to heat up for a minute or two.
- In the meantime, take the duck legs out of the marinade, wiping any excess off. Don't throw the marinade away though, we'll be adding it to the braising liquid.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully add in the duck legs, skin side down then cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin is crisp & golden. Flip the legs over, cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown then transfer to a plate.Hoisin sauce will burn quite easily, so make sure to keep an eye on the duck as you sear it!
- Next, deglaze the pan with a splash of water. To do this, add a small amount of water into the pan then use a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown caramelised bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Turn the heat down slightly then to the pan, add the garlic, ginger, chilli, cinnamon stick, star anise & chicken stock pot. Then place the duck legs back into the pan.
- Pour the reserved marinade over the duck legs then add enough cold water into the pan, to just cover the duck.
- Cover the pan with a lid then transfer to the preheated oven & cook for 2-3 hours, until the duck is tender enough to pull. Once cooked, the meat will be pulling away from the bone & when you insert a food probe/skewer into the meat, it should slide in with little to no resistance.If your pan hasn't got an ovenproof lid, cover the duck with a circle of baking parchment (a cartouche) then cover the top of the pan with foil.
- Once cooked, let the duck legs cool in the braising liquid until cool enough to handle then carefully lift them out. Use a fork (or your hands) to shred the meat into bitesize chunks then serve! I like to mix a spoonful of the braising liquid through the meat as well.Don't throw the braising liquid away! There's some suggestions for using it, in the "notes" section. The duck will take around 30 minutes to cool & rest.
