Duck Legs Recipe — Cajun Style Wild Duck | The Sporting Chef

All too often, duck hunters are irresponsible with the ducks they harvest. They’ll cut out the breasts and throw the rest of the duck away. Cajun cooks know how to make the most of all parts of the duck, including the legs. Here’s my own version of a Cajun-inspired dish using a mess of duck legs and thighs. I prefer to cook them with the skin on, but skinless legs work fine, too.

How to Cook Duck Legs — The Key Things to Know

Duck legs are fundamentally different from duck breasts and need to be treated that way. Breasts are lean and best cooked fast over high heat to medium-rare. Legs are dense, heavily worked muscle loaded with connective tissue — they need low heat and a long braise to break down into something tender and pull-apart. Rushing duck legs produces tough, chewy meat. Give them time and they reward you.

Duck Legs vs Duck Thighs — What’s the Difference?

For cooking purposes, not much. What hunters call a “duck leg” typically includes both the drumstick and the thigh attached — the whole lower quarter of the bird. Some recipes separate them, but for a braise like this one it makes no difference. Cook them together. The thigh meat will be slightly more tender since it has more fat, but both pieces finish at the same time in this recipe.

What Duck Species Work Best for This Recipe?

Any of them — mallard, teal, pintail, Canada goose legs, you name it. The only adjustment needed is cook time. Teal legs are smaller and more tender — check them at the 1 hour mark. Mallard and Canada goose legs are larger and more sinewy — they may need the full 2 hours or slightly more. When the meat pulls away from the bone with minimal resistance, they’re done.

Print Recipe

Cajun Duck Legs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 2 cups andouille sausage or any smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• 25 – 35 duck legs
• 1 cup yellow onion roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped
• 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomato with juice
• 4 – 5 garlic cloves minced
• 2 -3 bay leaves
• dash or two Tabasco
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons prepared Cajun seasoning
• 2 cups chicken broth
• cooked warm rice

Instructions

• In a large heavy-duty deep baking dish or Dutch oven, brown sausage over medium heat.
• Add duck legs and cook until all legs are evenly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Add onion and next 9 ingredients.
• Stir to combine ingredients and add enough chicken broth to cover contents of dish.
• Cover and place in a 400 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from oven and check for doneness.
• Legs are done when the meat can be pulled off of the bone with minimal effort. Remove any legs that are done.
• Add additional chicken broth as needed to just cover legs. Return covered dish to the oven for 30 minutes. Check for doneness every 30 minutes until all legs are tender.
• Serve over warm rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g