Duck might technically be a bird, but it’s a lot more like red meat than it is like chicken or turkey, which makes it perfect for this sweet raspberry sauce cut with a bite of balsamic vinegar. The thick cap of fat in a skin-on duck breast might otherwise be a little overwhelming, but the sauce gives you enough of a flavor contrast that it just ends up being rich and delicious: if you’re trying to get a little more healthy fat into your diet, this is a recipe to save.
In terms of fat quality, duck really does beat out chicken: it’s mostly monounsaturated fat, with some saturated and fairly little PUFA. And if you don’t quite want all the fat on the breasts (it can really end up being a lot of fat), you could always trim some of it off and save it to render for roasting vegetables or cooking other things.
This would be a great recipe to serve with some roasted (or grilled) asparagus, or anything else quick and light. There’s already a lot going on with the duck breasts, so think of it as a bonus: no need to spend a lot of time and effort cooking a fancy side.
Duck With Raspberry Sauce Recipe
SERVES: 2
PREP: 15 min.
COOK: 25 min.
Protein: 64g / %
Carbs: 31g / %
Fat: 41g / %
Values are per portion. These are for information only & are not meant to be exact calculations.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless duck breasts
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup chicken or duck stock
- 2 cups raspberries
- 2 tbsp. ghee
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 325 F.
- Melt some cooking fat in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the duck breasts to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the duck breasts in the skillet, skin side down, and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the entire skillet from the stove and place in the preheated oven.
- Roast the duck in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare (or to your desired degree of doneness).
- Remove the duck from the skillet, and let rest for 5 to 6 minutes.
- While the duck is resting, put the same skillet back over medium heat, and add the garlic and shallot to the rendered fat.
- Cook the garlic and shallot until soft and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook until reduced, scraping up the brown bits from the pan.
- Add the stock and raspberries to the skillet, and cook until raspberries are soft and warm.
- Slice the duck breasts and serve with the raspberry sauce.