Hunting Wild Game Recipes

An Easy Recipe for Wild Duck Tacos

Duck tacos are quick and easy to make, and they're delicious. Here's our best wild duck taco recipe and how to make it
Natalie Krebs Avatar

I can’t cook elaborate meals. I’m always pressed for time, I don’t ever have the necessary ingredients in my fridge, I can’t really afford to put the necessary ingredients in my fridge, and I struggle to prepare multiple dishes at once. So I usually resort to one-dish meals.

That’s where this simple recipe comes in handy. It’s got a few fresh veggies (the more you add the healthier it is, right?), it’s fast, delicious, and chock full of protein. I can’t take credit for the recipe though—I learned it from a buddy last season and have been using it ever since. We used greenheads for this, but you can cook whatever you’ve got handy. And, really, it will work for almost any game meat (more on that next week), but it’s particularly delicious when paired with duck . It’s a flexible recipe: the only thing you absolutely have to have is a cast-iron skillet. Seriously. It’s non-negotiable.

INGREDIENTS

Duck breasts (as many as you like)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Soft tortillas
Fresh cilantro
Raw radishes
Red onions
Favorite sauces
In this case I used Hot Xochitl Salsa Asada Verde and sriracha
Optional: A little Asian slaw, for extra flavor, crunch, and sauce. But you’re on your own for that.

Read Next: How to Cook Duck

How to Make Wild Duck Tacos

  1. Heat a cast-iron skillet on the stove with a little olive oil.
  2. Grind pepper and salt onto the whole duck breasts.
  3. When the pan is hot, sear the duck on each side for just a few minutes.
  4. Cook to medium-rare. You can slice the meat in the pan if you like and cook a little longer so they’re not raw in the middle—just make sure to keep the meat pink. Once you hit medium, the duck loses a lot of flavor and becomes tough.
  5. While the duck is cooking, chop your cilantro, dice the onions, and slice the radishes. The radishes don’t have much flavor, but they add a killer crunch.
  6. Slice the duck (if you haven’t already). Keep it in the skillet so it doesn’t get cold.
  7. Warm up the tortillas. Toasting each side right over the gas stove burner for a few seconds works best.
  8. Add your ingredients however you like. Eat immediately, it cools off quickly.
Wild Duck Tacos ready to eat
Wild Duck Tacos ready to eat Natalie Krebs