How to Sous Vide Duck

Sous vide is great for both making duck confit and for creating tender, perfectly cooked duck breasts.

Note: For a more detailed look at cooking duck, I highly recommend reading my article on How to Sous Vide Duck and Poultry.

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Sous Vide Duck Temperatures and Times

There is nothing worse than overcooking a nice piece of duck. Luckily, sous vide makes perfect duck easy to achieve. Not only is it simple to cook perfectly tender and moist duck consistently but you can also confit duck very easily.. Below are more sous vide time and temperatures for many of the specific items.

Sous Vide Duck Breast

Sous vide duck is amazing and always turns out perfect! I normally cook them at 131°F (55°C) just enough to heat them through or sometimes pasteurize them. This normally takes 2 to 3 hours.

• Rare: 125ºF for Time by Thickness (51.7ºC)
• Medium-Rare: 131ºF for Time by Thickness (55.0ºC)
• Medium: 140ºF for Time by Thickness (60.0ºC)
• How to sous vide duck breast

Sous Vide Duck Drumstick

Duck drumsticks become tender after 3 to 6 hours of cooking at 131ºF (55°C). If you are going to confit them then 10 to 20 hours at 167ºF (75°C) is great.

• Medium-Rare: 131ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (55.0ºC)
• Well: 176ºF for 8 to 10 Hours (80.0ºC)
• Confit: 167ºF for 10 to 20 Hours (75.0ºC)
• How to sous vide duck drumstick

Sous Vide Duck Foie Gras

Foie gras is normally done at 134ºF to 140ºF (56.6°C to 60°C) for 35 to 55 minutes. Since it is a pretty involved process I recommend checking out my guide below.

• Fois Gras: 134ºF for 35 to 55 minutes (56.7ºC)
• How to sous vide duck foie gras

Sous Vide Duck Leg

Duck leg become tender after 3 to 6 hours of cooking at 131ºF (55°C). If you are going to confit them then 10 to 20 hours at 167ºF (75°C) is great.

• Medium-Rare: 131ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (55.0ºC)
• Medium: 140ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (60.0ºC)
• Duck Confit: 167ºF for 10 to 20 Hours (75.0ºC)
• How to sous vide duck leg

Sous Vide Duck Sausage

Sous vide duck sausage always turns out tender, moist, and cooked perfectly. It is usually cooked long enough to pasteurize it, typically 2 to 3 hours. It can be cooked from 131°F to 140°F (55.0°C to 60°C).

• Medium-Rare: 131°F for Pasteurize by Thickness (55.0ºC)
• Medium: 140°F for Pasteurize by Thickness (60.0ºC)
• How to sous vide duck sausage

Sous Vide Duck Thigh

Duck thighs become tender after 3 to 6 hours of cooking at 131ºF (55°C). If you are going to confit them then 10 to 20 hours at 167ºF (75°C) is great.

• Medium-Rare: 131ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (55.0ºC)
• Medium: 140ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (60.0ºC)
• Confit: 167ºF for 10 to 20 Hours (75.0ºC)
• How to sous vide duck thigh

Sous Vide Duck Whole

Not recommended, but if you do try to spatchcock it to remove the air pocket. For all temperatures it should be heated by thickness.

• Medium-Rare: 131ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (55.0ºC)
• Medium: 140ºF for 3 to 6 Hours (60.0ºC)
• Confit: 167ºF for 10 to 20 Hours (75.0ºC)
• How to sous vide duck whole