If you’re wondering what to serve with your duck breast, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for duck breast.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes to serve with duck breast are duck fat roast potatoes, wild rice pilaf, sweet potato and kale gratin, and butternut squash gnocchi. You can also try ginger sesame noodles, cheddar polenta, or creamed swiss chard. For something more refreshing, try a mandarin orange salad.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Duck fat roast potatoes
Don’t throw out your duck fat drippings – they’re liquid gold in the culinary world!
And you can use them to make the most delicious roasted potatoes you’ll ever have.
The duck fat will give your spuds an extra crunchy, extra golden crust you can’t get with normal cooking oil.
Pro tip: if you don’t have duck fat, chicken fat will work great too.
Why we love this recipe: they keep their crunch for an impressive amount of time.
Featured recipe
Duck fat roast potatoes
Make it unique
1000-layer duck fat potatoes
Make it fancy
Duck fat potato galette
Seared baby bok choy with ginger garlic sauce
Looking for something simple and unique?
Try this seared baby bok choy.
Bok choy has a clean, grassy flavor and the zippy ginger sauce adds a hint of spice.
The sauce for the bok choy requires quite a few ingredients, but if you like Asian cooking, you’ll probably have them all in your cupboard already!
Why we love this recipe: it looks as good as it tastes.
Featured recipe
Seared baby bok choy with ginger garlic sauce
Make a starter
Bok choy soup
Make it simple
Sauteed spinach
Kabocha squash mashed potatoes
Upgrade your standard potato side with some kabocha squash.
Kabocha squash is a Japanese pumpkin-shaped squash that has an inviting orange color and a distinctively sweet flavor.
To serve, prop a few slices of duck breast over a bed of this jazzed-up mash – and don’t forget the gravy.
Why we love this recipe: it will bring a festive feel to your meal.
Featured recipe
Kabocha squash mashed potatoes
Stick to the basics
Sweet potato mash
Make it unique
Mashed potato fries
Mandarin orange salad
Duck and orange is a classic flavor combination – the sweet citrus fruit perfectly balances out the rich, savory duck.
Aside from the oranges, the salad is packed with candied almonds, fresh parsley, and a tart spicy vinaigrette that’ll leave your taste buds tingling.
Psst… prep the dressing in advance so the flavors have a chance to develop.
Why we love this recipe: it’s perfect for summer.
Featured recipe
Mandarin orange salad
Make it hearty
Roasted grape and farro salad
Use berries
Blackberry and goats cheese salad
Maple soy glazed brussels sprouts
Roasting is my go-to way to cook brussels sprouts – they get perfectly crisp-tender, with some deliciously charred spots.
No soggy messes here!
And these sprouts are tossed in a finger-lickingly good maple soy glaze.
Why we love this recipe: it transforms a humble ingredient into something really tasty.
Featured recipe
Maple soy glazed brussels sprouts
Make it spicy
Honey sriracha brussels sprouts
Make a salad
Shaved brussel sprout salad
Butternut squash gnocchi
Making your own gnocchi isn’t a 30-minutes affair, but the effort will be worth it once you sink your teeth into these pillowy soft dumplings.
Frying the gnocchi in a simple brown butter sage sauce enhances the natural nutty flavors of the butternut squash and gives the outside a nice crisp texture.
YUM.
Why we love this recipe: your kitchen will smell amazing.
Featured recipe
Butternut squash gnocchi
Change the flavor
Sweet potato gnocchi with pesto
Make it simple
Garlic butter parmesan baked butternut squash
Braised German red cabbage
Also called rotkohl, this German dish involves cooking red cabbage in a broth made with apple cider vinegar, grated apple, and red jelly.
This infuses your vibrant veg with a sweet and tart flavor that will cut right through the fatty duck meat.
Pro-tip: simmer your cabbage longer if you want a more tender bite.
Why we love this recipe: any leftovers can last up to a week.
Featured recipe
Braised German red cabbage
Make it easy
Quick fried sauerkraut
Fire up the oven
Roasted cabbage wedges
Sweet potato and kale gratin
If you’re craving something indulgent to go with your pan-seared duck breast, a gratin is the way to go.
The creamy bechamel sauce and tender sweet potatoes come together to create a comforting, but fancy side.
And adding nutrient-rich kale makes this dish slightly healthier than your usual gratin.
Why we love this recipe: it’s gluten free and paleo-friendly.
Featured recipe
Sweet potato kale gratin
Make a salad
Roasted sweet potato and kale salad
Skip the oven
Sweet potato and kale hash
French carrot salad
I’ve never been more excited about carrots than when I first tasted this classic French dish.
It gives you the perfect balance of flavors – the carrots’ natural sweetness is offset by some peppery parsley and a tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
Psst… use a food processor to grate the carrots.
Why we love this recipe: no fancy ingredients are needed, just basic pantry staples.
Featured recipe
French carrot salad
Preheat the oven
Miso glazed carrots
Make it fancy
Hasselback spicy roasted carrots
Sauteed broccoli rabe
Sometimes you just want something simple.
And this broccoli rabe delivers.
It has a naturally bitter flavor that will balance out the duck’s gamey notes.
But if you find the bitterness too much, you can blanch the broccoli rabe before sautéing it to mellow the flavor out.
Why we love this recipe: you can get this side on the table in 15 minutes.
Featured recipe
Sauteed broccoli rabe
Make it heartier
Lemony roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe
Make it different
Roasted broccolini
Ginger sesame noodles
Take some inspiration from Chinese cuisine and whip up these sesame noodles to pair with your duck breast.
What sets this dish apart from your usual takeout noodles are the caramelized mushrooms, which add so much umami flavor.
Why we love this recipe: it’s way better (and healthier) than takeout noodles.
Featured recipe
Ginger sesame noodles with caramelized mushrooms
Make it healthy
Vietnamese noodle salad
Make it low-carb
Pad thai zoodles
Cheddar polenta with pesto and roasted tomatoes
Make date nights more delicious with a decadent meal of roasted duck breast and polenta.
This porridge-like dish is luxuriously thick and oh-so-cheesy, thanks to the addition of two kinds of cheese – cheddar and parmesan.
Then the bright and herby pesto brings a pop of freshness, and the tomatoes keep things juicy.
Why we love this recipe: it’s Insta-worthy.
Featured recipe
Cheddar polenta with pesto and oven-roasted tomatoes
Make it rustic
Margherita baked polenta
Make it crispy
Garlic parmesan polenta fries with lemon aioli
Wild rice pilaf
Duck breast can hold its own in the flavor department, so don’t be afraid to pair it with a bold side dish like this wild rice pilaf.
It’s a one-pot dish that’s bursting with fall flavors.
Psst… other things you can add in include chopped nuts, wild mushrooms, or diced squash.
Why we love this recipe: it will make everyday feel like Thanksgiving.
Featured recipe
Cranberry wild rice pilaf
Make it low-carb
Cauliflower rice with cranberries
Change the flavor
Middle Eastern rice pilaf
Creamed swiss chard with breadcrumbs
Swiss chard isn’t as popular as spinach or kale, but it’s just as nutrient rich.
So you don’t have to feel guilty about turning it into a creamy side dish.
Still, this recipe is lighter than your usual creamed spinach – instead of heavy cream or a roux, the sauce is made with cream cheese and chicken broth.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Featured recipe
Creamed swiss chard with breadcrumbs
Switch the leaves
Radicchio salad
Keep it healthy
Garlic sauteed swiss chard
Lentil Ragout
Puy lentil ragout is a traditional French side dish for confit duck, but it will work with any kind of duck.
Puy lentils differ from other types of lentil because they have more of a bite and a deeper, nuttier flavor.
And don’t be tempted to get canned lentils for this recipe! You need to start with dried so they can absorb all the flavors of the broth.
Why we love this recipe: you can’t go wrong with the classics.
Featured recipe
French lentil ragu
Use beans
Braised white beans
Keep it light
French lentil salad
The best side dishes to serve with duck breast
- Duck fat roast potatoes
- ared baby bok choy with ginger garlic sauce
- Kabocha squash mashed potatoes
- Mandarin orange salad
- Maple soy glazed brussels sprouts
- Butternut squash gnocchi
- Braised German red cabbage
- Sweet potato and kale gratin
- French carrot salad
- Sauteed broccoli rabe
- Ginger sesame noodles
- Cheddar polenta with pesto and roasted tomatoes
- Wild rice pilaf
- Creamed swiss chard with breadcrumbs
- Lentil Ragout
What To Serve With Duck Breast
Ingredients
- 1 portion duck breast
Instructions
- Prepare your duck breast according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: duck fat roast potatoes, seared baby bok choy with ginger garlic sauce, kabocha squash mashed potatoes, mandarin orange salad, maple soy glazed brussels sprouts, butternut squash gnocchi, braised german red cabbage, sweet potato and kale gratin, french carrot salad, sauteed broccoli rabe, ginger sesame noodles, cheddar polenta with pesto and roasted tomatoes, wild rice pilaf, creamed swiss chard with breadcrumbs, and lentil ragout.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
![25 Delicious Ways To Enjoy Matcha [Sweet And Savory]](https://pantryandlarder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Matcha-recipes-200x200.jpg)
