This Duck Confit With Pickled Raisins is a big fat flavor blast! Fall off the bone perfection with a sinfully crisp skin, this ancient cooking method is never going out of style! It’ll roll your eyes into the back of your head – it’s that good!

overhead shot of duck confit on a serving platter with pickled raisins and garnished with thyme

I’m not sure if there is anything better than perfectly cooked duck. This duck confit with pickled raisins deserves to be a tradition! You only need a handful of ingredients and you don’t need to devote 3 days of your life in order to get it done! This recipe will yield any restaurant-worthy version and leave your tastebuds begging for more!

I think the best part of making this recipe is the supply of delicious duck fat it’s going to leave you with for future duck leg experiments! Because trust me, there will be plenty more experiences after this one! So whatever you do – don’t throw it away!

What The Heck Does Duck Confit Mean?

Confit, a French pronunciation, comes from the French word “confire” – which literally means to preserve. A confit is any type of food that is cooked slowly over a long period of time as a method of preservation. When it comes to cooking meat, it is typically required to be salted as part of the preservation process.

Ingredient Notes

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make duck confit with pickled raisins

Duck legs – I used 8 duck legs today with the skin on and bones in.
Garlic – 6 fresh cloves, minced. Golden rule if you’re using jarred garlic is to remember 1 1/2 teaspoons is equal to 1 fresh clove.
Salt and pepper – For seasoning and to taste.
Thyme – 8 sprigs of thyme will be needed today!
Red pepper flakes – For some added flavor and heat!

Sauce

White wine vinegar – Any brand will work fine!
Sugar – White granulated sugar.
Mustard seeds – Will add a subtle flavor to our sauce.
Red pepper flakes – For some added flavor and heat!
Rosemary – 1 sprig.
Raisins – I am using golden raisins for the sauce today!

How To Make Duck Confit With Pickled Raisins

process shots showing how to make duck confit

Prepare the duck: Using the tip of a sharp knife, prick the meaty part of each duck leg. Next, rub each leg with the minced garlic, followed by salt and pepper.
Preheat oven: To 250 F degrees.
Roast: Place the duck legs down in a roasting pan lined with a rack. Next, add in the thyme, first portion of red pepper flakes, and a 1 /2 cup of water. Finally, cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for about 2 hours – until all the fat is rendered.
Roast again: Remove the duck from the oven and remove the aluminum foil and rack. Turn the duck legs skin side up and place them back in the roasting pan in the fat. Finally, re-cover with aluminum foil and cook again for another 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
Make the sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, rosemary, 1 sprig thyme, and 1 cup of water. Next, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer – stirring until sugar is dissolved. Finally, mix in the raisins, remove from heat, and let cool for 1 hour.
Finish: Increase the oven temperature to 400 F degrees and remove the duck legs. Place the duck legs skin side up on a baking sheet or roasting pan lined with a rack or even just parchment paper and then place back into the oven and roast for another 30 – 35 minutes or until skin is brown and crisp.
Serve: Transfer the duck legs to a serving platter and pour the pickled raisin sauce over the duck legs, garnish with thyme, and serve!

overhead shot of duck confit with pickled raisins in a white serving platter

Can I Use Duck Breasts?

I don’t recommend making confit with duck breasts. These are best served medium-rare to rare, not cooked slow. Duck breast becomes tough, stringy, and dry when made with the confit technique, so I would definitely recommend sticking to the legs, or even the wings!

How To Serve

Traditionally this dish is served with a side of sliced potatoes, but your options are endless – so choose anything you like! Here are a few recommendations:

duck confit legs with pickled raisins on a white serving platter

Leftovers

Duck confit will last in the fridge for up to 3 weeks when properly stored in an airtight container. Something to note is the fat/oil will congeal into a semi-solid when it is cold – this is normal! – but will return to liquid form once it is warmed.

Freezing

This dish freezes really well and I definitely recommend it in order to extend the shelf life! When stored in a sealed, airtight container, duck confit will last in the fridge for up to 3 months. When it comes time for reheating, let the duck confit thaw in the fridge overnight and then warm on a lined baking sheet, in a preheated oven of 375 F degrees.