Duck Tacos with Mango Salsa

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Pairing Duck with sweet fruits is always a great combination, so it’s no surprise that the flavor combination of Duck and Mango works a treat! These light and refreshing Duck Tacos with Mango Salsa give a fun, creative, and tasty twist to a regular old Taco dinner. The richness and sweetness of the fatty Duck combined with that juicy, sweetness of the Mango gives these Tacos so much flavor. They are a light meal that makes for a perfect lunch or dinner over Summer

I truly wish Mangos were in season all year round

Mangos must be one of my favorite fruits. The rich, sweet flavors of a big, ripe Mango is one of the culinary worlds finest assets. They’re an extremely versatile Fruit, lending themselves well to Salads, Ceviche’s, as well as heavier dishes like Curries and Casseroles

They are a tropical fruit, grown in warmer climes, which means for many, they are a seasonal Fruit. Typically, you’ll start to see Mangos pop up in your local grocery store around Spring, and they’ll stick around until the start of Fall

Their seasonality over the warmer months makes them perfect to use in lighter, refreshing meals. When its warm outside the last thing you want to be doing is cranking that oven for hours on end when cooking dinner. That’s why these Duck Tacos with Mango Salsa make for a great summer dish

From start to finish, you’ll be able to prepare this dish in under 30 minutes. Most of that time is spent cooking the Duck, which requires a slow cook to properly render the fat. So not only is this dish easy to cook, but it also tastes amazing!

How to make perfect Duck Tacos with Mango Salsa

The great news is that this is a simple dish to make. You’ve got two components to prepare: the Duck, and the Mango Salsa (obviously!). Now, for the absolute best result we do recommend kicking off this dish a few days in advance. The reason for this is to guarantee the crispiest Duck skin ever

How to achieve super-crispy Duck skin

The enemy of crispiness is moisture. So, we want to remove as much moisture from the Duck skin as possible before cooking. The best technique to achieve this is by placing the Duck skin-side-up on an exposed plate in the refrigerator. The dry air of the refrigerator will significantly dry out the skin

We recommend leaving the Duck in there for at least 2 days. You’ll notice such a huge difference. The skin will be a leathery texture, which means it’s super-dry

Many folks score the Duck skin before cooking, but we prefer the pin method. This involves using a pin to prick loads of tiny holes in the Duck skin. Poke about 100 holes or so into the skin of the Duck breast before cooking. This will allow the Duck fat to seep out of the holes when cooking. Rendering the Duck fat is critical, as it’ll result in a much crispiest, enjoyable eating experience

Once you’ve done that, place the Duck skin-side-down in a pan and then turn on the heat on a low setting. You want to slowly, gradually cook the Duck. This method allows the Duck fat to render completely, without overcooking the flesh or burning the skin

90% of the cooking time for the Duck is on the skin side. About 20 minutes should do it. Once the skin is super crispy and a golden-brown color, flip it over and cook for 5 more minutes on the flesh side. Then, remove it from the pan once its internal temperature hits around 120F and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing

Slice off the Duck skin and serve it separately

This is an optional step, but we recommend it! Carefully slice away the Duck skin from the Flesh once it’s rested. You can then slice up the Duck skin into smaller strips and serve it as a beautiful and tasty garnish to the Duck Tacos

The Duck skin has so much flavor in it, so whether you serve it separately or simply slice the Duck up with it still connected, just be sure you use it. It’s the best part, and we’ve spent days achieving that beautiful crispy skin so don’t let it go to waste!

Preparing the Mango Salsa

The second component for our Duck Tacos with Mango Salsa is the Mango. I recommend peeling the Mango skin by using a sharp knife and then cutting away as much Mango from the stone. Mangos are notoriously challenging to cut because of the weird oval shape of the Mango. Just try your best, it doesn’t have to be perfect

We want the Mango to then be sliced into quite small cubes. This is purely for the eating experience. You want smaller pieces of Mango on the Tacos to help better control how much Mango ends up on the plate. It also looks great, and allows for a better Duck to Mango ratio

Once the Mango has been diced up, place it into a bowl along with a splash of Lemon Juice, a touch of Salt, and some finely diced Red Onion. You can add Cilantro at this point, or just sprinkle it over the top of the Tacos once prepared. I like the latter, as some people aren’t big Cilantro fans – so this gives you more control over the flavors in the dish

Flour or Corn Tortillas are both fine to use

Personally, in our house we’re big fans of Flour Tortillas. We use them almost exclusively for any of our homemade Mexican dishes. I understand certain Mexican purists will tell you there are recipes that are better suited using the Corn Tortillas however, I just like the Flour ones better. So, we’re not going to preach about what Tortilla to use in this dish. Just use the ones you like!

One recommendation I will give is the best way to heat the Tortillas before serving is not in the Microwave. In fact, that’s probably my least favorite method. Instead, try placing a Tortilla directly over the flame on your stovetop (or outdoor grill). Give it about 15 seconds straight on the fire, then flip over and scorch the other side

You’ll achieve a beautiful, charred color and the outsides will start to turn a little crispy. It’s the best way to prepare Tortillas! If you have an electric stovetop, you can still do it. You’ll achieve the same result. Just watch that the Tortillas don’t stick to the ceramic stovetop though!

Duck Tacos with Mango Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Duck Breasts
• 1 Mango
• 6 Taco Tortillas (Flour or Corn)
• ½ Red Onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp. Cilantro, roughly chopped
• ½ Red Chili, seeds removed and finely sliced
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Peel the Mango and cut away the flesh from the stone. Dice into small cubes and place into a bowl along with the Red Onion, Lenon Juice, and a pinch of Salt. Mix well then set aside
2. Prepare the Duck by poking holes in the skin with a pin (this is an alternative method to scoring the Duck, which achieves the same result but a nicer presentation)
3. Season the Duck with some Salt and then place skin-side-down on a cold pan. Turn the heat on low and cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the fat has rendered and skin turns crispy. Flip over and cook for 5 more minutes on the flesh side. Set Duck aside to rest for 10 minutes before slicing
4. (Optional) Slice away the crispy Duck skin and cut into pieces to use as a garnish for the Tacos
5. Plate your Tacos with a few strips of Duck meat. Top with a generous spoonful of Mango Salsa. Finish with Cilantro, Red Chili, and the crispy Duck Skin
   
   

Recipe Notes

• For the best results, leave your Duck exposed in the refrigerator for 2 days prior to cooking. This will dry out the skin
• Lightly toast your Tortillas on the open flame (stovetop or grill) for 15 seconds on either side for a beautiful, charred look and flavor
  
  

This recipe should yield about 5 – 6 beautiful Duck Tacos with Mango Salsa. It’s a meal on the lighter side, perfect for 2 people for lunch or dinner

For more beautiful and delicious Summertime recipes, check out some of our favorites here:

• Steak Kabobs
• Heirloom Caprese Salad
• Cucumber Dill Salad with Mint and Feta
• Summer Dinner Recipes that aren’t Salads
  
  

Happy Cooking!