This Ninja Woodfire Grill Smoked Duck utilizes the woodfire technology on the grill to impart amazing smoky flavor into the duck. It’s the perfect way to amplify the flavors of a duck breast.
» You might also like this Pork Belly in the Slow Cooker.
It’s time to get out that new Ninja Woodfire Grill you just got and cook up some delicious duck breast. Whether you’re already a fan of duck breast, or you’re trying it for the first time, you will find this recipe to be immensely satisfying.
The Ninja Woodfire Grill is such a great tool for imparting smoke flavor into meats like duck breast without the hassle of firing up the pellet grill. It’s also quite a bit faster and you’ll hopefully find that the smoke flavor is way more amplified than in your traditional smoker. That’s my favorite thing about this grill.
You can choose to smoke this duck with any wood pellets you like, or with the pellets that came with your Woodfire Grill. I like to use cherry or pecan wood for duck. The cherry provides a fruity flavor which is just slightly tart, the pecan has a more nutty sweet flavor.
Ingredients You Need
To prepare these delectable chicken skewers, you will need:
- Duck breast – It can be a little difficult to find duck breast in the store. Be sure to look in the frozen section, as duck breast is often sold frozen. Or ask the butcher if they have it.
- Dry rub – You can use any dry rub you like, but we recommend our homemade dry rub that’s very easy to put together with just a few typical spices, like paprika, chili powder, onion and garlic powders.
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill
For this recipe, I used my Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill, which is a new offering from the kitchen appliance brand that makes our beloved favorites, the Ninja MaxXL Air Fryer and the Ninja Creami. The Woodfire Grill is a portable outdoor grill with 7 functions: grill, smoke, air fry, bake, roast, broil, and dehydrate.
Why I Like It
- It imparts an amazing amount of woodfire flavor into the food with just 1/2 cup of pellets.
- It’s incredibly fast and efficient.
- It cooks faster and with more smoker flavor than my full-size smoker – by far.
- There’s no guessing, especially with the built-in temperature probe available on the Pro version.
- The food comes out with a perfect crispy or seared exterior that’s both gorgeous and super tasty.
- It’s very portable and can be set up anywhere on a sturdy surface with a power outlet nearby.
Guess what? We’ve brokered a deal for you, our lovely readers.
Use our coupon code to get a discount on the grill!
- Use FLK30 to get $30 off the PRO version of the grill ($459.60 before the discount)
- Use FLK40 to get $40 off the base model of the grill ($369.60 before the discount)
Smoking vs Grilling
For this recipe, we use the smoker function on the Ninja Woodfire Grill. It functions a little bit differently from the grill. First, you will need to fill the little hopper basket with the pellets of your choice. The grill is electric, but the pellets will be ignited in the basket and will funnel all that smoke right into the base of the grill where your duck can soak it all up.
While on the smoker function, you also want to set the temperature to a low and slow heat. My preference is 250°F. This will allow the meat to cook slowly so it can get a lot of smokiness built in while it cooks.
If you have the Ninja Woodfire Pro, you will have a meat probe that you can insert into the duck breast. That will help the machine monitor the temperature and shut off when it’s done. You will be surprised how fast it cooks, even at 250°F, especially if you’re used to a pellet smoker.
How to Make Ninja Woodfire Grill Smoked Duck
Use a sharp knife to lightly score the skin side of the duck breast in a criss cross pattern, being careful not to cut too deep (you should not cut through to the meat).
Season the duck breasts with the dry rub and let sit until the smoker is ready.
Place duck breasts skin side up directly on the smoker grill grates.
Insert a meat probe in the thickest part of the breast.
Close the door. Set the dial to Smoker. Set the temperature to 250°F. If you have the Ninja Woodfire Pro, you can use the built-in temperature probe to monitor the meat temperature. Set it to 130°F. The machine will turn off when the meat reaches that temperature.
If you don’t have the Pro, you should set the timer for 20 minutes of cook time and about 15 minutes in, check it with an instant read digital meat thermometer.
Select START/STOP to begin cooking.
When the duck is at 130°F, remove it from the grill and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Tips & Extras
- Should you have leftovers, which we doubt due to the irresistibility of this duck, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Leftovers can be used for duck tacos, duck wraps, or to put on a salad.
- Buy duck breasts that are similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
- If you want to do a sear on the duck to get the fat layer fully rendered, you will want to either do this on a skillet on the stove top or preheat the Woodfire Grill to 400° F and put the duck skin side down for 3-5 minutes.
- Be sure to rest the duck breast for at least 10 minutes before slicing to preserve the juices inside and to allow the meat to come up to 135°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of wood pellets should I use for smoking duck breast?
For duck breast, you might want to consider a blend of fruit wood pellets such as apple, cherry, or peach. These types of woods provide a mild, sweet smoky flavor that pairs well with the richness of the duck. Hickory or mesquite can be too strong for duck and may overpower its unique flavor.
How long should I smoke the duck breast and at what temperature?
You’ll want to smoke the duck breast at a low temperature for a longer period of time to ensure it is thoroughly cooked and flavorful. For this recipe, we use a Ninja Woodfire Grill which smokes food much faster than a typical pellet smoker. We smoked the duck breast at 250°F for about 20 minutes. Always make sure that the internal temperature reaches 135°F to ensure it’s fully cooked.
How do I get the skin crispy when smoking duck breast?
Getting a crispy skin on smoked duck can be a bit tricky due to the lower temperatures used in smoking. One method is to score the skin before smoking, which helps to render out more fat. Then, when the duck is almost done smoking, increase the temperature of your Ninja Woodfire Grill to around 400°F for the last 15 minutes to crisp up the skin. Be sure to keep a close eye on it during this time to prevent burning.
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Ninja Woodfire Grill Smoked Duck
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) dry rub
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to lightly score the skin side of the duck breast in a criss cross pattern, being careful not to cut too deep (you should not cut through to the meat).
- Season the duck breasts with the dry rub and let sit until the smoker is ready.
- Place duck breasts skin side up directly on the smoker grill grates.
- Insert a meat probe in the thickest part of the breast.
- Close the door. Set the dial to Smoker. Set the temperature to 250°F. If you have the Ninja Woodfire Pro, you can use the built-in temperature probe to monitor the meat temperature. Set it to 130°F. The machine will turn off when the meat reaches that temperature.
- If you don’t have the Pro, you should set the timer for 20 minutes of cook time and about 15 minutes in, check it with an instant read digital meat thermometer.
- Select START/STOP to begin cooking.
- When the duck is at 130°F, remove it from the grill and rest for 10 minutes before slicing
Equipment Needed
- Woodfire grill
- Wood pellets cherry or pecan
Nutrition
Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes and currently has a cookbook in development.
