Cooking duck legs in an air fryer is super easy and quick. In fact, you won’t even need any ingredients for it either except for some salt and black pepper and that too only if you prefer it. Otherwise, you can simply skip these ingredients as well because duck meat is already so salty that it doesn’t need more salt!
The recipe is also very simple and doesn’t require you to have any specialized equipment except for an air fryer. And the best part is that you can serve it with potatoes, rice, or tortilla whichever you prefer. In the following recipe, I will tell you how you can cook delicious duck legs served with boiled potatoes so keep reading!
Duck Legs In Air Fryer
Duck Legs In Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Dish
- Sharp knife
- A pan
Ingredients
- 2 Duck legs
- Kosher Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 2 Potatoes
Instructions
- First of all, you need to prepare the duck legs for cooking. So, let cool tap water in the kitchen sink run and hold the duck legs under the water for about five minutes. This will tighten the skin of the duck and hence, make the duck legs become more crispy and tasty when cooked.
- Set the chicken legs in a dish and using a sharp knife, put three slated cuts in the skin. Make sure that the cuts only pierce the skin and not cut the meat underneath.
- After that, sprinkle salt and ground black pepper powder onto the duck legs if you like it and as per your taste. In the meantime set the air fryer to preheat at 160 degrees Celsius.
- Now, it is time to cook the duck legs in the pre-heated air fryer. So, take out the air fryer basket and place the duck legs carefully in the air fryer with the skin side facing up and some distance between each leg. Let them cook for a good thirty minutes.
- When the duck legs are cooking, you need to start working on the potatoes. Take a pan and half-fill it with water. Then place two peeled and diced potatoes in the water and put the pan on the stove and then boil for about ten minutes.
- Now, stain the partially boiled potatoes out of the pan and mash the potatoes using a fork or a masher. This step will be a little hard since the potatoes are only partially cooked.
- Then, take the duck legs out of the air fryer basket carefully and place them on a plate. You will see duck fat at the base of the basket.Pour it out on top of the mashed potatoes and season with salt and black pepper powder. Mix the potato content well and then put it in a thin layer in the air fryer. After that, place the duck legs on top of the potatoes and replace the air fryer basket back in the air fryer.
- Turn the heat of the air fryer to 180 degrees celsius and let it cook for another twenty to twenty-five minutes. The potatoes will start to turn golden and crispy as well as the skin of the duck legs. At that point, turn off the air fryer and dish the air fryer legs in an air fryer to serve immediately!
Nutrition Value
Speaking about the nutritional value of the air-fried duck legs, these are super healthy and very nutritious. A single serving of duck legs contains about 374 calories, 46 grams of protein, 20 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 190 mg of sodium, and 17 mg of calcium.
FAQs
Are duck legs easy to cook?
Yes, duck legs are super quick and easy to cook. You don’t even need any ingredients for it either. In fact, you may also skip adding salt as well!
How long does it take to cook duck legs in an air fryer?
It takes about an hour to cook duck legs in an air fryer. This includes five minutes of preparation time in which you would have to hold the chicken legs under cold tap water and then pierce the skin with horizontal cuts and add salt and black pepper to the raw meat.
What to do with the duck fat left over at the bottom of the air fryer basket?
It depends upon you to decide what you want to do with the leftover duck fat at the bottom of the air fryer basket. Some people prefer to throw it away due to being high in calories; however, I add it to the rice or potatoes I cook on the side just to add to the overall flavor of the meal.
Do air-fried duck legs have too many calories?
Yes, air-fried duck legs have a high-calorie content. In fact, a single serving of air-fried duck legs has about 374 calories.
So, it is safe to say that cooking duck legs in an air fryer is super easy and very convenient. You don’t even need any specialized equipment nor do you need any ingredients whatsoever. Some people prefer not to use salt or black pepper either because duck meat is already said to be super salty.
The best thing about this recipe is that you can serve it with anything on the side. In the above recipe, I coupled the duck legs with a side of potatoes but you can also serve it with rice or flatbread whichever you like. I even serve it with chili sauce sometimes as well!
