Mexican Carnitas with Duck and Green Apple Salsa

This time, my nose-to-tail cooking adventure features Mexican carnitas. Or perhaps beak-to-tail cooking, if we are being anatomically precise.

Traditional carnitas are made with pork, but I wanted to do something a little different: take the slow cooking, rendered fat and intense richness associated with a Mexican carnitas recipe, then apply the same philosophy to a whole duck.

The result is somewhere between duck carnitas tacos, confit and birria.

The duck is brined, browned to render its fat and then slowly cooked with tomato, green apple, orange, chipotle and warm spices. Once the meat is properly tender, the cooking liquor is blended into a rich dipping sauce that can be spooned over the tacos and served alongside them for dipping.

Yes, it is indulgent, quite fatty, but it is absolutely delicious. Sometimes, ‘we live once’ needs to be remembered. And I actually love to reference it more to duck birria, for some reason. But let’s see.

What Are Mexican Carnitas?

The Spanish word carnitas translates as “little meats”.

Traditional Mexican carnitas are pieces of pork slowly cooked in pork fat until wonderfully tender. The dish is particularly associated with Michoacán, where the established preparation involves pork, slow cooking in lard and large copper or stainless-steel cooking pots. Classic recipes remain very simple, relying largely on pork, lard and salt (like in Diana Kennedy’s classic ‘The Art of Mexican Cooking‘ cookbook, reviewed in my best Mexican cookbooks post). Other regional and home-style versions incorporate ingredients such as orange, onion, garlic and aromatic herbs. Larousse Cocina, for example, publishes a pork carnitas recipe made with orange juice and herbs. The below recipe is therefore not traditional Carnitas de Michoacán. It is my duck recipe cooked carnitas-style: slowly, generously and with rendered fat.

Why Make Carnitas with Duck?

Duck works extremely well with the carnitas method because it brings its own supply of cooking fat.

When the duck pieces are browned skin-side down, a substantial amount of fat renders into the pan. The next stage becomes similar to confit, in which meat cooks slowly surrounded by fat.

But this is not quite duck confit either.

I add tomato, green apple, white onion, garlic, orange juice and chipotle hot sauce to the cooking pot. As everything slowly cooks together, the duck becomes tender while the fruit, vegetables, spices and meat juices form the foundation of a remarkably complex sauce.

The flavours make complete sense together:

• Rich duck and rendered fat
• Sweet and acidic green apple
• Fresh orange and slightly bitter citrus peel
• Smoky chipotle
• Earthy Mexican oregano
• Warm cinnamon and cloves
• Fresh lime, coriander and jalapeño at the table

It is rich, sweet, spicy, citrusy and savoury all at once, which is exactly why this recipe works.

Mexican Carnitas with Duck at a Glance

Makes: Approximately 12–16 tacos
Serves: 4–6 people
Preparation: 30 minutes, plus overnight brining
Cooking time: Approximately 3 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate
Best served: At the table, with warm corn tortillas and plenty of napkins

Ingredients

For the duck and brine

• 1 whole duck, approximately 2 kg
• Enough cold water to cover the duck
• Fine salt equal to 5% of the water’s weight: approximately 50 g salt per litre of water

For the carnitas-style braise

• 1 green apple, cored and quartered
• 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
• 1 orange
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce (recipe is at My Salsa Magic system post)
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 150–250 ml water or unsalted chicken stock, only if required
• Salt, to adjust at the end

For the tacos

• 12–16 freshly made corn tortillas (here is how-to)
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped
• A generous handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• Lime wedges
• Extra chipotle hot sauce, optional

Optional fresh apple topping

• ¼ green apple, cut into fine matchsticks
• A little lime juice

How to Make Mexican Carnitas with Duck

1. Cut up the duck

Cut the whole duck into breasts, legs, wings and any additional usable sections.

I like using the complete bird here because the different pieces contribute different things. The legs provide succulent dark meat, the breasts give you larger pieces to shred or slice, and the wings and bones enrich the cooking liquor.

You can also ask your butcher to portion the duck for you. There are days for knife practice and there are days for outsourcing.

2. Brine the duck overnight

Prepare a 5% brine by mixing 50 g of salt into a litre of cold water.

Submerge the duck pieces completely and refrigerate overnight. Brining seasons the meat throughout and helps it remain juicy during the long cooking process.

Always brine poultry in the refrigerator, using a food-safe glass, stainless-steel or plastic container. day, remove the pieces from the brine and dry them extremely well with kitchen paper. Moist skin will steam rather than brown, and we have much more ambitious plans for it.

3. Render the duck fat

Place the duck pieces skin-side down in a wide, cold frying pan or heavy casserole.

Turn the heat to medium-low and allow the fat to render gradually. Do not rush this stage. You want to release a substantial amount of fat without burning the skin.

Once the pieces are golden, turn them and briefly brown the other side.

Transfer the duck to a plate. Pour the rendered fat into a heatproof container, leaving several tablespoons in the cooking pot.

Keep the remaining fat. It is far too valuable to discard and can be used for roast potatoes, beans or vegetables.

4. Build the apple, orange and chipotle base

Add the sliced onion to the pot and cook it gently in the duck fat until softened.

Add the garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, cinnamon and cloves. Stir for approximately 30 seconds, just until everything becomes aromatic.

Add the tomatoes and green apple.

Squeeze in the orange juice, then place the squeezed orange quarters into the pot as well. The peel contributes citrus oils and a delicate bitterness that balances the richness of the duck.

Add the chipotle hot sauce and stir everything together.

5. Cook the duck low and slow

Return the duck pieces to the pot, arranging them as evenly as possible.

The tomato, orange and apple will release liquid as they cook, so do not immediately drown everything in stock. Add only enough water or stock to prevent the base from catching, and usually 150 ml is sufficient to begin with.

Cover the pot tightly and cook using one of the following methods:

• Oven: 150°C fan or 170°C conventional
• Stovetop: The lowest possible simmer

Cook for approximately 2 hours, checking occasionally.

Duck breast may become tender before the legs and wings. Check the breast pieces after approximately 90 minutes and remove them earlier when necessary. Continue cooking the tougher pieces until the meat comes away from the bones with almost no resistance.

For food safety, duck and other poultry should reach a minimum internal temperature of 74°C or 165°F. In this slow-cooked recipe, the meat will normally move well beyond that temperature before reaching its desired shreddable texture. the duck

Remove the cooked duck pieces from the pot and allow them to cool just enough to handle.

Discard the bones and any pieces of cartilage, then pull the meat into generous shreds. Do not shred it into something resembling cotton wool. A mixture of smaller shreds and substantial pieces gives the tacos a much better texture.

Taste the meat before adding any more salt. The overnight brine and reduced cooking liquor may already have provided enough seasoning.

7. Turn the cooking liquor into cooked apple salsa

Remove and discard the orange quarters.

Because duck produces a considerable amount of fat, skim most of the visible fat from the surface of the sauce. Leave a little behind for flavour and body, but do not blend every last drop into the salsa unless you are trying to defeat your guests through richness alone.

Blend the tomato, apple, onion and cooking liquor until smooth.

Taste and adjust with:

• Salt, when needed
• Lime juice for greater acidity
• Extra chipotle hot sauce for heat
• A splash of water when the sauce is too concentrated

You can leave the sauce slightly chunky, but I like blending it because the result becomes somewhere between a salsa, a gravy and a birria-style dipping broth.

For a thicker sauce, return it to the pot and simmer uncovered until reduced to your preferred consistency.

It is so deliciously rich.

Should You Crisp Duck Carnitas?

Usually, cooked carnitas are finished by frying, roasting or grilling the meat until some of the edges become crisp.

You can certainly do that with this duck carnitas recipe. Spread the shredded meat across a baking tray, add a little rendered duck fat and place it under a hot grill for several minutes.

However, I prefer not to.

The duck is already incredibly tender and juicy, and aggressive crisping can dry out the smaller pieces. Instead, I create texture through the toppings: fresh onion, jalapeño, coriander and optional matchsticks of green apple.

That said, you do not need to choose one side and defend it for the remainder of your life. Crisp half the meat and leave the rest succulent. Then everyone at the table gets what they want.

How to Assemble Duck Carnitas Tacos

Warm your corn tortillas in a dry pan or directly over a gas flame until they are soft, flexible and lightly toasted.

Add a generous portion of shredded duck to each tortilla.

Finish with:

1. Finely chopped white onion
2. Fresh jalapeño
3. Plenty of coriander
4. Optional green apple matchsticks
5. A squeeze of lime
6. A spoonful of the cooked apple salsa

Serve additional salsa in small bowls alongside the tacos.

This gives you the full Mexican carnitas meets birria situation: assemble the taco, take a bite, then dip it into the rich apple, orange and chipotle sauce.

Repeat as required.

Why Corn Tortillas Work Best

Mexican tacos are traditionally built around tortillas, most commonly corn tortillas, combined with meat or another filling, chopped onion, coriander and salsa. They are especially suitable for these duck carnitas tacos because their toasted corn flavour stands up to the rich meat and fruity sauce.

This is not the moment for a bland supermarket wrap.

Use proper corn tortillas, preferably freshly made, and warm them just before serving. You can find my complete method in the Homemade Corn Tortillas guide.

What to Serve with Duck Carnitas Tacos

These tacos are already extremely substantial, so I would keep the side dishes fresh and relatively simple.

Good options include:

• A crunchy cabbage and lime slaw
• Pickled red onions
• Radishes with lime and salt
• A fresh tomatillo salsa
• Charred spring onions
• A light bean salad
• A sharp, crunchy green salad

I would avoid adding large amounts of cheese, crema or guacamole. All are lovely, obviously, but the duck and its cooked apple salsa already provide more than enough richness with its fat.

Can You Make Duck Carnitas Ahead?

Yes. In fact, the flavour becomes even more integrated after a night in the refrigerator.

Store the shredded duck and cooked apple salsa separately in covered containers. Refrigerated cooked poultry leftovers should generally be used within three to four days. ace the duck in a covered pan with a spoonful of sauce or reserved duck fat. Heat it gently until piping hot.

The salsa can be reheated separately and loosened with a splash of water when necessary.

You can also freeze the shredded duck and sauce in separate containers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can carnitas be made with duck instead of pork?

Traditional Mexican carnitas are made with pork, so duck carnitas are an adaptation rather than an authentic Michoacán preparation. However, duck is particularly suited to the carnitas-style method because its rendered fat keeps the meat rich and succulent during slow cooking.

Is this an authentic Mexican carnitas recipe?

No—and I think it is important to be clear about that.

The technique and flavour structure are inspired by Mexican carnitas, but replacing pork with duck and blending the braising vegetables into an apple-chipotle salsa makes this my own interpretation.

It respects the original idea without pretending that every imaginative taco needs to be called authentic.

Can I use only duck legs?

Absolutely. Duck legs are actually the easiest option because they respond extremely well to long, slow cooking.

Use approximately four to six large duck legs and reduce the amount of brine and cooking liquid accordingly.

Is the cooked apple salsa sweet?

It has some natural sweetness from the apple and orange, but it should not taste like a dessert sauce.

Tomato, onion, garlic, chipotle, oregano, duck juices and lime create a savoury, spicy result. Use a tart green apple rather than a very sweet variety.

Do I have to blend the sauce?

No. Leave it chunky for a more rustic salsa, or blend it completely for a smoother dipping sauce.

Can I make the duck carnitas crispy?

Yes. Spread the shredded meat on a tray, toss it with a small amount of duck fat and grill until the edges are browned. Watch it closely because the smaller shreds can dry out quickly.

My Verdict on Mexican Crnitas with Duck

This Mexican carnitas-inspired duck recipe shines because of its contrasts.

The duck is rich and succulent. The orange and apple bring sweetness and acidity. Cinnamon and cloves add warmth, while the Mexican oregano and chipotle prevent everything from becoming too soft and polite.

Then you have the fresh toppings: crisp onion, green jalapeño, fragrant coriander, sharp lime and perhaps a little raw apple.

And that cooked apple salsa is something else entirely. You can spoon it over the tacos, reduce it into a rich gravy or serve it alongside the meat as a birria-style dipping sauce.

This is not an everyday, ten-minute taco.

It is slow food. It is whole-bird cooking. It is the kind of deliciously indulgent recipe that needs to be placed in the middle of the table and shared with people you love.

Simply bring freshly made corn tortillas, fresh toppings, lime wedges and extra chipotle hot sauce.

Then let everyone construct their own gloriously messy duck carnitas tacos. Or would you say it is more of a duck birria recipe really? Well, who knows, it is so delicious, I cannot stop eating it. And I hope you would too! Buen provecho.

Also see my previous post about Duck Tacos for more inspiration.

[Tacos Craft | Tortillas and Masa | Salsa Magic]

Here are my most used and loved tools and ingredients for joyful Mexican cooking:

Masa harina for tortillas: Masienda, Bob’s Red Mill, Maseca

Chillies: Chipotle, Ancho, Guajillo, Tajin

Tools: Tortilla Press, Ninja blender, Global knives

Masienda store on Amazon