Have you ever thought about what to serve with duck? I definitely have. Every time I make a roasted duck breast or stir-fried duck entree, I try to pick the perfect side dish.
Luckily, there are lots of great side dishes to serve with duck. You want your beautiful roasted duck to have side dishes that are just as pretty and just as tasty.
Duck can go well with lighter sides or hearty dishes. It is just as tasty with a spinach salad in the summer or with creamy mashed potatoes in the winter.
Consider the flavor of your duck when choosing a side. An asian-style duck will be great with soy sauce noodles or fried rice. Herb-roasted duck breast will taste great with Italian-inspired side dishes. There are so many key points to help guide you toward the best side dish!
Chinese Style Roast Duck Rice Noodles
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Side Dishes for Duck
We searched and searched to find the best side dishes to serve with duck breast. Take a look at all of these sides before picking the best one for your meal. They are all just so good in their own way.
1. Spinach Strawberry Salad
A nice light salad is always a good side to serve with duck. Duck can be hearty and fatty. A lighter side can help make the meal leaner.
Our strawberry spinach salad may not be a heavy side dish, but it is definitely a flavorful one. Tender baby spinach leaves are topped with sliced strawberries, fresh goat cheese, skinny pieces of asparagus, and crunchy sliced almonds.
We top the salad with a homemade red wine vinaigrette. The sweet salad tastes so good with savory duck meat.
2. Sweet Potato Mash
Sweet potato mash is a delicious and interesting side to serve with duck. Skip regular, boring mashed potatoes and liven it up with sweet potatoes!
Image Source: Cookie and Kate
Not only do sweet potatoes have a nice sweet taste, but they add a lot of brilliant orange color to the plate. Sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and nutrients, which help make your meal even healthier.
These sweet potatoes from Cookie and Kate are nice and easy to make. The sour cream and butter in the potatoes give them a creamy, smooth, unbeatable flavor.
You are going to want a second helping of sweet potato mash next to your duck breast!
3. Brussels Sprouts
Our simple sauteed brussels sprouts are a versatile and easy side dish to serve with duck breast. The rich flavor of the duck meat goes great with the strong taste of the brussels sprouts.
We like to use coconut oil to cook our brussels sprouts. It adds a nice tropical flavor that will taste great with an Asian-inspired duck recipe. Use olive oil in place of coconut oil for an Italian-style brussels sprouts side.
You can also sauteé the Brussel sprouts in duck fat. This will make your duck breast meal even more cohesive. Brussel sprouts are definitely the answer to what to serve with duck.
4. Grilled Asparagus
Are you grilling your duck breasts? Then you may want to use that preheated grill to cook some delicious asparagus too.
Image Source: Spend with Pennies
This tasty grilled asparagus recipe from Spend with Pennies is one of our favorite sides. Asparagus tastes great when cooked on the grill. It gets a nice char that has a flavor that can’t be beaten.
Wrapping the asparagus in foil before grilling is a nice, neat way to cook the veggie on the grill. The asparagus softens and steams inside the foil making it tender and juicy.
It is the perfect summer side dish for hot days when cooking outside is important.
5. Creamy Polenta
Still wondering what to serve with duck? A creamy polenta may be your answer. This recipe from Foodie Crush is one of the best polentas we have ever tried.
Image Source: Foodie Crush
You don’t need very many ingredients to make the perfect polenta. Ground cornmeal, water, butter, salt, and pepper are the main ingredients in the recipe. Parmesan cheese is the perfect finishing touch and makes the polenta even creamier.
Place your sliced duck breast right on top of the polenta. The juicy duck fat and sticky marinated duck sauce will drip into the polenta, making it totally irresistible.
6. Potatoes au Gratin
Duck breast is very often served with potato side dishes. This creamy, baked potatoes au gratin is one of our favorite potato recipes out there. It is exactly what you should try alongside your crispy skin duck.
Image Source: Once Upon a Chef
Once Upon a Chef shows you exactly how to make tasty potato au gratin. Thin slices of russet potatoes are layered into a casserole dish. A creamy cheese mix is spread over each layer.
The potatoes bake until the top is golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Potatoes au gratin is best when served nice and hot. Pull it out of your oven at the same time your roast duck is ready to eat.
7. Glazed Carrots
We are crazy about these brown sugar-glazed carrots from Recipe Tin Eats. They are the perfect sweet side dish to serve next to savory duck breast.
Image Source: Recipe Tin Eats
Baby carrots are tossed in a mixture of butter and brown sugar. The carrots are cooked in a small pot until the buttery sauce caramelizes. They will be soft and tender with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Make these glazed carrots ahead of time and simply reheat them when your duck is ready. The sweet and savory ingredients go well with just about any kind of duck.
8. Dauphinoise Potatoes
Dauphinoise potatoes are one of those recipes you don’t see too often. We think it should be around more!
Image Source: Recipes From a Pantry
Everyone should start making these dauphinoise potatoes from Recipes From a Pantry. It is definitely one of the best potato recipes we have ever tried.
Dauphinoise potatoes are often called scalloped potatoes. The two dishes are one and the same. Thinly sliced potatoes are covered in an herbed sauce and sprinkled with cheese.
The creamy, cheesy potatoes are almost too good to be true!
9. Plum Sauce
Plum sauce is often served with duck breast. It’s sweet and a little tangy, adding so much flavor to the duck. You are going to want extra of this plum sauce from The Daring Gourmet to pour over your duck!
Image Source: The Daring Gourmet
Plum sauce is a traditional Chinese condiment. The main ingredients in the recipe are plums, yam, onions, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. The plum sauce is also loaded with interesting spices like star anise, cinnamon, and fennel seeds.
Sichuan peppercorns give the plum sauce a great spicy kick. The sweet, sour, and hot flavors are perfect with an Asian inspired, crispy duck,
10. Roasted Vegetables
Roasted vegetables are a great side dish for almost any filling meal. We love these Asian-style roasted vegetables from Creme de la Crumb. They are perfect to serve with duck breast.
Image Source: Creme de la Crumb
Broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, and zucchini are the main veggies in this recipe. Feel free to add your favorite root vegetables to the tray. Root veggies roast well and make a hearty side dish.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger give the veggies that Asian-inspired flavor. Use the same spices on your duck breast, and you will have a perfect cohesive meal.
11. Spicy Red Cabbage
Spicy red cabbage is a unique side that is often served with duck. This spicy red cabbage from Spicy Southern Kitchen is one of our favorite recipes to pair with Asian-style duck breast.
Image Source: Spicy Southern Kitchen
Look for pre-shredded cabbage in the grocery store. This will save you some time chopping in the kitchen. Add a little extra sweet chili to the cabbage sauce to give it a nice kick of heat.
12. Zucchini Noodles
If you are still deciding what to serve with duck, then you must give zucchini fries a try. These crispy-baked zucchini fries from Wholesome Yum are truly amazing. They are crunchy, low carb, and perfect next to the duck.
Image Source: Wholesome Yum
Make a tasty orange sauce to dip the zucchini fries and duck into. Plum sauce also makes a great dipping sauce for the whole entree. You can’t beat that sweet and sour flavor!
13. Raspberry Sauce
You may think that raspberry sauce is for dessert only. However, this raspberry sauce from Low Carb Maven is perfect to serve with duck breast.
Image Source: Low Carb Maven
Raspberry sauce gives the duck a sweet, delicious glaze. Cook the raspberry sauce a little longer to give it a thicker, stickier consistency. You really want that sauce to coat your duck breast completely!
14. Pomegranate Salad
This pomegranate salad from Half Baked Harvest is exactly what to serve with duck. It is light enough to not overpower your duck breast entree but flavorful enough to add a lot of interest to your meal.
Image Source: Half Baked Harvest
Mixed greens lettuce is tossed with pomegranate seeds, candied walnuts, avocado, and blue cheese. The salad is topped with a perfect pomegranate and lemon juice vinaigrette.
Drizzle some extra dressing over your duck breast for a sweet finish.
15. Orange Sauce
Orange sauce is a classic dipping sauce to serve with duck breast. It is especially good for Asian-style roasted duck. This orange sauce from Sweet and Savory Meals is easy and very tasty.
Image Source: Sweet and Savory Meals
Orange sauce is made with concentrated orange juice, sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar. Use fresh-squeezed orange juice for an even more fresh flavor.
Lots of spices are added to the mix, like garlic and red pepper flakes. Spread the fruity sauce over your duck to make a beautiful glazed entree.
16. Pumpkin Mashed Potato
Pumpkin mashed potato is a great fall side dish. It is filling, hearty, and as easy as making regular mashed potatoes. This recipe for pumpkin mash from A Family Feast is the perfect recipe to go with duck.
Image Source: A Family Feast
Use fresh mashed pumpkin or take a shortcut using canned pumpkin puree. Russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are best for making mashed potato recipes. They have the perfect amount of starch for pumpkin mash!
17. French Fries
You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make a perfect side dish for your favorite duck recipe. These easy French fries from The Cozy Cook are exactly what you need!
Image Source: The Cozy Cook
Thinly sliced russet potatoes are deep-fried in oil. The hot, golden fries are sprinkled with a little salt. They are ready to serve alongside your duck as soon as they come out of the fryer!
18. Roasted Beet Salad
A fresh, roasted beet salad is very healthy and light. It goes so well with any kind of duck. Try this recipe from Archana’s Kitchen, and you’ll enjoy one of the best beet salads you have ever had.
Image Source: Archana’s Kitchen
Roasted beets and roasted fennel are cooled then tossed with fresh orange slices. The fennel and beet yogurt dressing is a very interesting touch.
Prepare duck while you mix up the salad. When the duck has completed the cooking process, your beet salad will be ready too!
19. Zucchini Fries
If you are tired of zucchini noodles, you may want to give zucchini fries a try. They are just as tasty as zucchini noodles but even more exciting! This recipe from Downshiftology is exactly what you should make.
Image Source: Downshiftology
Fresh zucchini is cut into strips and then drizzled with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. The zucchini roasts in the oven until tender.
Try pan-seared zucchini fries using the same recipe. Simply cook the zucchini in a hot skillet over medium heat. They will turn out crispy and irresistible. People will think you’re a professional chef.
20. Arugula Salad
A bright arugula salad is delicious next to duck. We especially love serving duck with this arugula salad with fried egg from Skinnytaste. It is filling and flavorful.
Image Source: Skinnytaste
Baby arugula is tossed with prosciutto and parmesan. Homemade balsamic vinegar dressing is drizzled over the salad, and a fried egg tops the dish. Try adding some fresh toasted pine nuts to give the mean even more flavor.
Fantastic Food to Serve With Duck Breast
All of the foods on our list pair perfectly with the decadent flavors of duck. Whether you are serving classic French roasted duck or an Asian crispy duck, there is a side dish on this list for you!
Let us know which you like best!
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