Slow Cooker Duck Wings à l'Orange Recipe
Slow and steady, tender and ready.
(Photo courtesy of Chef Adam Berkelmans)
January 31, 2025
By Adam Berkelmans
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There’s a reason orange and duck go so well together. The bright acidic citrus cuts through the richness of the duck in such a pleasing way that the dish has been made in some version or another for well over 600 years!
This recipe takes the classic Duck à l’Orange recipe and squeezes it into a delicious sauce to coat crispy-tender duck wings. Since wild ducks do so much flying, you’ll need to tenderize their wings much more aggressively than chicken wings. I recommend just using a slow cooker to take some of the work out of it.
Save those wings over the season (feel free to dispose of the wing tips, which are frustratingly hard to pluck) and make a batch of these sticky wings when it’s all over.
Makes: 12-20 wingsPrep Time: 10 minsCook Time: 4 Hours
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Ingredients:
12-20 separated duck wing pieces 2 cups duck stock or water 2 tablespoons Triple Sec or Cointreau orange liqueur Juice and zest of 1 large navel orange 3 tablespoons orange marmalade 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon water Directions and Prep:
Add the duck stock and wings to a slow cooker and cook on the high setting for 3-4 hours, or until very tender. Make the sauce by adding triple sec, orange juice and zest, marmalade, and salt to a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with the water. Add to the sauce and simmer until thickened. Drain wings from liquid (save the liquid, which is essentially rich duck stock, for another purpose). Transfer wings to a sheet pan and set under the broiler for 5 minutes per side, or until quite crispy. Toss in sauce (or serve sauce on the side to dip) and serve. Enjoy! (Photo courtesy of Chef Adam Berkelmans)
Adam Berkelmans
Adam Berkelmans, also known as The Intrepid Eater, is a passionate ambassador for wild food and a proponent of nose-to-tail eating. A Jack-of-all-trades, but master-of-none, he has spent a lifetime collecting knowledge and experiences, trying his hand at wilderness canoe guiding, whole animal butchery, hazard tree removal, riparian restoration, arborist work, organic vegetable farming, park operations, food blogging, recipe development, and education.
Starting his brand, The Intrepid Eater, in 2020 as a response to the pandemic, he has since developed over 600 recipes, which can be found on his website, www.theintrepideater.com, and across hunting and outdoor media, both online and in print. With a heavy focus on wild foods, he derives inspiration for his recipes from international flavors and techniques and looks to make his plates pop with bright natural colors and flavors.
He also works closely with Harvesting Nature, providing support as managing editor, podcast host, writer, cooking and butchery instructor, and recipe contributor.
A Canadian, Adam spends his time between Ottawa and a cozy lake house north of Kingston, Ontario, with his partner Kathy and small münsterländer Arrow. When not cooking, he can be found hunting, fishing, foraging, gardening, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to find and eat food.
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