Chimichurri Crispy Duck with Baked Tostones
Chimichurri Crispy Duck with Baked Tostones is not your typical duck breast recipe! The skin is crispy, the chimichurri is delicious and the baked tostones round out the Latin American meal.
First and foremost, I want to thank Maple Leaf Farms for sending me these delicious duck breasts to cook. If you follow my Instagram, I’ve shared one of the recipes recently I made with their delicious duck a few years ago for #10DaysofTailgate. I haven’t shared the other one yet. The mini meat pies will probably show up a little later when it truly is game day season.
Let me explain my history with duck. I can probably count on one hand the number times I’ve eaten duck. I remember some duck spring rolls I had a holiday party once. And, I remember really not liking those spring rolls. I thought, “If this is what duck tastes like, then no thank you! I’ll pass.”
Fast forward a few years. I’ve met the hubs and he’s a pseudo foodie. I love that. My first birthday we were together, he took me to New York City and we had an amazing dinner at a French restaurant near Times Square. He ordered duck. I was nervous about eating it. I ordered lamb and was nervous about eating it. Both dishes were out of this world!! The duck was meaty, juicy, and tasted amazing. My lamb had it cooked three ways and I devour every last bite of all three.
Ever since then I’ve kept my mind open about duck and lamb. When Maple Leaf Farms sent me delicious ground duck, duck bacon, and some duck fat, I was excited and completely freaked out. I even said in one of my posts, “What if I taste it before assembling the meat pies and just cannot stand the flavor of the duck like I have in the past?” Honestly. Even though I had that fear, but I still took one timid little bite of that recipe.
I share those recipes and talk about my experience with cooking duck as a picky eater all the time. Of courses, I tag Maple Leaf Farms when I do, so they know I’m chatting about them. Well, this last time they responded and wanted to help my overcome my fear of cooking duck at home. They sent me two delicious breasts and two amazing leg quarters to experiment with on my blog.
Again, I was thrilled and scared to death. I researched and read recipes for a few weeks before deciding on what to make with the duck breasts. I read recipe after recipe of sweet sauce to have with cooked duck. But, I wanted to do something different. You know me. Well, if you’re a fan of my blog you do. I’m always looking out for the different. So, I thought about savory grilled meats and remember how the hubs loved a chimichurri recipe I made to top some steaks I made.
Chimichurri is an Argentinian style sauce for meats. I figured, if I was going there, I would make a Latin American inspired meal with some tostones to go with the chimichurri topped chicken breast. But we’re not a frying kind of house. We try to bake everything that gets fried.
I have to tell you, of all the things to trip me up during this recipe, I didn’t think it would be the tostones. Seriously. I microwaved them a few minutes and tried to mash them with a cup, then a potato masher, then a jar, then the meat tenderizer. Nothing was working.
Are you kidding me? I’m cooking duck breast for the first time and it’s the stupid plantains that cause the problems? I finally gave up and put those suckers back into the microwave for another 7 or so minutes and they finally were soft enough to mash.
I loved how the crispy plantains were savory enough to complement the delicious duck breast. The chimichurri really brightened the whole dish up bring that Latin American flair to the dish. It really did brighten up the colors of the dish letting your taste buds know they were in for a treat.
The duck was fabulous. I probably cooked it more than most would like, but I was unsure about cooking it less than a medium well. I should have let it rest a little longer before slicing into it. My husband’s, that sat a little longer, was perfect when I sliced it up for him.
Not that mine was dry by any means. It was tender, moist, and delicious. I wanted to taste the simple flavor of the duck and you really do in this recipe. It was not musky. The duck didn’t have that flavor I remember from before. It was like eating red meat; well, because it is! Hello!
Maple Leaf Farms also sent me some leg quarters to roast. I can’t wait to make something from them. I’m not sure how I’m doing to roast them or the flavors I will put on them, but know that I will share that recipe with you, too.
If you’re like me and a little nervous about making duck at home. Don’t be! If I can cook duck at home, then YOU can cook duck at home. And I recommend you get your duck from Maple Leaf Farms. They have some frozen duck at my local grocery store and I bet they have some at yours, too.

Chimichurri Crispy Duck with Baked Tostones
Chimichurri Crispy Duck with Baked Tostones is not your typical duck breast recipe! The skin is crispy, the chimichurri is delicious and the baked tostones round out the Latin American meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound duck breasts (2 whole)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 1/8 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 large plantains
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Trim off any excess duck fat that hangs over the breast. Using a sharp knife, score the skin at a diagonal. Place, skin side down, in a cold skillet on medium heat. Allow the duck fat to render and the breast to cook slowly. Drain off excess fat as periodically to keep the skin crispy.
- While the duck is heating, combine the parsley with the next nine ingredients (oregano through crushed red pepper) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined but not pureed. Set aside.
- Slice the skins of the plantains and microwave 7 to 10 minutes. The skins will turn black and be very hot when they come out of the microwave. Allow them to cool before handling.
- Once cooled, slice the plantains into 1/2” thick rounds. Using a flat tool (glass, jar, meat pounder) flatten the plantains slightly. Season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes, flip, season, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once the skin is nice and crisp on the duck, turn the breasts over and cook 2 to 3 minutes before placing in the oven and continuing to cook until you reach your desired internal temperature. For me, I cooked the breast about 5 to 7 minutes or until it reached 160 and then let it rest before serving. Some like their duck a little more red in the center and will take it out at 135 which is a medium-rare. I think the next time I will cook it to about 145 and then let it rest to 150.
- Slice the breast on an angle, drizzle with the chimichurri and serve with the tostones.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 518Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 154mgSodium 1523mgCarbohydrates 76gFiber 7gSugar 33gProtein 31g