Happy Lunar New Year from snowy Bend, Oregon! Ready for some Chinese Smoked Duck Legs with Spicy Green Beans? Ulli and I are!

I love celebrating the Lunar New Year with a variety of foods from Asia. Growing up on the West Coast of the United States, I was lucky to be exposed to lots of Asian cultures, food, and flavors. I also have been fortunate to travel during the new year’s holiday over the years in China, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan.

Annie in the Forbidden City, Bejing, China

This year, the Lunar New Year is at home with a mish-mash of Asian food, everything from Vietnamese dumplings to wild boar ribs to kimchi ramen to dish.

Now given that I am not Chinese, nor is this recipe strictly traditional for what I learned in the kitchens of Chengdu and Beijing, it perhaps would be better labeled as Chinese-inspired. That said, this duck is delicious, nonetheless.

Ingredients for Chinese Smoked Duck Legs and Spicy Green Beans

Duck Legs
Rice Wine
Brown Sugar
Chinese 5-Spice
Dark Soy Sauce
Shallot
Garlic
Cilantro
Green Beans
Red Chili Peppers
Sesame Oil

Duck has a similar protein content to chicken but is richer in niacin and selenium. While many people think of duck as fatty, remember that fat is not marbled through the meat like beef but rather is between the skin and meat, and depending on how you prepare the duck, the fat can be mostly rendered away.

Additionally, the fat is a higher quality fat than the fat in turkey or chicken. Duck fat is mostly monounsaturated and saturated fat and does not have the inflammatory Omega-6 fats that you find in other poultry.

Chinese Smoked Duck Legs with Spicy Green Beans

Best Places to Buy Duck for Chinese Smoked Duck Legs

Maple Leaf Farms // Raised on small family duck farms and free from hormones and antibiotics.
Fossil Farms // Great when you are ordering for a crowd! High-quality duck from a company with excellent service and fast shipping!

Duck is a bit of a protein anomaly. Unlike chicken or turkey, duck is all dark meat. Thus, many times in the kitchen, duck is considered red meat vs. chicken which is considered white meat. Maybe for duck to have a resurgence on American menus, they should adopt the slogan: “Duck, the other red meat.” Hahaha.

The key to the Chinese Smoked Duck Legs in this dish is not just the smoking but the spice in the marinade. Chinese 5-spice combines the five traditional flavors from Chinese and Vietnamese cooking: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and pungent. It incorporates star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and of course, Sichuan peppercorn. While I imported mine from a spice market in Chengdu, it is available in most Asian markets.

These smoked duck legs are easily made over a campfire or barbeque. My go-to for this dish is my Traeger grill. It allows you to get all the smokey flavor with minimal time outside in snowy February. You can even control the grill temp right from your phone!

This recipe is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that’s perfect for the lunar new year celebration, or any day you feel like having something special. The combination of flavorful spices and succulent duck legs creates a wondrous culinary experience in every bite!

And don’t forget to leave a comment to let everyone know how it turned out! Be sure to stay tuned for more interesting recipes here at Be Wild Eats, where freshly cooked meals await. Happy cooking and merry eating!

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