Skip to content
MIKAMADO.
Skip to content

Buying and lighting calculator · Poultry

How much duck breast (magret) do I buy and when do I light?

Magret is the breast of a fattened duck, with the skin and a thick layer of fat, and it is sold as single pieces of 350 to 400 g. The usual rule is one piece per person, or one for two if there are other dishes. We plan 310 g raw per person: over the fire a good part of the fat melts and water evaporates, and the loss is around a third, so about 200 g reaches the plate. In the kamado, start skin side down so it renders its fat and finish with indirect heat at 180 °C for about 18 minutes in total. Take it off when the probe reads between 54 and 61 °C and rest it for ten minutes.

How to ask for it

For 4 people: Ask for fresh magrets of 350 to 400 g with the skin and fat layer intact, 1.44 kg in total; the more similar in size, the more evenly they cook.

A magret loses about a third to melted fat and moisture: 310 g raw leaves about 200 g on the plate. 54 °C rare, 61 °C medium.

How we calculate it

We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.

To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.

Frequently asked questions

How much magret per person?

About 310 g raw per person leaves about 200 g on the plate, which is a little less than a whole 350 to 400 g piece. That is why many serve it sliced: one piece for two people if there is a starter and sides, one per guest if it is the main course. With four people, four magrets comfortably cover a single-course menu.

How long do you cook a magret?

Allow about 18 minutes in total at 180 °C indirect, starting with the skin so it renders its fat. Guides vary: 13 to 14 minutes on a direct grill according to the USDA, 10 to 13 minutes in an air fryer, and 15 to 20 minutes in a pan followed by the oven. The probe, not the clock, decides.

What temperature should magret be taken off at?

With a probe, 54 °C for rare, 61 °C for medium and 65 °C for medium-well. Rest it for ten minutes before slicing. Keep in mind that the USDA treats duck like any other poultry and sets 74 °C as the safe point; if you prefer it pink, accept that you are below that reference, especially with children or pregnant guests.

Other Poultry cuts

← All cuts

Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".