Duck confit in the air fryer is the easiest route to one of the great classics of south-west France: duck legs that have been salted and cooked slowly in their own fat, until the meat almost falls off the bone. The slow work has already been done when you buy the legs ready-made in a tin or jar, so all you have to do is heat them through and give the skin the golden, crisp surface that makes the dish something special.
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This is where the air fryer comes into its own. The hot air circulates closely around the legs and dries the skin, so it becomes crisp and crunchy, while the meat inside stays tender and juicy. It’s all ready in 30 minutes, and you save the fat from the tin for potatoes, exactly as they do in Périgord.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love duck confit in the air fryer
In the past I’ve warmed duck confit in a pan, and it almost always ended with fat splattered all over the stove and skin that stuck to the bottom. In the air fryer the legs simply lie there with the skin side up, and the heat does the work. There’s no pan to scrub afterwards, and you don’t have to heat up a big oven for four duck legs. The result is crisp skin from edge to edge and meat that is still juicy all the way to the bone.
What exactly is duck confit?
The word confit comes from the French confire, which means to preserve. The duck legs are salted, cooked slowly at a low heat in duck fat, and then stored covered in the fat, which keeps the air out. The method belongs to Gascony and Périgord, and it’s the reason you can buy the legs ready-made today. You’ll find them in tins or jars in larger supermarkets and delicatessens.
My kitchen test of duck confit
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, and two temperatures in a row give the best result: first 10 minutes at 180 °C, so the legs get hot all the way to the bone, and then 5 minutes at 200 °C, where the skin turns golden and crunchy. The legs aren’t turned along the way, because the skin has to face the heat the whole time, and in the Dual Blaze the meat also gets heat from the lower heating element. The meat should show at least 75 °C on the meat thermometer in the thickest part, and my legs reached that after the 15 minutes. If it’s a little short, they get a couple of extra minutes at 200 °C.
In my Philips XXL there’s room for all four legs in a single layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, make them in two batches, because wherever the legs lie on top of each other, the skin turns soft. Preparation takes 15 minutes, mostly because the tin has to be warmed in hot water.
Scrape the fat off thoroughly, and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper before the legs go into the basket. The drier the skin is, the crunchier it gets.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is putting the legs straight from a cold tin into the air fryer. The skin is then done before the meat is warm at the bone. So warm the tin in hot tap water before you open it, but never use boiling water for a jar, as it can crack. The second mistake is leaving fat and jelly on the skin. Then the skin doesn’t turn crisp, but simmers in the fat and ends up soft. Scrape most of it off with a spoon so only a thin film is left, and pat the skin dry. The third mistake is salting the legs. They are already salted as part of the confit process, so extra salt quickly makes them too salty.
How to serve duck confit
Duck confit is rich and fatty, so the accompaniments should either soak up the fat or provide a fresh counterbalance:
- Pommes sarladaises – potato slices baked in the saved duck fat and tossed with garlic and parsley (see the notes under the recipe)
- A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette that cuts through the rich meat
- Lentils or white beans, preferably with the jelly from the bottom of the tin stirred in
- A warm frisée salad with walnuts and shredded duck meat
Storage and reheating
Leftover duck confit can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the legs in the air fryer at 180 °C for 6-8 minutes, until they are heated through and crisp again – the microwave makes the skin soft. The legs can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw them in the fridge overnight before you reheat them. The fat from the tin keeps for several weeks in a container with a lid in the fridge.
Duck confit in the air fryer shows that French bistro food doesn’t have to be difficult. With a tin of duck legs, a little pepper and a quarter of an hour in the air fryer, you end up with crisp skin, tender meat and plenty of fat for the next batch of potatoes.
FAQ
15 minutes in total: 10 minutes at 180 °C, so the legs get hot all the way through, and 5 minutes at 200 °C, until the skin is crisp. The meat should be at least 75 °C in the thickest part.
No. The recipe is for ready-made duck confit legs that have already been cooked tender in duck fat. Raw duck legs need to be cooked slowly for several hours and can’t be made this way.
The duck fat is perfect for potatoes, e.g. pommes sarladaises with garlic and parsley. Store it in a container with a lid in the fridge, where it keeps for several weeks.
Recipe
Duck confit in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Plate
- 1 Paper towel
- 1 Storage container with lid
- 1 Meat thermometer
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 4 pcs duck confit legs (confit de canard, in a tin or jar)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only, for serving)
How to make it
Preparation
- Stand the unopened tin or the sealed jar containing 4 pcs duck confit legs in a pot of hot tap water for about 10 minutes, so the fat softens. Don’t use boiling water for a jar, as it can crack.
- Open the tin or jar, and lift the legs onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Do it gently – the meat is so tender that it easily falls apart.
- Scrape most of the fat off the legs with a spoon, so only a thin film is left on the skin. Collect the scraped fat and the fat from the tin in a storage container with a lid, and keep it in the fridge for potatoes, e.g. pommes sarladaises. It keeps for several weeks.
- Pat the skin lightly with kitchen paper, so the jelly and moisture disappear. The drier the skin is, the crispier it gets.
- Season the skin with 0.5 tsp black pepper. Salt isn’t necessary, as the legs are already salted.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C fan.
- Place the legs in the basket skin side up, so they don’t lie on top of each other.
- Cook the legs at 180 °C for 10 minutes, so they get hot all the way through. Don’t turn them during cooking – the meat is so tender that it easily falls off the bone, and the skin needs to face up towards the heat.
- Turn the temperature up to 200 °C, and cook the legs for 5 more minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp.
- Check with a meat thermometer that the meat is at least 75 °C in the thickest part. If it’s not quite there, give the legs 2-3 more minutes at 200 °C.
Our notes for the recipe
The more thoroughly you scrape the fat and jelly off the skin, the crispier it gets. Keep the legs skin side up the whole time, and warm the tin first so the meat isn’t cold in the middle when the skin is done. A ready-made product – not raw duck legs:
This recipe is for duck confit legs that have already been cooked tender in duck fat. You can find them in tins or jars in larger supermarkets and delicatessens. Raw duck legs need to be cooked slowly for several hours to become tender and can’t be made this way. Pommes sarladaises with the duck fat:
Cut 800 g firm potatoes into slices of about 5 mm, and toss them with 3 tbsp of the saved duck fat and 1 tsp salt. Cook them in the air fryer at 200 °C for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times along the way. Toss the hot potatoes with 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and a handful of chopped parsley. Make the potatoes first and keep them warm in a dish while the legs are in the air fryer – or use both drawers if your air fryer has two. Variation:
Pull the meat off the bone and toss it in a warm salad with frisée, walnuts and a sharp vinaigrette, as they do in Périgord. The jelly from the bottom of the tin is concentrated meat juice that can be stirred into a sauce or a lentil dish. Serving:
Serve the legs with pommes sarladaises and a green salad with vinaigrette, which gives a fresh counterbalance to the rich meat. Lentils or white beans also go well with it. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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