Grilled Duck Bacon Wrap

6 servings Prep: 20 m Cook: 15 m Total: 35 m Intermediate
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A delicious and different way to make duck with bacon, water chestnuts, and jalapeños—particularly good for duck season! These savory bacon-wrapped bites are marinated in soy sauce and spicy mustard, then grilled until crispy.

Ingredients

6 servings
  • Duck breast
  • 1 can water chestnuts
  • Fresh sliced jalapeños
  • 1 pound bacon
  • Soy sauce
  • Spicy mustard
  • Lea and Perrin steak sauce

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Cube duck and cut the bacon slices in half. Season duck to taste.
  2. Roll one duck cube, one water chestnut and one slice jalapeño in a slice of bacon and hold together with a toothpick. Repeat until you are out of duck.
  3. After you have rolled up the duck cubes, marinate them with soy sauce, spicy mustard and the Lea and Perrin steak sauce. This may be done a few hours ahead of time (day before) and placed in refrigerator. When you’re ready, heat up the grill and when it’s hot, place duck on grill and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why is my bacon not getting crispy on the grill?

A: Make sure your grill is hot before adding the wraps, and don't crowd them. Turn them regularly to ensure even cooking on all sides. The bacon needs direct heat to crisp up properly—if the grill is too cool, the bacon will just steam.

Q: Can I cook these in the oven instead of grilling?

A: Yes! Bake at 400°F on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until bacon is crispy.

Tips and Techniques

Marinating overnight really makes a difference—the soy sauce tenderizes the duck and the flavors penetrate deeply. When threading the toothpicks, try to catch the bacon in two places to keep it from unwrapping during cooking.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • duck breast: venison backstrap or dove breast
  • water chestnuts: cubed cream cheese or fresh apple chunks
  • fresh jalapeños: pickled jalapeños or banana pepper rings
  • Lea and Perrin steak sauce: Worcestershire sauce

Equipment Needed

  • Outdoor grill or grill pan
  • Toothpicks
  • Shallow dish for marinating
  • Sharp knife for cubing meat

Historical Context

Duck hunting has been a Louisiana tradition since the early settlers, and Cajun cooks have always been creative with their game. This recipe likely emerged in the mid-20th century when Asian ingredients like soy sauce and water chestnuts became more available in South Louisiana, blending international flavors with traditional wild game cooking.