Last Updated on March 18, 2022

I was plenty happy to meet rotisserie chicken, but now I have found rotisserie duck. Rotisserie duck, like rotisserie chicken, should be one of the home cook’s favorite cheating ingredients. It’s tasty and it’s good to go. If you don’t want to eat it heated, straight up, you can shred it and use it in any number of recipes – sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. I have added my Southwestern spice blend to the shredded duck meat here, and then piled it into a crispy taco with my quick (and low fat) refried beans and all the favorite toppings.

Makes 6 servings

For the spice blend:
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano, crumbled
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

For the filling & toppings:
1 half, cooked rotisserie duck (for a mail order source, please go here)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
12 ready-to-eat regular-size taco shells, warmed according to package directions
Refried beans (recipe below)
Shredded iceberg lettuce or finely-shredded cabbage
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend, to taste
Prepared salsa
Light sour cream (optional)

Make the spice blend: Add the ingredients to a bowl and stir well to combine.

Make the fillings and toppings: Shred enough meat from a half cooked duck to yield 2 ½ cups. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the duck and spice blend and stir to combine. Stir in the water and cook, covered, for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Divide the filling among the taco shells. Add refried beans if you like. Top with the lettuce and tomatoes, and sprinkle with cheese. Spoon on the salsa and sour cream, if using. Serve immediately.

NOTE: In a pinch: If you do not have a minute to spare, substitute about 1 tablespoon of your favorite packaged chicken taco seasoning mix for the spice blend.

Refried Beans

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 ½ cups thoroughly cooked black beans or one l5.5 ounce
can black beans, rinsed and drained .
½ cup chicken stock or water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the cumin and chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and chicken stock, cover, and cook until the beans are very soft and the flavors are well blended, about 5 minutes. Use a fork or potato masher to coarsely mash the beans. Season with salt and pepper.