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If you've ever been intimidated by the idea of making roast duck, this EASY roasted duck recipe is for you. It has perfectly crispy skin, tender, juicy meat, and a little zing of heat from the zesty orange sauce caramelized on top.
It's perfect for special holiday occasions, or just an every day dinner!
Don't be intimidated by this recipe. It's not hard. It's the perfect special occasion dinner type of dish. But for real, once you make it you'll be wanting it every regular old Sunday.
And it's beautiful. It comes out nice and browned and perfect for dinner presentations. While I really like this whole roasted Moroccan chicken and this Indian roast chicken, I just love the richness and juiciness of a nice roast duck.
We glaze it with an orange glaze (don't worry, it doesn't make the duck overly sweet) that has just a touch of heat in it. The flavor is barely sweet, savory and rich from the duck.
It's my favorite duck recipe, and that's saying a lot because we also love this sous vide whole duck, sous vide duck confit and this sous vide duck breast!
The boyfriend and I stood like ravenous hyenas over the duck carcass and tore off every last bit of that beautiful skin before the carcass went in the freezer for.....you guessed it, duck stock!
Jump to:
You can make duck stock the same way we made this Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth or this Crockpot Chicken Broth. Just replace the chicken with duck. And it's amazing used in the duck ramen!
Plus, while your duck is roasting, all the duck fat renders into the pan and can be save for future cooking. MUST be saved for future cooking. This stuff is gold guys.
AND...if you have leftovers you can make this amazing duck pizza.
So see, you're not just getting a crispy roasted duck here, but beautifully tender, juicy, flavorful meat, perfectly crispy skin, a wonderful broth and that oh-so-amazing to cook with duck fat. It's a win, win, win, win.
**You can use the duck fat to make these delicious Duck Fat Truffle Fries or these Duck Fat Smashed Potatoes**
What is the Difference between Roast Duck and Peking Duck?
A roast duck is typically marinated and then roasted and sliced to serve, while Peking duck is usually sewn up and inflated with air to make the skin very crispy. Peking duck tends to be much more labor intensive. If you're feeling motivated, you may want to try this Homemade Peking Duck from China Sichuan Food.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This roasted duck includes ingredients like Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese five spice, orange juice, garlic, soy sauce, among others.
The lesser known ingredients are explained below:
Where Can I Find a Duck?
It's unlikely that your local grocery store will have a duck (at least mine doesn't). However, if you live close to an Asian market, many of them sell ducks, and your local butcher shop should have them as well. Or you can buy duck online.
What is Chinese Five Spice?
Chinese five spice is a blend of the warm spices cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel and pepper.
What is Shaoxing Wine?
Shaoxing wine is a Chinese cooking wine used in many, many Chinese dishes. I cook a lot of Chinese food, so I keep it in my cabinet. It is a dry rice wine that has a slightly nutty taste. While I love the flavors it imparts, you can also substitute a dry sherry.
What are Sichuan Peppercorns?
Sichuan peppercorns are a spice commonly used in Chinese cooking. They are not necessarily spicy as the name may infer, but have a slightly numbing, mouth tingling quality to them. The flavor is actually light, and slightly citrusy.
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Step By Step Instructions
Remove the duck from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the innards and set aside (save these for making duck broth). Place in a large roasting pan.
How to Roast Sichuan Peppercorns
Place them in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Shake the pan every minute or so to prevent burning. Once they become fragrant (3-5 minutes), remove from heat.
Grind the peppercorns with a mortar and pastel or a spice grinder.
In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic, five spice, and ground Sichuan peppercorns and mix together.
Rub the mixture on all sides of the duck. Place the quartered orange pieces inside the cavity of the duck.
Place in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. Leaving the duck uncovered allows some of the moisture in the skin to evaporate, which will help to crisp the skin.
How to Roast a Whole Duck
Remove the duck from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Letting it come to room temperature before cooking will allow the duck to roast more evenly.
Use a sharp knife to lightly score the skin over the breast and legs, being careful not to cut down to the meat.
Preheat the oven to 425°F degrees. Place the duck on on a roasting rack, breast side up, in the roasting pan. Using a roasting rack helps to keep the skin crispy on all sides.
Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and place the roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven.
Roast for 40 minutes. Use a baster to baste with the rendered duck fat in the bottom of the pan every 15 minutes.
Place back in the oven and roast another 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of roasting.
Remove the duck from the oven and spoon out all the duck fat. Save the duck fat in a container and store in the fridge for 2-3 months. It can also be frozen in ice cubes and stored for up to 6 months in the freezer.
After duck fat has been saved, brush the duck with the orange sauce (see below for orange sauce instructions).
Place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and brush with sauce again. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 160°F.
Remove from oven and let the duck rest for 10-15 minutes (temperature will rise to 165°F). Carve and serve the crispy roasted duck with honey orange glaze on the side or drizzled on top.
How to Make Orange Glaze
Combine all the orange glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring periodically.
Simmer 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce has been reduced by half.
Expert Tips
- It's important to let the duck sit in the fridge overnight so the moisture can evaporate from the skin - this is how we get the crispy skin.
- To roast the Sichuan peppercorns, place them in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Shake the pan every minute or so to prevent burning. Once they become fragrant (3-5 minutes), remove from heat. Grind the peppercorns with a mortar and pastel or a spice grinder.
- Dry sherry can be used as a substitute for the Shaoxing wine.
- Score the skin lightly with a sharp knife helps the fat to render more quickly, allowing the skin to crisp faster.
- I HIGHLY recommend using a roasting rack to roast the duck. This keeps the skin crispy and makes it easier to spoon the duck fat out of the pan.
- The internal temperature of the duck should reach 165°F at the thigh before serving. It's ok if the meat is slightly pink, as long as it is cooked to temperature.
- Save the duck fat in a container and store in the fridge for 2-3 months. It can also be frozen in ice cubes and stored for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Save the carcass to make duck bone broth (use this chicken bone broth recipe).
Frequently Asked Questions
A whole duck (about 5-6 pounds) should take about 90 minutes to cook fully. The size of the duck and temperature of the oven will impact the cooking time. When done, the internal temperature of the duck should be 165°F after resting.
Roasting a duck in the oven is the best way to cook duck by crisping the skin on the outside, while allowing the meat to slowly roast to juicy perfection.
Roast duck at 425°F for about 90 minutes total, until the internal temperature at the thigh reaches 160°F. Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
Because duck is considered red meat as opposed to poultry, it can be cooked so it's still pink inside. Many people prefer their duck cooked medium or medium rare, with a touch of pink inside.
Typically, crispy roasted duck is cooked all the way through during the roasting process. But if your duck is slightly pink, no need to worry.
Serving Options
Duck can make a great holiday dinner or just a regular old Sunday dinner.
- Make it an Asian inspired dinner by serving it with these dishes:
- Make it a more traditional American meal by serving it with these dishes:
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftover duck in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days. To reheat, place leftover duck in a roasting pan and place in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, until warmed through. It can also be reheated in the microwave.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the ridge overnight, then reheat according to instructions above.
Did you make this Roasted Duck recipe? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!
Recipe
Crispy Whole Roast Duck
Ingredients
- 1 5-6 pound whole duck
- 1 whole orange quartered
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns toasted and ground (see notes)
Orange Glaze:
- 2 cups orange juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine substitute dry sherry
Instructions
- Remove the duck from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the innards and set aside (save these for making duck broth). Place in a large roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic, five spice, and Szechuan peppercorn and mix together. Rub the mixture on all sides of the duck.
- Place the quartered orange pieces inside the cavity of the duck. Place in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.
- Remove the duck from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Use a sharp knife to lightly score the skin, being careful not to cut down to the meat.
- Place the duck on on a roasting rack, breast side up, in the roasting pan, This helps to keep the skin crispy on all sides. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven.
- Cover with foil and roast for 40 minutes. Remove and baste with the rendered fat in the bottom of the pan. Be careful as it will be hot.
- Place back in the oven and roast another 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes.
- Remove the duck from the oven and spoon out all the duck fat (see note 6). Brush the duck with the glaze.
- Place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and brush with glaze again. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let the duck rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Carve and serve plain or drizzled with remaining orange sauce.
Orange Sauce:
- Combine all the glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring periodically. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce has been reduced by half.
Expert Tips:
- It's important to place the duck in the refrigerator overnight so the moisture can evaporate from the skin - this is how we get the crispy skin.
- To roast the Sichuan peppercorns, place them in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Shake the pan every minute or so to prevent burning. Once they become fragrant (3-5 minutes), remove from heat. Grind the peppercorns with a mortar and pastel or a spice grinder.
- Scoring the skin lightly and poking the duck legs with a sharp knife helps to render the fat more quickly, allowing the skin to crisp faster. Cut only the skin without piercing the meat.
- I HIGHLY recommend using a roasting rack to roast the duck. This keeps the skin crispy and makes it easier to spoon the duck fat out of the pan.
- The internal temperature of the duck should reach 165°F at the thigh before serving. It's ok if the meat is slightly pink, as long as it is cooked to temperature.
- Save the duck fat in a container and store in the fridge for 2-3 months. It can also be frozen in ice cubes and stored for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Save the carcass to make duck bone broth.
Nutrition
Kathryn
Hello,
How would you recommend cooking two 6 lb ducks at the same time, hopefully in the same roasting pan? Looking for time adjustment s and recommendations if you would not mind. Thank you for your time!
Danielle
If you can fit it, I still recommend using a roasting rack for each. Then just follow the same instructions but add 15-20 minutes to the roast time. Use a thermometer to make sure the duck gets to at least 150-160F degrees (based on doneness preference). It will rise in temp after you remove it if you prefer to have to cooked to 165F.
Amanda
This duck was so moist. Your recipes always turn out amazing. This was just incredible!!
Danielle
That makes me so happy to hear - so glad you liked it 🙂
Amanda
Do you peel the orange or put it in peeling and all?
Danielle
Peel and all. It's just for flavoring the inside when it cooks.
Wiga
What an amazing recipe! Done it today, for Sunday dinner and oh my gosh, best duck recipe ever! Thanks so much for sharing,will certainly do it again😃👍👏👏
Danielle
I'm so glad you liked it!!