Nothing can beat this Cantonese-style oven roasted duck. With this recipe, you'll get a beautifully cooked whole duck juicier and even more tender than any store-bought one.
Roast duck is a popular Chinese dish that can be easily found in any Chinese restaurant. Together with crispy crackling pork belly, these two dishes are also most commonly ordered too.
This Cantonese-style oven roasted duck is a kind of meal you can amaze your whole family and friends with your cooking skill. The roast duck is so tasty, juicy, and undoubtedly delicious; and yet easier to make than you thought.
Moreover, this roasted duck recipe will become your new favorite duck dish because it can be used for any occasion. From a family gathering, a simple dinner idea, or a Thanksgiving masterpiece. Are you tired of cooking a big and heavy turkey? This duck is the best substitution for your Thanksgiving celebration.
Though it is uncommon, you can keep the left over bones to make such a deep flavor bone broth.
How to roast duck step by step
This fool-proof recipe for Cantonese-style roasted duck was used in the restaurant I worked at. I also developed it. So rest assured your homemade roast duck will have all the restaurant-style roast duck quality: juicy, tasty, and exceptionally tender.
Marinade the duck
- Pat the duck skin and its cavity as dry as possible with a paper towel. Tuck the wings and the legs behind the body.
- Put half of the marinade mixture together with whole peppercorn, green onion stalks, star anise, and lemon peel inside the duck cavity.
- Rub half of the mixture on the outside of the duck. Make sure to get the marinade into all parts and underside of the duck, especially the breast and thigh areas.
- Carefully enclose the cavity with toothpicks.
- Place the duck breast-side up on a clean cooking pan. Covered with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and marinade for at least 6 hours (maximum 12 hours).
- After 6 hours, remove the duck from the fridge and rinse under cold water to wash away the marinade mixture. Make sure the cavity area is securely tightly before doing so.
- Put it on a wire rack over a baking pan.
- Gather all ingredients for boiling mixture, bring to boil on the stovetop.
Partially cook and dry the duck's skin
- Secure the duck with a butcher hook at the collar bone or carry it with your hand.
- Carefully ladle hot boiling mixture over the duck skin. Please make sure all parts of it are covered completely. Take as long as you need to complete this step.
- Hang the duck or place it breast-side up on a wire rack over a baking pan in a refrigerator (uncovered) for at least 24 hours to cure and dry (maximum 48 hours).
- When you're ready to roast, remove the duck from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Roast the duck in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 380F/195C.
- Place the duck on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking pan and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove the duck from the oven. Reduce the heat to 300F/150C.
- Brush the duck evenly with balsamic vinegar. Return it to the oven and keep roasting for 15 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and brush with balsamic + honey mixture. Put it back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Once again, take the duck out and baste the last time with a balsamic and honey mixture. Please return it to the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
- Let the duck rest, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes before carving and serving.
How to make the sauce for roasted duck
The sauce is just as important as tender meat. The best roast duck always comes with the most addictive and tasty sauce. Here are the steps to make this delicious duck sauce:
- After the duck has rested, carefully remove the toothpicks and pour the marinade mixture inside the duck cavity into a clean bowl.
- Strain the mixture, keep the juice and discard other ingredients.
- In a medium size saucepan, combine roasted duck's juice, hoisin sauce, water, and Kosher salt. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, then simmer the mixture for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by ⅓.
- Let the sauce cool down to room temperature before serving.
How to get the most tender duck meat?
Unlike chicken or turkey, duck is 100% red meat just like beef. Duck has a lot of connective tissues under the skin which sometimes results in chewy texture if not cooking properly.
So the resting/drying process, which takes 24 to 48 hours, helps to break down those tissues and makes the meat tender.
So to get the most tender Cantonese-style oven roasted duck, you need to let it rest (uncovered), in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Do not rush or skip this process, or you'll end up with chewy meat.
Useful cooking tips
- Keep the wings tips and legs intact. Please don't remove them so you can tuck them neatly behind the duck.
- If you decide to use a hook to hang the duck, don't remove its head.
- Make sure to put the duck on a wire rack over a baking pan to have good airflow around it.
- Air circulation is essential for this drying process, so ensure your fridge is not stuffed with too many things.
- Rotate the duck every time you return it to the oven for evenly cooking.
How to serve and eat Chinese roast duck
Unlike turkey, which is carved directly on a dining table, Chinese roast duck is usually carved into pieces before serving. The breast part is cut into slices, while the legs and thighs are chopped into bite-size pieces.
The duck is served with thin slices of cucumber, green onion, chili crunch and mantou (bland bao/steamed bun). To assemble: tear open a steamed bun in half, put a slice of duck breast together with a few pieces of cucumber and green onion. Also, put a small amount of duck and spicy sauce on the meat. Then dip the whole bao into the sauce while eating.
As for the parts with bones inside, they can be eaten as they are and dipped into the sauce if desired.
Video
Did you make this recipe? If so please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comment section. Also, don't forget to tag me #cookmorphosis @cookmorphosis on social media.
Cantonese-style Oven Roasted Duck
Equipment
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck ~ 6lb (2.5kg)
Marinade mixture
- 3 tbsp five spice powder
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 5 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp black peppercorn
- 3 pieces lemon peel or orange peel
- 6 pieces star anise
- 3 stalks onion green white part
Boiling mixture
- 8 c water
- 3 stalk green onion
- 1 small ginger sliced
- 1 c vinegar
- 1 c honey
Others
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Duck sauce
- ¾ c duck juice from roasted duck
- ½ c Hoisin sauce
- 1 c water
- ⅛ tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
Marinade Process
- Pat the duck skin and its cavity as dry as possible with a paper towel. Tuck the wings and the legs behind the body.
- Mix marinade mixture ingredients (except peppercorn, green onion, star anise, and lemon peel) in a small mixing bowl.
- Put half the marinade mixture together with whole peppercorn, green onion stalks, star anise, and lemon peel inside the duck cavity.
- Rub half of the mixture on the outside of the duck. Make sure to get the marinade into all parts and underside of the duck, especially the breast and thigh areas.
- Carefully enclose the cavity with toothpicks.
- Place the duck breast-side up on a clean cooking pan. Covered with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and marinade for at least 6 hours (maximum 12 hours).
- After 6 hours, remove the duck from the fridge and rinse under cold water to wash away the marinade mixture. Make sure the cavity area is securely tightly before doing so.
- Put it on a wire rack over a baking pan.
- In a large cooking pot, gather all ingredients for boiling mixture, bring to boil on the stovetop.
Rinsing & Drying Process
- You can do this step on the stovetop or move a pot to a sink and do the process there (recommended).
- Carefully ladle hot boiling mixture over the duck skin. Please make sure all parts of it are covered completely. Take as long as you need to complete this step.
- When you're ready to roast, remove the duck from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Roasting Process
- Preheat oven 380F/195C.
- Place the duck on a wire rack over a foil-lined baking pan and roast for 15 minutes.
- Then remove the duck from the oven. Reduce the heat to 300F/150C.
- Brush the duck evenly with balsamic vinegar. Return it to the oven and keep roasting for 15 minutes.
- Add honey to the remaining balsamic vinegar. Mix well.
- Remove it from the oven and brush with balsamic + honey mixture. Put it back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Once again, take the duck out and baste the last time with a balsamic and honey mixture. Please return it to the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
- Let the duck rest, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes before carving and serving.
Make duck sauce
- After the duck has rested, carefully remove the toothpicks and pour the marinade mixture inside the duck cavity into a clean bowl. You'll have around ¾ cup of duck juice.
- Strain the mixture, keep the juice and discard other ingredients.
- In a medium size saucepan, combine roasted duck's juice, hoisin sauce, water, and Kosher salt. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, then simmer the mixture for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by ⅓.
- Let the sauce cool down to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 3/1/2020, then updated with more helpful information.
Is it okay for me to use this recipe and method to cook duck?
Thank you!
Trying to make this for Christmas dinner but I can’t find the ingredients for the spice mix listed anywhere in this post. Please advise.
Hi Faye,
You can buy separate ingredients then grind them together. I hope you can find these: 2 tbsp coriander seeds or whole cloves, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 whole star anise, 2 tsp fennel seeds or cumin seeds, 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns. Hope this helps.
Looking forward to preparing our Christmas duck using this technique! Usually before roasting, I prick the skin to allow fat to escape. Is there any necessity to do this with this technique? Happy Holidays!
Hi Candi,
Thank you so much for picking this recipe for your Christmas celebration. Pricking the skin usually helps make it crispier. But this Cantonese duck recipe is not supposed to have crispy skin, so I recommend skipping the pricking to keep the juiciness as much as possible. I hope this helps. :). And please let me know how your Christmas duck turns out. Happy holidays to you!!!
Hi Tu- This recipe looks delicious. Can you tell me, does Cantonese duck have crispy skin?
Hi Ali,
This version of Cantonese duck does not have crispy skin. However, it still maintains its juiciness and lips-smacking flavors, worth to give it a shot.
Thank you for sharing this AMAZING recipe! I made it today and I can confirm that it delivers the tastiest, juiciest of birds. Simply, wow ❤!
ps I also decided to add a rice, vermiceli, black currant stuffing. The result was truly great. Again, thank you ❤
Hi Ang,
Thank you so so much for your feedback. I am so glad that the recipe turned out perfectly for you. Your stuffing sounds so good, I'll try with vermicelli the next time I make this duck ;).
The recipe was great and easy to follow, but I think cooking time needs revising as my duck need much longer than 55 mins to cook. The duck was quite small so I was surprised how long it took to cook through. In the end it took about 1hr 20
Hi Jenny,
Thank you so much for your feedback. I'll keep that in mind 🙂
Made this duck recipe today. Totally outstanding. My wife loves duck and this is now her favorite of all time.
Hi Michael,
Your comment makes my day! Thank you so much. I am glad that you and your wife love the recipe.
Hi! When you write 'Carefully ladle hot boiling mixture over the duck skin. Please make sure all parts of it are covered completely.' - does that mean that the duck be fully immersed in the mixture by the end? Thanks!
Hi Eon,
It means you keep ladling the hot mixture all over the duck while holding it mid-air (a few inches away from the water pot). Don't immerse or submerse the whole duck in the pot.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you still have any questions.
How long you boil the duck for
Hi Layla,
I don't actually boil the duck in water, but 'baste' it instead. The amount of time you baste the duck with boiling water will depend on how big the duck is. As long as all parts of the duck was basted and lathered with hot water, then the process is finished. I would say for a ~5lb duck, it takes under a minute to finish.