Roasted Duck
This roasted duck recipe is caramelized and crispy on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. It’s a gloriously tasty dish that guarantees to be the star of your dinner table!
Have you slow roasted duck before? If not, you don’t know what you are missing!! I would never make duck in a different way.
Before I started cooking duck, I used to think it was hard. But it isn’t. And through trial and error, I figured out that the best way to make duck is to slow roast it because that keeps the meat so moist, even the breast meat.
This is such a great meal to serve at the holidays or a special occasion. I have served this duck on both Thanksgiving and New Year’s eve and we have enjoyed the meal each time we’ve had it. It’s a great alternative to serve instead of turkey.
And if you serve this to your guests at a party? They are going to be so impressed while they enjoy this fabulous meal.
And if you have any leftover duck, you can make curry duck.
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Helpful tips
- If you can, buy an organic duck. I get mine at Whole Foods. I love it because they source it from farms that don’t use any antibiotics in the poultry.
- It used to be that you were supposed to wash poultry before cooking it but now they say not to wash it. You should just drain it once you take it out of the package, then pat it dry, inside and out with paper towels.
- Always wash citrus before you cook with it, juice it or use it for garnish in cocktails. Here’s how: either use a vegetable wash or squirt unscented natural hand soap in your hand and rub the orange with the soap. Rinse well under cold water.
- I always use a good roasting pan with the V rack insert, that way the heat can circulate around the duck.
- I use a wooden skewer to hold the skin together while the duck is roasting. To make sure the skewer doesn’t burn and catch fire, soak it for an hour before starting the recipe.
- You need to cut slits in the skin because duck is a fatty bird and it helps to release the duck fat and allows the skin to crisp up.
- Take a sharp small knife, lift the skin of the duck and cut slits in it without piercing the flesh of the duck. Cut slits on all sides of the duck about an inch apart, including the wings, legs and back.
- Some people cut the skin in a diamond pattern but I find that the risk is greater to cut into the flesh accidentally. And as you can see, the skin on my duck is quite crispy and browned.
- Each time you flip the duck to cook it evenly, use wooden spoons because you do not want to pierce the flesh while it is cooking.
- After the bird is done, there will be excess fat in the bottom of the roasting pan. You can either toss it, or use it to sauté potatoes or vegetables like carrots as a side dish.
How to make Roasted Duck
Pre-pre-step
Soak a wooden skewer for an hour before starting the recipe.
Pre-step
Get out a large roasting pan.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – duck, orange wedges, a head of garlic and kosher salt. (A)
Step two
Pinch the skin between your thumb and pointer finger and lift the skin, take a sharp knife and pierce the skin. Be very careful that you just pierce the skin and not the flesh. (B)
You want to do that all over the skin. (C)
Step three
Cut off the top of the garlic.
Sprinkle kosher salt inside the cavity and on both sides of the duck. Place orange wedges and garlic cloves inside the cavity of the duck. (D)
Step four
Place the duck breast side up in the V rack insert in the baking pan.
Take a wooden skewer and run it through the skin on both sides of the cavity, sealing the orange and garlic inside. Also take some butcher’s twine and bind the duck legs together. (E)
It’s okay if the skin around the skewer relaxes somewhat as it cooks. The orange and garlic will stay inside.
Step five
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour. (F)
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Step six
Take two wooden spoons and flip the duck so the breast is face down and bake for another hour. (G)
Step seven
Flip the duck again so the breast is face up and bake for another hour. (H)
Step eight
While the duck is roasting that last hour, gather the sauce ingredients – Cointreau, orange juice, garlic paste, maple syrup and soy sauce.
Step nine
In a small bowl, add all the above ingredients and whisk until combined.
Step ten
After the hour is up, don’t flip the bird. Brush on the orange sauce and bake for 30 minutes.
Step eleven
Pull the pan out and don’t flip the bird again. Baste more orange sauce over the duck and bake for another 30 minutes.
Step twelve
Once it’s done, open the cavity and take out the orange wedges and throw them away. You can save the garlic and squeeze some on bread and toast it.
Look at how crispy the skin is!
Let the duck rest for 15 minutes before cutting it up.
I serve the meat with a salad, roasted potatoes, and carrots.
Pour on some orange sauce.
And dig in. Mmmm, it was so delicious.
I hope you enjoyed this slow roasted duck recipe.
Other recipes to serve for Sunday dinner
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
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Roasted Duck
Ingredients
- 5 pound organic duck giblets removed, fat trimmed, washed and dried inside and out
- 1 orange cut into wedges
- 1 head of garlic top cut off
- 2 – 3 tablespoons kosher salt
Sauce
- 2 ounces Cointreau or triple sec
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Make it
- Preheat oven to 325
- Pinch the skin of the duck and stick a knife into it without cutting into the meat, making shallow cuts an inch or two apart from each other. Make sure to do around the thigh and back as well5 pound organic duck
- Salt the inside of the duck and stuff the cavity with the head of garlic and as many orange wedges you can fit1 orange, 2 – 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 head of garlic
- Place duck in the pan breast side up and set timer to an hour
- Using wooden spoons, carefully flip the duck onto the breast and place in the oven for another hour
- Flip duck on its back again and set the timer for another hour
- Time to make the sauce. Place the Cointreau, soy sauce, maple syrup, orange juice and garlic paste in a mixing bowl and whisk the ingredients together2 ounces Cointreau, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 teaspoons garlic paste, 3 tablespoons orange juice
- After the third hour, don’t flip the duck anymore, but brush some sauce over the breast and set the duck in the oven for 1/2 hour
- Brush more sauce over the breast and cook for another 1/2 hour
- Take the duck out of the pan, remove the orange wedges and throw them away. Either use the garlic on some bread or if it has dried out, throw it away
- Let the duck rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it
- Plate a piece of duck with a vegetable and some potatoes or rice
- Eat
- Smile
- Enjoy
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- If you can, buy an organic duck. I get mine at Whole Foods. I love it because they source it from farms that don’t use any antibiotics in the poultry.
- It used to be that you were supposed to wash poultry before cooking it but now they say not to wash it. You should just drain it once you take it out of the package, then pat it dry, inside and out with paper towels.
- Always wash citrus before you cook with it, juice it or use it for garnish in cocktails. Here’s how: either use a vegetable wash or squirt unscented natural hand soap in your hand and rub the orange with the soap. Rinse well under cold water.
- I always use a good roasting pan with the V rack insert, that way the heat can circulate around the duck.
- I use a wooden skewer to hold the skin together while the duck is roasting. To make sure the skewer doesn’t burn and catch fire, soak it for an hour before starting the recipe.
- You need to cut slits in the skin because duck is a fatty bird and it helps to release the duck fat and allows the skin to crisp up.
- Take a sharp small knife, lift the skin of the duck and cut slits in it without piercing the flesh of the duck. Cut slits on all sides of the duck about an inch apart, including the wings, legs and back.
- Some people cut the skin in a diamond pattern but I find that the risk is greater to cut into the flesh accidentally. And as you can see, the skin on my duck is quite crispy and browned.
- Each time you flip the duck to cook it evenly, use wooden spoons because you do not want to pierce the flesh while it is cooking.
- After the bird is done, there will be excess fat in the bottom of the roasting pan. You can either toss it, or use it to sauté potatoes or vegetables like carrots as a side dish.
Nutrition
Originally published February of 2018.
Thank you for the complete step by step on this. I’ve been wanting to try roasting a duck, but have been a little intimidated. And this was tasty and a keeper.
Thanks, Teri.
I love duck, and the flavors you have going on here are amazing!
Yay, Carrie! Thank you.
Oooh that sauce was so good. It’s perfect on the duck which was moist and delicious
Hehe Katherine! I love the sauce!
This is the perfect tutorial – lots of little tricks I wouldn’t have known and it came out delicious. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Danielle!
I am all for more duck recipes! This one looks amazing Elaine!
Thanks so much Matt!
I love all the citrus notes in this recipe. I completely agree with tossing the oranges, but the garlic cloves that were steaming inside of the duck taste delicious squeezed onto some crusty bread. This recipe was so good, and I really love the flavors in your glaze.
Thanks Patti!! Long ago, I did taste the garlic from the cavity and found it absorbed the salt, which is why I toss it. But yes, garlic on crusty bread is the best!!
Oh my gosh! It’s been way too long since I’ve roasted a duck! That skin looks amazing! I also love keeping the fat for roasted potatoes later! Yum!
Me too Pam! Thank you for your comment!
You did a MOST EXCELLENT job here! So delicious and moist 😉
Thanks Catherine! I appreciate that!
This duck recipe was absolutely juicy and yummy! Thanks!
Thanks so much!
I’m drooling just looking at your pictures Lainey, we love duck and I always slow roast it too but your sauce looks so good, I absolutely must make it next time!
Thanks so much Patty! 🙂
You clever girl, Cointreau with duck! You couldn’t have found a more attractive combination than this. I bought my duck and a bottle of Cointreau and it came out so delicious.
Yahoo Laura! Thank you!
This duck is SO succulent and flavorful. It also gives me a nostalgic feeling for the good times and meals we had at Wakefield’s Duck Walk restaurant when it was in business. I miss that place! You’re a champion for cooking duck.
Thanks Christopher! It is delightful and I can’t wait until we have it again at New Year’s Eve.
The crispy skin on this is so good! I can’t believe I used to be intimidated by duck!
I’m glad to hear that Mary! Thanks for your comment.
This was so delicious and tasty! Definitely worth the effort.
Thanks so much Beth! I appreciate it.
This is such an elegant and tasty meal that’s perfect for the holidays when you are looking for something other than turkey or ham.
Thank you Sharon. We look forward to it around the holidays!
My dad recently requested roasted duck and so I made this delicious recipe. He really enjoyed the orange and Cointreau sauce. Thanks
I’m so glad that your dad enjoyed it! And for taking the time to comment! Thank you Clara.
I was looking for a recipe for a more intimate dinner and this one was perfect. The duck meat is moist and the skin is crispy – my mouth is watering again just thinking about it! And the sauce!!! Cointreau really makes it stand out. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Cindy! We love roast duck and hubby and I draw straws on who gets the crispiest skin 🙂
Worked! By that I mean, the duck wasn’t tough and chewy and the fat cooked down well. I am now confident in preparing duck. Thank you for having this figured out!
You’re welcome. I’m so glad that you liked it. I love duck and can’t wait to cook it again. Probably for New Years Eve this year. Yum. Thanks so much for letting me know, Stephansuch!
The duck is in the oven and I need confirmation on the total cooking time. It looks like 3 hours total but depending on how you read it, it says you cook another 1 hour (at 1/2 hour intervals) with the sauce brushed on. That would be a total of 4 hours, help please!?
Ugh, I’m so sorry, Pamela. I was away for the holiday. It’s 4 hours on the recipe card. I hope it came out okay.
I cooked exactly the recipient and I ended up with burnt duck !!! Ughhh what did I do wrong?
Oh my, how horrible, Diane. I’m not sure what you did wrong. Did you have the temperatures correct? It’s a long roast so not sure what it could be other than the temperature being too high?