This delicious Glazed Roasted Duck recipe uses bold spices to season the bird, and then it's roasted to crispy perfection with a brown sugar and soy sauce glaze. The end result is a fantastic main dish that will wow your guests at your next holiday meal, special occasion, or dinner party!
Roasted duck is often served on special occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, or the New Year Holiday. But why not roast one up any time of year? This roast duck recipe is easy to follow and yields a delicious and juicy bird.
The key to a perfect roast duck is in the seasoning. This recipe uses spices like Chinese 5 spice powder and herbs to give it a unique flavor. The duck is then glazed with a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, brown sugar, and tangy apple cider vinegar.
We're confident that this will become your go-to roast duck recipe for holidays or any time of the year!
Try serving it with rice, stir-fried vegetables, Truffle Mashed Potatoes, Jiffy Corn Casserole, or Melted Leeks.
If you love glazed meat, then be sure to try Glazed Ham Steak with Pineapple and Garlic Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin.
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Why Make This Recipe
The sweet and savory flavors help to balance out the gaminess of the duck.
Glazed roasted duck may seem daunting, but it's easy to make at home with this recipe.
Perfect for a holiday meal or dinner party.
This roast duck recipe yields a juicy tender bird that isn't dry or undercooked.
Ingredients
- Whole Duck - In general, a whole duck is around 5 pounds. Feel free to purchase a larger duck or a few to feed a crowd. You can usually find whole duck frozen.
- Butter - Room temperature butter is used to blend all of the seasonings together so they coat the duck. It also helps the skin become nice and crispy on the outside.
- Seasonings - A mixture of salt, Chinese five spice, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme give the base of the bird a bold herb flavor with a small kick of spice.
Roasted Duck Glaze
- Soy Sauce - Adds a salty umami flavor to the glaze.
- Worcestershire Sauce - Gives the sauce a bold savory flavor along with a light thickness and sweetness.
- Brown Sugar - Adds sweet molasses flavor to the glaze that helps cut through the gamey taste of the duck.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Adds a sweet acidic flavor that pairs well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Chicken Broth - Helps with consistency and flavor.
- Cornstarch - Used to help thicken the glaze.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Glazed Roast Duck recipe? It's easy!
Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Get out a baking tray and set it aside.
Prepare the whole duck: Rinse the duck with water and pat it dry. Remove the neck and giblets. Pierce the duck's skin with a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife and sprinkle it with salt.
Marinate the duck: In a bowl, mix the butter with the 5 spice, garlic powder, and herbs. Spread the herb butter over the duck and coat on all sides.
Roast the duck: Place the seasoned duck onto a baking tray, breast side up, cover with foil, and roast for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 1 hour 10 minutes (total for 5-pound duck: 1 hour 40 minutes). The duck is finished cooking when the temperature at the thickest part of the leg reads 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Cook it a little longer if necessary.
Assemble the glaze: Mix all glaze ingredients, except the cornstarch, in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then whisk it into the glaze and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Set aside until the duck is finished roasting.
Glaze and serve: Brush the duck with the glaze, then allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Slice or carve the duck with a sharp knife and serve with your favorite side dishes. Enjoy!
Cook's Tips
The skin of the duck is much tougher than other fowl. When piercing the skin, make sure you do not go into the meat as this will cause the juices to run out and the duck to dry out. Gently pierce the skin, not the flesh underneath.
To help crisp up the skin, you can turn on the broiler for a minute or two at the end of cooking. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn!
If you want to render more fat from the duck, you can place it skin side down on a wire rack over a baking tray for the first 30 minutes of cooking.
As a guide, roast duck for 20 minutes per 1 pound (450g). Use a kitchen thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the roast duck is at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
The Chinese five spice adds great flavor, but if you don't have any then just leave it out - there's still lots of flavor in the glaze.
Variations
If you can't find a whole duck, you can use 4-5 pounds (2 kg) of duck breasts or thighs. Marinate and roast as directed.
Can't find Chinese 5 spice? Use a mix of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, anise, and black pepper instead.
The glaze can be made without chicken broth by increasing the amount of apple cider vinegar to ½ cup (120 ml). This will create a more tangy glaze.
Instead of brown sugar, use honey, molasses, or maple syrup to sweeten the glaze.
You can use arrowroot powder or tapioca flour if you don't have cornstarch to thicken the glaze.
Add a kick of heat to the glaze by mixing in ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Storage & Freezing
Once cooled, roasted duck can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place cooled duck breasts or thighs in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat roast duck by covering loosely with foil and heating in a 350°F / 180°C oven until warmed through.
FAQs
Rendered duck fat can be used in many different ways! It's great for cooking potatoes, vegetables, or rice. You can also use it to make homemade duck confit.
Yes, the duck can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Keep it covered and refrigerated until you're ready to roast.
Place the roast duck on a cutting board, breast side up. Using a sharp knife, slice along either side of the breastbone to remove the breasts. Cut each breast into thin slices and arrange them on a platter. To remove the legs, use your knife to cut through the skin and meat that connects the leg to the body. Using a fork, twist the leg until it pops out of the socket, then slice through the meat to remove it. Repeat with the other leg. Arrange duck legs on the platter with the sliced breasts. Serve immediately.
📖 Recipe
Glazed Roast Duck
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Roasting Tray
Ingredients
- 5 pounds whole duck
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
For glaze:
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C
- Rinse the duck and pat it dry. Remove neck and giblets (you can save for another purpose). Prick the skin of the duck with a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife (just the skin, if you pierce the meat it will dry it out) and sprinkle it with the salt.
- In a bowl, mix the butter with the 5 spice, garlic powder and herbs.
- Spread the herb butter over the duck, place onto a baking tray, breast side up, cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 1 hour 10 minutes (total for 5 pound duck: 1 hour 40 minutes).
- Duck is done when temperature at thickest part of leg reads 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Cook it a little longer if necessary.
- While the duck is roasting, make the glaze. Mix all glaze ingredients, except the cornstarch) in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Dilute the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, then whisk it into the glaze and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Set aside until the duck is finished roasting.
- Brush the duck with the glaze, then allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Angela
Roasted Duck is such a treat! Love all of the flavors you used here. Perfection!
Lyn
I've never tried making duck before but now I'm interested! This recipe looks great with lots of tips to get it right! Thanks.
Ava M.
This looks delicious and the detailed instructions are always perfect for me. I don't think I can make a whole duck, but thanks to your recommendation I'll try with thighs 🙂
Michaela
Loving the Chinese 5 spice and herbs used on this crispy and delicious duck. My family was so impressed when I made this (but it was so easy!).
Kerri
I'd never tried to make duck before, but it was so good. I will definitely be giving this one a shot for Thanksgiving!