How Many Calories Are in a Duck Pancake?

A duck pancake typically contains about 200–300 calories, depending on the size of the pancake, how much duck it holds, and how generously it is sauced. This Chinese-style wrap pairs roasted duck with a thin wheat pancake, hoisin sauce, cucumber, and scallions; the recipe below makes eight wraps at about 230 calories each.

Duck pancakes are often served with Peking-style roast duck, though home and restaurant versions vary in portion size and toppings. This straightforward version roasts duck breast and uses ready-made Chinese pancakes, so the calorie estimate is easy to understand and the meal is practical to make.

Ingredients

2 skin-on duck breast halves, about 8 oz (225 g) each, 1 lb (450 g) total
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground black pepper
8 Chinese-style mandarin pancakes, about 8½ oz (240 g) total, fresh or thawed from frozen
¼ cup (60 ml) hoisin sauce
1 medium cucumber, about 7 oz (200 g), cut into thin matchsticks
4 scallions, about 2 oz (60 g), trimmed and cut into thin strips

Instructions

Heat the oven and prepare the duck. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, score the skin in a shallow crosshatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Season both sides with the salt and pepper. Scoring helps the fat render, and drying the skin first encourages it to brown.
Roast the duck. Set the breasts skin-side up on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast for about 30–35 minutes, checking the thickest part with a food thermometer near the end. The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for duck is 165°F (74°C); cook until the thermometer reaches that temperature. Breast size and oven variation affect timing, so use the thermometer rather than relying only on the clock.
Rest and slice. Transfer the cooked duck to a clean plate and rest it for 10 minutes. This gives the juices time to settle and makes the meat easier to slice. Cut the breasts into thin strips across the grain. If there is a thick layer of rendered fat, trim some away before slicing; keeping or removing the skin also changes the calories.
Prepare the pancakes and toppings. While the duck rests, warm the mandarin pancakes according to their package directions. If no directions are available, warm them one at a time in a dry skillet over low heat, turning once, just until flexible; this usually takes about 20–30 seconds per side. Keep the warmed pancakes covered with a clean towel so they do not dry out. Arrange the cucumber, scallions, and hoisin sauce in separate serving dishes.
Assemble and serve. Spread about 1½ teaspoons of hoisin sauce over each pancake. Add a few strips of duck, cucumber, and scallion, keeping the filling modest enough that the pancake can fold without tearing. Fold or roll it around the filling and serve while the duck and pancakes are warm. For the estimate below, each wrap gets one-eighth of the duck, vegetables, and sauce.

Tips

Check the pancake label. Ready-made Chinese mandarin pancakes vary in size and calories. The estimate here assumes eight pancakes weighing about 1 oz (30 g) each. If yours are larger, or you use a flour tortilla instead, the count per wrap will rise; tortillas are usually thicker and less delicate than mandarin pancakes.
Use the thermometer in the right place. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast without touching the rack or pan. Duck breast thickness varies, so start checking before the end of the roasting window and continue cooking as needed to reach 165°F (74°C).
Keep the sauce measured. Hoisin provides much of the sweet, savory flavor, but a heavy spoonful can add calories quickly. Measuring 1½ teaspoons per pancake keeps the recipe’s estimate consistent; serve extra sauce at the table for people who want more.
Make the components ahead, not the assembled wraps. Slice the cucumber and scallions a few hours ahead and refrigerate them separately. Warm pancakes just before serving, because filling them too early lets sauce and vegetable moisture soften the wrappers.

Serving Suggestions

Serve two pancakes per person as a main course, alongside a simple vegetable dish such as steamed greens, stir-fried bok choy, or broccoli. Those sides let the duck remain the focus without adding another rich sauce. For a larger meal, add a bowl of rice or a light soup; rice makes the meal more substantial but is not included in the calorie estimate for the wraps.

For a shared platter, place the duck, warm pancakes, cucumber, scallions, and hoisin in separate bowls and let everyone build their own. This is especially helpful when people prefer different amounts of sauce or vegetables. Put out small serving spoons rather than pouring sauce directly over the duck, so each person can control the amount used.

Variations

Use leftover cooked duck. If you already have duck cooked to a safe temperature, shred or slice it and warm it gently before assembling. The calorie count depends on the cut and whether the skin is included, so use the amount and nutrition information for your own duck rather than assuming it matches the recipe estimate.

Swap in a practical wrapper. Chinese mandarin pancakes can be difficult to find outside Asian grocery stores. Small flour tortillas are an accessible substitute, though they are thicker, chewier, and often larger; check the package and recalculate the calories per wrap. Thin homemade scallion pancakes can also work, but their added oil changes both the texture and calorie total.

Change the sauce or aromatics. If hoisin is unavailable, mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) plum sauce with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce for a quick alternative. It will taste fruitier and less deeply savory. A little grated fresh ginger or a few cilantro leaves can join the cucumber and scallions, but these additions are not part of the calorie estimate.

Make smaller appetizer portions. Cut the pancakes in half after filling, or use smaller wrappers and less duck per piece. Smaller pieces are convenient for a party, but the calorie count per piece will be lower only because each contains less food; count the total amount eaten rather than treating a smaller wrap as equivalent to a full one.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover duck, pancakes, and fresh toppings separately. Refrigerate cooked duck within 2 hours of cooking in a covered, shallow container; it keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. Follow the package instructions for any opened pancakes, and keep cut cucumber and scallions refrigerated in separate containers. Assembled pancakes are best eaten right away because the sauce and vegetables make the wrapper soggy.

Reheat duck in a covered skillet over low heat with a teaspoon of water, or in the microwave in short bursts, until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Reheat only the amount you plan to eat, and check the temperature with a food thermometer. Warm pancakes separately according to their package directions or briefly in a dry skillet. You can freeze cooked duck in a sealed freezer-safe container for about 2–3 months for best quality; thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating. Do not freeze the fresh cucumber or assembled wraps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in one duck pancake?
This recipe comes to about 230 calories per pancake, or roughly 460 calories for two. It assumes one of the specified mandarin pancakes, one-eighth of the roasted duck, about 1½ teaspoons of hoisin, and a modest amount of cucumber and scallion. It is an estimate, not a fixed value: product labels and portion sizes can change it.

What contributes most of the calories?
The duck, wrapper, and hoisin sauce account for most of the total. As a rough breakdown, a wrap may contain around 140–150 calories from its portion of duck, about 50–65 from the pancake, roughly 15–20 from hoisin, and a few calories from the vegetables. Actual values depend on the duck’s fat and skin, the wrapper brand, and how much sauce is used.

How many calories are in two duck pancakes from a restaurant?
There is no single restaurant portion, but two can easily exceed this recipe’s estimate if the pancakes are larger, filled with more duck, or served with extra hoisin. Restaurant preparations also differ in how the duck is cooked and whether additional skin or fat is included. For the closest estimate, check the restaurant’s nutrition information and count the number and size of the pancakes.

Can I make this with skinless duck breast?
Yes. Skinless breast works, though it will not provide the same rendered, crisp duck skin or rich texture. It may also cook faster, so begin checking early and still use a thermometer to confirm 165°F (74°C). Because the cut and cooking yield differ, the recipe’s calorie estimate will not apply exactly.

Can I prepare duck pancakes ahead of time?
Roast the duck up to 3–4 days ahead and refrigerate it promptly, then slice and reheat it when needed. You can also prepare the cucumber and scallions a few hours ahead. Keep the components separate and warm the wrappers shortly before serving so they stay flexible rather than turning damp or stiff.

Are mandarin pancakes the same as spring roll wrappers?
No. Mandarin pancakes are soft, round wheat wrappers meant to be warmed and folded around fillings. Spring roll wrappers are generally used for a different style of dish and may need soaking or frying, so they are not a direct swap for this recipe. If mandarin pancakes are unavailable, small flour tortillas are a more practical, though thicker, alternative.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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