Peking Duck 2 Ways: Crispy Pancakes and Duck Soup

This home-style Peking duck serves a glossy, crisp-skinned roast duck in warm pancakes, then turns the leftover carcass into a ginger-scented soup. Inspired by Beijing’s famous roast duck, it is a practical two-course version for a home oven, with a long drying period that helps the skin crisp and a second serving that makes good use of the bones.

Ingredients

1 whole duck, 5–6 lb (2.3–2.7 kg), giblets removed
2 tsp fine salt (10 g)
1 tsp baking powder (4 g), aluminum-free if available
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (2 g), optional
2 tbsp maltose (40 g) or mild honey (42 g)
2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml)
¼ cup water (60 ml), for thinning the glaze
1 piece fresh ginger, 2 in (5 cm), sliced; half for the duck cavity and half for the soup
2 scallions (about 30 g), cut into short lengths; one for the cavity and one for the soup
24 small Chinese wheat pancakes, about 1 lb (450 g), fresh or frozen
½ cup hoisin sauce (120 ml)
1 large cucumber, about 10 oz (280 g), cut into thin matchsticks
6 scallions (about 90 g), cut into thin matchsticks for serving
8 cups water (1.9 L), for the soup
1 small napa cabbage, about 1 lb (450 g), thinly sliced
8 oz firm tofu (225 g), cut into ½-in (1.25-cm) cubes
1 tbsp light soy sauce (15 ml), plus more to taste
½ tsp fine salt (about 3 g), plus more to taste
¼ tsp ground white pepper (about 0.5 g), or to taste
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (5 ml), optional

Instructions

Prepare the duck for drying. Remove any giblets from the cavity and pat the duck very dry, inside and out. With a clean skewer or the tip of a small knife, prick the skin all over, especially around the thighs and breast, taking care not to pierce the meat. This gives rendered fat a way out while keeping the meat intact. Mix the salt, baking powder, and five-spice powder, then rub the mixture over the skin and a little inside the cavity. Put the ginger and one scallion length in the cavity. Set the duck breast-side up on a rack over a rimmed tray and refrigerate uncovered for 12 hours. Keep it on a low shelf, away from ready-to-eat foods, and do not let raw duck or its drips touch other ingredients.
Make the glaze and heat the oven. About 30 minutes before roasting, take the duck from the refrigerator while the oven heats to 425°F (220°C). Combine the maltose or honey, rice vinegar, and water in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring until smooth; maltose may need a little extra warming to loosen. Set the glaze aside. If using honey, the finished skin will be a little less lacquered and slightly more floral, but it still browns well.
Roast and glaze. Put the duck breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325°F (165°C) and roast for about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes more. Carefully pour off accumulated fat once or twice if the pan is getting deep; save it for another use only after straining and chilling it promptly. Brush a thin layer of glaze over the duck during the final 20 minutes, rather than at the beginning, so the sugars do not scorch. Roast until a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh, without touching bone, reads 165°F (74°C); USDA FSIS gives 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for duck. If the skin is browned before the duck reaches temperature, loosely tent the browned areas with foil and continue roasting.
Rest, carve, and serve the first course. Move the duck to a clean cutting board and rest it for 20 minutes. Keep the roasting pan and carcass for the soup. While the duck rests, warm the pancakes according to their package directions, usually in a steamer for a few minutes, and arrange them in a covered dish so they stay soft. Carve the breast meat into thin slices and pull or cut meat from the legs and thighs. Serve the crisp skin with the meat, pancakes, hoisin, cucumber, and scallion matchsticks. For each pancake, spread on a little hoisin, add duck, skin, cucumber, and scallion, then fold or roll it closed.
Start the soup with the carcass. Once the first course is served, remove any remaining meat from the carcass and reserve it for the soup. Break the carcass into a few manageable pieces with a sturdy knife or kitchen shears. Put the bones and any browned pan juices that are not excessively greasy in a large pot with 8 cups water, the remaining ginger, and the remaining scallion. Bring just to a boil, skim off foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Avoid a hard boil, which can make the broth cloudy and greasy. Strain the broth into a clean pot and discard the bones and aromatics.
Finish the second course. Bring the strained broth to a gentle simmer. Add the napa cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the tofu and reserved duck meat and simmer for another 5 minutes, until everything is hot. Season with the soy sauce, salt, and white pepper; taste before adding more salt because the duck and roasting juices may already season the broth. Stir in sesame oil if using, and serve hot. If you prefer a lighter soup, skim off visible fat before adding the vegetables.

Tips

Drying is worth the wait. The uncovered refrigerator rest helps the surface lose moisture, which is one of the most useful steps for crisp skin in a home oven. If your refrigerator is too crowded to leave the duck uncovered safely, use a clean rack in a tray and make space rather than drying it on the counter.
Prick only the skin. Holes through the meat let juices escape and can dry the duck. Use small, shallow pricks, concentrating on fatty areas, and avoid cutting into the breast or thigh flesh.
Choose the glaze you can find. Maltose is traditional in many roast-duck preparations, but it can be hard to buy. Mild honey is an accessible substitute; use the same amount and brush it on late, since it can darken faster. Rice vinegar adds brightness, but white wine vinegar diluted with a little water works if needed.
Keep the courses moving safely. Set aside soup meat promptly, and refrigerate it if it will not go into the pot soon. Use a clean board and utensils after handling raw duck, and wash hands and surfaces with hot, soapy water.

Serving Suggestions

Put the pancake course on the table first, with the duck sliced but the pancakes, sauce, and vegetables kept in separate dishes. That lets everyone build a roll with the amount of hoisin they like and keeps the pancakes from becoming soggy. Include both crisp skin and tender meat in each serving; the contrast is part of what makes this style satisfying. A simple dish of steamed rice or lightly dressed greens can round out the meal, though the pancakes and soup already make it substantial.

Serve the soup as a second course in small bowls or as a later meal. Its flavor is deliberately gentle, so offer extra soy sauce, white pepper, or sliced scallion at the table rather than making the whole pot salty. If the duck produces more meat than the pancake course needs, reserve some for the soup before serving and keep it chilled until the broth is ready.

Variations

For a more vegetable-rich soup, add sliced shiitake mushrooms with the cabbage or use thinly sliced bok choy in place of some of the napa cabbage. Add quick-cooking greens near the end so they stay bright. You can also replace the tofu with cooked wheat noodles or thin rice noodles; cook noodles separately and place them in bowls before ladling over the broth to keep them from soaking up all the soup.

If small Chinese pancakes are unavailable, use thin flour tortillas warmed until pliable. They are not the same as wheat pancakes, but they make a convenient wrap. Hoisin can be replaced with a mix of 3 tablespoons (45 ml) plum sauce and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce for a fruitier, less savory sauce. For a simpler roast flavor, omit the five-spice powder; the duck will still work well with the ginger, glaze, and traditional pancake accompaniments.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate cooked duck, soup, and any prepared accompaniments within 2 hours, storing the duck meat and soup separately in covered containers. Cooked duck and soup keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. Refrigerate leftover pancakes according to their package directions; once opened or cooked, keep them tightly wrapped and use them within a few days. Freeze duck meat or soup in airtight containers for up to 3 months for best quality, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

For crispier leftover duck, reheat sliced meat and skin on a rack in a 375°F (190°C) oven until hot, loosely covering the meat if it is drying before the skin crisps. Reheat soup gently on the stovetop, stirring so the meat and tofu warm evenly. All leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C) when checked with a food thermometer. Warm pancakes separately by steaming briefly or following their package directions; avoid heating them so long that they dry out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as restaurant-style Peking duck?
This is a home-oven version inspired by the Beijing dish, not a replica of the specialized restaurant process. Traditional preparations may use air circulation, hanging, and equipment that is not practical in many home kitchens. The uncovered drying, careful roasting, glaze, and pancake accompaniments give you a useful home interpretation, and versions vary by cook and setting.

Can I skip the 12-hour drying period?
You can roast the duck without it, but the skin is less likely to become evenly crisp. If time is short, dry the duck thoroughly with paper towels and refrigerate it uncovered for as long as you can, even a few hours. Do not leave raw duck at room temperature to speed up drying.

How do I know when the duck is done?
Use a food thermometer, checking the thickest breast meat and the innermost thigh without touching bone. Both should reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for poultry. Roasting time is an estimate because duck size, oven accuracy, and pan design affect how quickly it cooks.

Can I make the soup without the whole carcass?
Yes. Use duck wings, neck, or other cooked duck bones if you have them, and make a smaller batch if needed. With fewer bones, the broth will be lighter; simmering longer does not fully replace the flavor and gelatin from a larger carcass. You can also use low-sodium chicken stock, though the soup will taste less distinctly of duck.

Can I prepare parts of the recipe ahead?
The duck can be seasoned and left to dry in the refrigerator for up to about 24 hours, provided it is kept safely chilled on a tray. You can cut the cucumber and scallions a few hours ahead and refrigerate them separately. Roast the duck on the day you plan to serve it for the best skin, and make the soup after carving so the carcass is put to use promptly.

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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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