Peking Duck 3 Ways: Roast, Wraps, and Bowls

Peking duck is a Beijing-style roast duck known for crisp, lacquered skin and tender meat, traditionally served with thin pancakes, scallions, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. This practical home version roasts a whole duck in the oven, then shows you three ways to serve it: in pancakes, as a rice bowl, or tucked into lettuce cups.

Ingredients

1 whole duck, about 5 lb (2.3 kg), giblets removed
1½ tsp fine salt (9 g)
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (5 g)
1 piece fresh ginger, about 2 oz (55 g), cut into thick slices
3 scallions (about 45 g), cut into short lengths, plus 2 scallions (about 30 g) for serving
8 cups boiling water (1.9 L), for loosening the duck skin
3 tbsp maltose (60 g); or use 3 tbsp honey (63 g), which gives a slightly sweeter, darker glaze
2 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar (30 ml); cider vinegar is a practical substitute
1 tbsp light soy sauce (15 ml)
1 cup hoisin sauce (240 g), for serving
1 English cucumber, about 12 oz (340 g), cut into thin matchsticks
24 prepared Mandarin pancakes, about 1 lb 5 oz (600 g), for serving
1½ cups uncooked long-grain rice (300 g), for rice bowls
12 large lettuce leaves, about 8 oz (225 g), such as butter lettuce or iceberg, for lettuce cups
1 cup water (240 ml), for the roasting pan

Instructions

Prepare the duck. Remove any remaining pinfeathers and excess fat around the cavity opening, then pat the duck thoroughly dry. Using the tip of a small knife or a skewer, prick the skin all over, especially around the breast and thighs, without piercing the meat. This gives rendered fat a way out and helps the skin crisp. Do not rinse raw poultry in the sink; it can spread raw juices around the kitchen.
Blanch and season the skin. Set the duck on a wire rack over a sink or a deep, heat-safe tray. Carefully pour the 8 cups (1.9 L) boiling water over the skin, turning the bird to wet all sides. Let excess water drain, then pat it dry again. Mix the salt and five-spice powder and rub them inside the cavity. Put the ginger and the first 3 scallions into the cavity; do not pack it tightly.
Glaze and air-dry. Stir the maltose, vinegar, and soy sauce together. If the maltose is too firm to mix, warm the mixture briefly until pourable, then let it cool until just warm. Brush a thin, even layer over the duck skin. Set the duck breast-side up on a clean rack over a rimmed tray and refrigerate uncovered for 12 hours. Keep it on a low shelf, away from ready-to-eat foods, and make sure the refrigerator is at or below 40°F (4°C). The skin should feel dry rather than tacky before roasting.
Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Take the duck from the refrigerator while the oven heats to 425°F (220°C). Set a rack inside a sturdy roasting pan. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) water into the pan beneath the rack; the water should not touch the duck. It helps keep drippings from scorching, but the duck itself must remain above the liquid. Place the duck breast-side up on the rack.
Roast until browned and safely cooked. Roast for 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and roast for 1 hour 40 minutes. Check the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh with a food thermometer, avoiding bone. The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for duck is 165°F (74°C). If either spot is below that temperature, continue roasting and check again every 10 minutes. If the skin is already deeply browned, loosely tent the breast with foil while the meat finishes cooking.
Rest and carve. Transfer the duck to a carving board and rest it for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the legs and wings, then slice the breast meat and cut or pull the remaining meat from the carcass. Keep the crisp skin with the meat as much as possible. Pour pan drippings into a heat-safe container and let the fat separate; discard the used ginger and scallions from the cavity.
Prepare the serving parts. While the duck roasts, cook the rice according to the package directions and slice the remaining scallions lengthwise into thin strips. Cut the cucumber into matchsticks and separate, wash, and dry the lettuce leaves. Warm the prepared pancakes according to their package directions just before serving. Put the hoisin sauce in a small bowl; if it is very thick, stir in water 1 tsp (5 ml) at a time until easy to spread.
Serve it three ways. For pancakes, spread a little hoisin on a warm pancake, add duck, cucumber, and scallion, then fold or roll it up. For rice bowls, spoon rice into bowls and top with sliced duck, cucumber, scallion, and hoisin. For lettuce cups, add a small spoonful of duck, cucumber, and scallion to each leaf and finish with a little hoisin. Offer the skin alongside or divide it among the servings so it stays crisp.

Tips

Give the skin enough drying time. The uncovered refrigerator rest is a key part of this oven method. If the skin still feels damp after 12 hours, blot it gently and refrigerate for another hour or two. Keep the duck on a rack so air can circulate rather than letting it sit in collected juices.
Use maltose if you can find it, but do not let that stop you. Maltose, a thick grain syrup used in some Chinese-style glazes, can be harder to find than honey. Honey works here, though it tastes sweeter and may brown faster, so watch the duck closely during the high-heat stage.
Protect the skin from excess moisture. Keep the roasting-pan water below the rack and avoid basting the duck. Basting wets the skin and can slow crisping. If the pan dries out and the drippings begin to smoke, carefully add a little more hot water to the pan, not over the bird.
Plan the carving around the crisp skin. Use a sharp knife and slice just before serving. If the skin softens while the duck rests, remove it carefully and crisp it separately on a baking sheet under the broiler for a short time, watching constantly so it does not burn.

Serving Suggestions

Set out all three serving styles at once for a flexible meal: warm pancakes for the classic hand-held version, rice for a more filling bowl, and lettuce leaves for a fresh, crunchy wrap. Put the duck on a platter with the skin facing up, and keep the cucumber, scallions, and hoisin in separate bowls so everyone can assemble a portion the way they like. A small dish of extra hoisin makes it easy to add sauce without soaking the crisp skin before eating.

The pancakes are the closest match to the familiar Peking duck presentation. A little sauce is enough; too much can overpower the duck and make the pancake difficult to fold. Rice bowls are useful when you want a plated serving, and a spoonful of reserved duck fat stirred into hot rice adds savory flavor. Lettuce cups are less traditional but offer a crisp alternative. Serve the duck as soon as it has been carved, since its skin loses crunch as it sits.

Variations

Make extra-crisp duck skin: After carving, place skin pieces on a foil-lined sheet and broil briefly, keeping the sheet several inches from the element. Stay beside the oven and remove the skin as soon as it bubbles and crisps; the sugar in the glaze can burn quickly. You can serve the crisp pieces separately as a crunchy topping for rice or pancakes.

Change the sauce and aromatics: Hoisin is the convenient, widely available choice for serving. If you cannot find it, use a mixture of 2 tbsp (30 ml) plum sauce, 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce, and 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil; it will be fruitier and less savory than hoisin. For a gentler spice flavor, reduce the five-spice powder to 1 tsp (2.5 g). Keep the salt and glaze quantities the same.

Use duck pieces instead of a whole bird: For a smaller meal, roast duck legs or breasts using the same glaze, but shorten the cooking time and check each piece with a thermometer rather than relying on the whole-bird schedule. The same USDA FSIS minimum of 165°F (74°C) applies to duck. Pieces may not produce the same dramatic platter, but they are easier to fit into a weeknight meal and still work with all three serving ideas.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover duck within 2 hours of cooking. Remove the meat from the bones and store it in a covered, shallow container; keep the skin separate if you want to try to preserve its texture. Cooked duck keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store pancakes, rice, and cut vegetables separately so they do not become soggy. Freeze cooked duck meat in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality, then thaw it in the refrigerator.

To reheat, place duck meat in a covered oven-safe dish with a spoonful of water or pan juices and warm it at 325°F (165°C) until a food thermometer reads 165°F (74°C). Reheat only the amount you plan to eat. For crisper skin, uncover the dish for the final few minutes or warm skin separately on a baking sheet under the broiler, watching closely. Reheat rice until steaming throughout and also check that it reaches 165°F (74°C). Do not leave cooked duck at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

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 every traditional or restaurant method. Professional preparations can involve specialized ovens and equipment for drying and roasting. Here, blanching, a maltose-based glaze, uncovered refrigerator drying, and a rack in a standard oven aim for crisp skin and flavorful meat with ordinary kitchen tools.

Can I skip the overnight drying?
It is possible to roast the duck without it, but the skin is less likely to become crisp because surface moisture has not had time to evaporate. If your schedule is tight, dry the duck uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours after glazing. The longer 12-hour rest in this recipe gives a more reliable result, while still keeping the bird refrigerated.

How can I tell whether the duck is done?
Use a food thermometer rather than judging by color or cooking time alone. Check the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh without touching bone; both should reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for duck. If either reading is lower, return the duck to the oven and check again after 10 minutes.

Can I prepare the duck a day ahead?
You can blanch, season, glaze, and air-dry the duck in the refrigerator up to about 24 hours before roasting. Keep it on a rack over a rimmed tray, on a low shelf, and away from other foods. Roast it on the day you plan to serve it for the best skin texture. Once cooked, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

What if I cannot find Mandarin pancakes?
Look for prepared Mandarin or Chinese-style pancakes in the freezer section of an Asian grocery store, and warm them according to the package instructions. If they are unavailable, small flour tortillas can be used as a convenient substitute, although they are thicker and less delicate. Rice bowls and lettuce cups do not require pancakes at all.

More recipes to cook

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

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).