Peking Duck at Home: Crisp Skin, Pancakes, and Hoisin

Peking duck is a Beijing-style roast duck served with crisp skin, tender meat, thin pancakes, scallions, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. This home version uses an overnight air-dry and a simple oven roast to encourage crisp skin without specialized equipment; families and restaurants have their own variations.

Ingredients

1 whole duck, 5–6 lb (2.3–2.7 kg), thawed if frozen, with giblets removed
1 tablespoon (18 g) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (2 g) Chinese five-spice powder
2 tablespoons (40 g) maltose, or 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey as a practical substitute
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) hot water
24 Mandarin-style wheat pancakes, about 1 lb (450 g), store-bought or homemade
½ cup (120 g) hoisin sauce
6 scallions (about 100 g), cut into thin 3-inch (7.5 cm) lengths
1 English cucumber (about 300 g), cut into thin matchsticks

Instructions

Prepare the duck. Remove the giblets and any large pockets of loose fat from the cavity, then pat the duck very dry with paper towels. Use the tip of a clean skewer or a sharp paring knife to prick the skin all over, especially around the breast and thighs, taking care not to pierce the meat. This lets some fat render during roasting. Mix the salt and five-spice, then rub the mixture over the skin and inside the cavity. Set the duck breast-side up on a wire rack over a rimmed tray.
Air-dry it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate the duck uncovered for 12 hours. Keep the tray on a low shelf so it cannot drip onto other food. The skin should look dry and slightly taut afterward. If the duck is still visibly damp, blot it once more with clean paper towels before roasting; do not leave it at room temperature to dry.
Heat the oven and make the glaze. Take the duck straight from the refrigerator and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Stir the maltose, rice vinegar, and hot water together until smooth. Maltose can be thick and sticky; warming the mixture briefly makes it easier to brush on. Honey is easier to find and works well, though it gives the skin a slightly more honeyed flavor and can brown faster.
Start roasting. Set the rack and duck in a roasting pan, breast-side up, with the duck elevated above the bottom of the pan. Roast for 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C). Carefully pour off excess rendered fat if it is pooling deeply in the pan, taking care not to splash hot fat. Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and roast for 75 minutes more. If the wings or breast are getting very dark, loosely shield those areas with foil.
Glaze and finish. Brush a thin, even coat of the maltose mixture over the duck and roast for about 20 minutes more, until the skin is glossy and browned. Begin checking the temperature around this point, since duck size and ovens vary. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh without touching bone. USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for duck; continue roasting as needed until the meat reaches that temperature. If the glaze is darkening too quickly before the duck is ready, tent it loosely with foil.
Rest and prepare the accompaniments. Transfer the duck to a clean carving board and rest it for 15 minutes. While it rests, warm the pancakes according to their package directions, usually by steaming briefly or heating in a covered skillet. Arrange the hoisin, scallions, and cucumber on a platter. Keep the pancakes covered so they stay soft.
Carve and serve. Use a sharp knife to separate the legs and wings, then slice the breast meat. For a classic presentation, cut some crisp skin into small pieces and serve it alongside the meat. Let everyone spread a little hoisin on a pancake, add duck, cucumber, and scallion, then fold or roll it up to eat.

Tips

Give the skin enough drying time. The uncovered refrigerator rest is a major part of this home method, not an optional garnish step. If your schedule is tight, a minimum of 8 hours helps, but 12 hours gives the skin more time to dry. Make sure the refrigerator is cold and the duck is safely positioned over a tray.
Prick skin, not flesh. The goal is to help fat escape from beneath the skin while keeping the meat intact. Deep cuts let juices escape and can leave the breast dry. Pay particular attention to fatty areas, but avoid puncturing the breast meat.
Use a thermometer rather than color alone. A browned surface does not confirm that the meat is safely cooked, and oven timing varies with the duck’s size and starting temperature. Check both the thick breast and thigh, avoiding bone. If one area is ready before another, shield it with foil while the rest continues cooking.
Choose the glaze you can get. Maltose is a traditional-style option that gives the skin a delicate sheen, but it may be hard to find. Honey is a useful substitute; because it browns readily, keep an eye on the duck during the final minutes and cover any areas that are darkening too fast.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the duck as a build-your-own pancake meal. Put the warm pancakes in a covered basket or stack them under a clean towel, and set out the hoisin, scallions, and cucumber separately so each person can choose the balance they like. A small amount of sauce is enough to season a pancake without hiding the duck’s flavor. Thinly sliced radish or extra cucumber can add a crisp, fresh contrast.

For a larger dinner, serve the pancakes alongside steamed rice, stir-fried greens, or a simple vegetable dish. The duck is rich, so lightly seasoned vegetables make an easy counterpoint. If you want a more traditional-style first bite, serve crisp skin in small pieces before bringing out the sliced meat and pancake fillings. Put out serving utensils and a separate plate for bones, and carve at the table only if there is enough room to work safely.

Variations

Use a different sauce. Hoisin is a convenient, sweet-savory accompaniment, but plum sauce or a mixture of hoisin and a little rice vinegar can work. Plum sauce tends to taste fruitier and less deeply savory. If you use a salty sauce, serve it on the side and start with a light spread so it does not overwhelm the meat.

Change the wrap. Mandarin pancakes are the classic choice for this style of serving, but small flour tortillas can stand in if the pancakes are unavailable. They are usually thicker and less delicate, so warm them well and use less filling. Lettuce leaves offer a crisp, gluten-free-style alternative, though they change the meal from a soft wheat wrap to a fresh, crunchy one.

Adjust the seasoning. The five-spice rub gives the duck a familiar aromatic note. For a milder flavor, use ½ teaspoon (1 g) instead of the full teaspoon; for a more pronounced spice profile, keep the stated amount and avoid adding extra salt. You can also omit the five-spice, but the result will taste less like the usual Beijing-style flavor profile.

Make a smaller meal with leftovers. If serving fewer people, roast the whole duck as written and save the extra meat for another meal rather than trying to split a raw duck at home. Leftover meat is good in rice bowls or noodles, while leftover skin can be reheated separately to restore some crispness. The roast time is designed for a whole duck in the stated weight range, not for duck pieces.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover duck, pancakes, and cut vegetables within 2 hours of cooking, storing them separately in covered containers. The cooked duck keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze carved meat in a well-sealed container for up to 3 months for best quality; thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating. Keep the pancakes according to their package instructions, since fresh and packaged versions can have different storage guidance.

For the best texture, reheat sliced duck in a covered oven-safe dish with a spoonful of water or stock at 325°F (165°C), just until hot, then uncover briefly if you want the skin to dry. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. A skillet can crisp small pieces of skin separately over medium heat; watch closely because rendered fat can splatter. Avoid repeatedly warming and cooling the same portion, and discard food that has been left out beyond the 2-hour limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Peking duck without drying it overnight?

You can roast a duck without the refrigerator drying step, but the skin is more likely to turn out soft rather than crisp. If you have less time, dry the duck very thoroughly and refrigerate it uncovered for as long as your schedule allows, ideally at least 8 hours. Do not speed the process by leaving raw poultry on the counter.

Do I have to use maltose?

No. Maltose can be difficult to find outside specialty Asian groceries, and honey is a practical substitute in this glaze. Honey gives a slightly different flavor and can brown more quickly, so use a thin coat and watch the final roasting stage. The glaze helps color and shine the skin; it does not replace the overnight drying or proper cooking.

How do I know when the duck is done?

Use an instant-read thermometer, checking the thickest part of the breast and inner thigh without touching bone. The safe minimum is 165°F (74°C) for duck. The precise roasting time varies with the bird, so rely on the thermometer rather than assuming that a particular number of minutes guarantees doneness.

Can I prepare the duck a day ahead?

Yes. The uncovered refrigerator drying is already done ahead, and you can roast the duck earlier on the day you plan to serve it. Refrigerate cooked duck within 2 hours, then carve and reheat it to 165°F (74°C) before serving. Reheated skin may not be quite as crisp as freshly roasted skin, so warming it uncovered for a short time can help.

What if I cannot find Mandarin pancakes?

Look for frozen Mandarin-style pancakes at an Asian grocery and follow the package instructions for steaming or warming. If those are unavailable, small flour tortillas make a convenient, sturdier substitute. Soft lettuce leaves are another option, but they create a lighter, crunchier wrap rather than the classic soft pancake.

Should I serve the duck with all of its rendered fat?

No. Pour off excess fat during roasting if it collects in the pan, using care because it will be very hot. Save it only if you can cool it promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container; use it within a few days for cooking potatoes or vegetables. Keep the duck itself elevated on a rack so it roasts rather than sits in the fat.

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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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