Peking Duck Picture: Crispy Roast Duck Recipe

Peking duck is a Beijing-style roast duck known for lacquered, crisp skin, tender meat, and thin pancakes filled with scallions, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. This home version uses a whole duck, a light maltose glaze, and an overnight refrigerator-drying step to help the skin brown; it is inspired by the classic dish, not a replica of restaurant equipment or technique.

Ingredients

1 whole duck, 5 lb (2.3 kg), fully thawed, giblets removed
1½ tsp kosher salt (7.5 g)
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (2 g), optional
2 tbsp maltose (40 g); substitute honey (42 g) if needed
2 tbsp rice vinegar (30 ml)
3 tbsp hot water (45 ml), plus more as needed to loosen the glaze
1 cup water (240 ml) for the roasting pan
24 Mandarin-style pancakes (about 600 g total), warmed before serving
½ cup hoisin sauce (120 g)
6 scallions (about 90 g), cut into thin matchsticks
1 English cucumber, about 10 oz (280 g), cut into thin matchsticks

Instructions

Thaw and prepare the duck. If frozen, thaw the duck in the refrigerator, allowing about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb (1.8 to 2.3 kg); this thawing time is not included in the recipe total. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and reserve or discard them. Pat the duck very dry with paper towels. Trim loose flaps of fat around the cavity, but leave the skin in place. Using a clean skewer or the tip of a sharp paring knife, prick the skin all over, especially around the breast and thighs, taking care not to pierce deeply into the meat. This gives some of the fat a way to render and helps the skin crisp.
Season and dry the skin. Mix the salt with the five-spice powder, if using, and rub it inside the cavity and lightly over the skin. Set the duck breast-side up on a rack over a rimmed tray and refrigerate it uncovered for 12 hours. Keep the tray on a low shelf at 40°F (4°C) or colder, away from ready-to-eat foods. The cool, dry air dries the surface; do not leave raw duck at room temperature to dry.
Make the glaze. Stir the maltose, rice vinegar, and hot water in a small bowl until smooth. Maltose is a traditional, thick rice-derived syrup that gives the skin a shiny finish. If it is too stiff to brush, add hot water 1 teaspoon (5 ml) at a time. Honey is easier to find and works as a substitute, though it makes a sweeter glaze and can brown more quickly.
Heat the oven and glaze. Take the duck from the refrigerator while the oven heats to 425°F (220°C). Set a rack in a roasting pan and pour 1 cup (240 ml) water into the pan beneath it; the duck should sit above the water, not in it. Brush a thin, even layer of glaze over the skin. Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs loosely with kitchen twine if they splay outward. Wash your hands and any surfaces that touched raw poultry.
Roast until cooked through. Roast breast-side up for 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C). Without opening the oven for long, reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and roast for about 1 hour 25 minutes more. If the skin becomes dark before the duck is cooked, loosely tent the darkest areas with foil. Add a little hot water to the pan if it dries out, and carefully pour off excess rendered fat if it begins to approach the rack. Check the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh with a food thermometer, avoiding bone. USDA FSIS guidance sets 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for duck; continue roasting and checking every 10 minutes if needed.
Rest and prepare the accompaniments. Transfer the cooked duck to a clean carving board and rest it for 20 minutes. While it rests, warm the pancakes according to their package directions, or steam them briefly until soft. Arrange the hoisin sauce, scallions, and cucumber in separate serving dishes. Keep raw-duck tools and trays away from these ready-to-eat foods.
Carve and serve. For the crisp-skin effect, remove the skin in broad pieces with a sharp knife, then slice or pull the meat from the breast and legs. Some home cooks prefer to serve skin and meat together in slices. Put the duck, pancakes, sauce, and vegetables on the table while warm so everyone can assemble small rolls.

Tips

Dry skin is the main crisping aid. Pat the duck thoroughly dry before seasoning, then give it the full uncovered refrigerator rest. If the skin still looks damp before roasting, blot it gently with a fresh paper towel. Avoid covering the duck during the drying period, since trapped moisture works against browning.
Prick only the skin and fat. Deep cuts can release meat juices and leave the breast drier. Make many shallow pricks instead, concentrating where the skin is thickest. Keep the knife or skewer controlled so you do not puncture the meat.
Watch the glaze near the end. Maltose and honey both contain sugars and can darken quickly. If the duck is browning faster than it cooks, shield the skin loosely with foil rather than turning the oven up or brushing on extra glaze.
Use the right substitute. If Mandarin pancakes are unavailable, small flour tortillas make a practical wrap, though they are thicker and less delicate. Rice vinegar can be replaced with mild white vinegar, but use the same amount and expect a sharper flavor. Hoisin is important to the familiar sweet-savory serving style; another plum-based or Chinese barbecue sauce will taste different.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the duck as a build-your-own platter. Spread a small amount of hoisin down the center of a warm pancake, add a few strips of duck and crisp skin, then finish with scallion and cucumber. Roll the pancake loosely so it holds the filling without squeezing out the sauce. The cucumber’s cool crunch and the scallion’s fresh bite balance the rich duck, while a little sauce is usually enough to season each wrap.

For a larger meal, pair the pancakes with steamed rice, a simple stir-fried leafy green, or a light vegetable soup. Put extra napkins on the table: the glaze and rendered duck fat can make the wraps pleasantly messy. If serving guests, carve the duck just before eating and keep the pancakes covered with a clean towel so they stay warm and pliable.

Variations

Make a more aromatic glaze: Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of light soy sauce to the maltose mixture. It will deepen the savory flavor and darken the surface slightly, so keep an eye on browning. This is a home variation rather than a required part of the recipe.

Use a citrus note: Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) finely grated orange zest to the glaze. It brings a bright fragrance but does not replace the vinegar, which helps thin the syrup. Avoid adding a large quantity of juice because a watery glaze is harder to brush on evenly.

Serve the duck without pancakes: Carve it over steamed rice and offer the sauce and vegetables alongside. This is convenient when pancakes are hard to find, but the meal will be less like the familiar Peking duck wrap presentation.

Use the carcass, too: After carving, refrigerate leftover bones promptly and use them within the same storage window to make a broth. Simmering the carcass for soup is an optional second meal; strain out the bones carefully and refrigerate the finished broth rather than leaving it at room temperature.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate cooked duck, pancakes, and cut vegetables separately within 2 hours of cooking; use shallow, covered containers so the food cools promptly. Cooked duck keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Store the sauce according to its label once opened. For best texture, keep the skin separate from moist meat and sauce, since contact softens it.

To reheat duck, place pieces skin-side up on a rack over a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot throughout. Check with a food thermometer: leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C). A short finish under the broiler can re-crisp skin, but watch continuously because the glaze may burn. Microwave reheating is faster but makes the skin soft. Warm pancakes separately, covered, and do not repeatedly reheat the whole batch.

Cooked duck can be frozen in airtight portions for about 2 to 3 months for best quality. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat to 165°F (74°C). Do not freeze and thaw the same portion more than once, and discard food that has been left out beyond the 2-hour limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Peking duck without an overnight drying period?
It is possible to roast the duck after patting it dry, but the skin is more likely to stay chewy because surface moisture slows browning. If time is short, dry it uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. The longer 12-hour rest in this recipe gives the skin more time to dry without leaving raw poultry at room temperature.

Do I need to hang the duck?
No. Hanging is used in some traditional preparations, but a rack over a rimmed tray works for this home method. It lets air circulate around the bird and keeps it above any liquid that collects. Make sure the rack and tray fit safely on a refrigerator shelf and are stable before placing the duck on them.

Why is my duck skin not crisp?
Common causes are damp skin, a covered drying period, insufficient roasting, or steam trapped around the bird. Pat the skin dry, refrigerate uncovered, and roast it on a rack above the pan liquid. Also check that the oven has reached the stated temperature. Duck skin may not become uniformly crisp in a home oven, but shallow pricking and good drying improve the result.

Can I prepare the duck a day ahead?
You can season and air-dry it in the refrigerator for up to about 24 hours before roasting, provided it stays at 40°F (4°C) or colder on a tray that contains drips. Make the glaze ahead and refrigerate it separately, then warm it gently until brushable. Do not glaze the duck and leave it out on the counter while waiting to cook.

How do I know the whole duck is safe to eat?
Check both the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh with a food thermometer, without touching bone. USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum for duck. If one area is below that temperature, return the bird to the oven and check again after 10 minutes; color alone is not a reliable safety test.

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).