Crispy Whole Roasted Duck

Delicious Crispy Whole Roasted Duck with a sweet Asian Glaze is the perfect holiday dinner recipe. Its super easy to make and is perfect to feed the crowd.

Bored of constantly having Whole Roasted Turkey or Chicken or Ham in every Holiday of the year? Then how about you try to liven up this year by making Whole Roasted Duck!

And I am not talking about any average Roasted Duck here. I am talking about a roasted Duck that has skin so crispy that it'll crackle in your mouth.

Just imagine the combination of crispy skin with moist, juicy, and flavourful Duck meat! Sounds absolutely amazing, right?

And guess what, you can make this right at your home! Its so easy and perfect dinner recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Jump to:

• What do you need to make Crispy Whole Roasted Duck? 
• How to make Crispy Whole Roasted Duck?
• How to store Crispy Whole Duck? 
• Tips to make the Best Crispy Whole Roasted Duck
• How to get crispy skin if using frozen Duck? 
• What side dishes are best for Crispy Whole Duck? 
• More serving sides
• Crispy Whole Roasted Duck

 

What do you need to make Crispy Whole Roasted Duck? 

1. Whole duck 

2. Kosher salt 

For the stuffing

3. Garlic cloves 

4. Shallots 

5. Lemons 

6. Apple 

7. Prunes 

For the Asian Glaze

8. Honey 

9. Molasses 

10. Orange juice 

11. Soy sauce 

12. Black pepper (freshly ground) 

13. Garlic powder 

14. Fresh herbs like rosemary, sage. 

15. Pomegranate 

16. Figs 

17. Grapes 

How to make Crispy Whole Roasted Duck?

STEP 1: THAW THE DUCK & PREP IT

• I recommend you use a fresh whole Duck for this recipe. But if by any chance you are using a frozen whole Duck then first you need to completely defrost and thaw the Duck before proceeding with the next steps. 
• Before you do anything with your whole Duck, first make sure to rinse it under running tap water.
• Then pat the Duck completely dry with paper towels. I would also additionally suggest you leave the whole Duck, uncovered in your refrigerator overnight.
• This will ensure the duck has a nice crispy skin upon roasting...

We all love a fatty duck, but too much of it can be overwhelming. So trim off any excess fat from the Duck. Then to finish off prepping the Duck start poking small and shallow pricks all over the Duck.

This will make sure that the Duck cooks thoroughly and the seasoning will penetrate through the skin. 

Don't go overboard when it comes to seasoning the duck, as I will be using a glaze later.

So rub only Kosher salt all over the Duck and also inside the cavity of the Duck. Your whole Duck should be completely seasoned from the inside out. 

STEP 2: STUFF THE DUCK

• Time to stuff the cavity of the whole duck to add even more flavours. We will be going for a sweet and umami-style stuffing, so fill the cavity with garlic, shallots, lemon slices, apples, and prunes.
• Seal the opening of the cavity shut with either toothpick or sew it up with a kitchen thread. This will make sure that the insides of the duck come out as juicy and moist instead of being dry. 
• To finish the preparation of the duck, tie the legs together with kitchen twine and fold the wings back under the duck. And that’s it, your duck is now ready to go inside the oven!

STEP 3: ROAST THE DUCK

• Place the prepared Duck in a roasting pan and slide it in the oven.
• Roast the Duck at about 300°F in the oven for 1 hour.
• Then take out the Duck and start poking it all over with a knife.
• Then slide it inside the oven for another hour, but this time position the Duck breast side down. Repeat this step once again and roast for another hour. The duck should get roasted for a total of 3 hours.

STEP 4: MAKE THE GLAZE

• Meanwhile, let’s prepare the glaze for the Roasted Duck.
• Take a wide saucepan or skillet and add Honey, Molasses, Orange juice, and Soy sauce.
• Whisk everything together until it combines.
• Then for seasoning and flavour add Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Garlic powder, and minced Garlic cloves to the simmering sauce.
• Let the glaze simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and once it thickens, then take it off the heat. 

STEP 5: BASTE

• Take the Duck out of the oven and poke it all over once again with a sharp knife.
• Then apply the glaze all over the duck.
• Slide the duck back into the oven, Breast side up and roast it at 400°F to get crispy glazed skin for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, get it out, baste again, flip and roast for 5-7 more minutes.
• After the Duck gets roasted, allow it to cool down to room temp for 5-10 minutes and then carve.

STEP 6: SERVE

• Decorate the crispy whole Duck with fresh Herbs and fruits like Pomegranate, Figs, and Grapes.
• You can serve it with any side dish you prefer. 

How to store Crispy Whole Duck? 

Storing crispy whole duck is incredibly easy and takes little effort. Just follow the proper precautions and you will be easily able to store leftovers for four to five days.

All you need to do is pack the leftovers in an airtight container and then store the container in your fridge. Whenever you want to have it again, just reheat the leftovers in the microwave for a few minutes and it will be fresh as new! 

You can also very easily freeze crispy Whole Duck, although I would suggest you not to freeze leftovers.

By freezing the Duck you may very well lose its crispy skin. But still, you can freeze the whole Duck if you have to. By wrapping it securely in a cling film wrap and storing it in the freezer. You can easily expect your whole duck to stay frozen for a couple of months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven until heated through before serving.

If you want to extend the lifespan of the frozen whole Duck and give it a chance of having its crispy skin intact, then I would suggest you forego the glazing in the recipe.

Instead, apply the glazing before you reheat the Duck. 

Tips to make the Best Crispy Whole Roasted Duck

• Don’t throw away the Duck fat and giblets you get while making this recipe. These two ingredients can make your other recipes taste completely amazing and take it to next level.
• For example, making roasted Potatoes or Eggs with Duck fat would be the best cooking hack you can ever do. Also it makes them taste exceptionally delicious.
• This goes without saying, but remove the neck and giblets of the whole duck. All butchers do this already, but if by chance they don’t, then make sure to do it by yourself.
• Duck meat generally tastes best with umami and sweet flavours along with aromatic spices and condiments.
• However, you can also spice up the duck by adding your preferred chili peppers. 
• This recipe is Asian-style Whole Roasted Duck, so strongly suggest you make Asian side dishes like Asian Hibachi fried rice or Shrimp Fried Rice to serve this Crispy Whole duck. 

How to get crispy skin if using frozen Duck? 

While the fresh Duck is always recommended for any recipe, you can still get a nice crispy skin with a frozen Duck.

You just need to make sure that the frozen Duck has been defrosted and thawed completely before roasting it in the oven. 

Thawing the Frozen duck completely makes sure that the skin gets dry on the outside and that results in a super crispy skin when roasted.

What side dishes are best for Crispy Whole Duck? 

It depends on what style of crispy whole duck you have made. If it is with Comforting flavors then go for Mashed potatoes and green salad on the side.

This is an Asian-style duck, so serve with popular Asian side dishes like Fried rice and noodle salad. For Low Carb options serve with Cauliflower Rice or my favourite Healthy Quinoa Fried "Rice" with Crispy Tofu

More serving sides

• Hibachi Fried Rice
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Thai Lemongrass Coconut Fried Rice With Zucchini
• Easy Pineapple Fried Rice in Pineapple Shell

I hope you liked this recipe. If you happen to make this recipe, then comment below and rate this recipe. Also tag me with #recipemagik on Instagram.