Chinese Roast Duck (烤鸭)

A foolproof Chinese roast duck recipe that does not require many special ingredients and still gets a great result with golden crispy duck skin and juicy flavorful meat. Very detailed pictures and a video are included to showcase how to make a restaurant-style roast duck in your own kitchen. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

A plate of carved up roast duck with perfect crispy skin is the ultimate centerpiece of a banquet, no matter whether you’re celebrating Chinese New Year or hosting a dinner party. Growing up in Beijing, my childhood memories are filled with the joy of delicious duck dishes with friends and family. From Peking duck to Cantonese roast duck, it’s one of my favorite things to eat at a restaurant and I was fortunate enough to eat duck often. I have very high expectations for a duck dish. And that’s why it took me years to finally develop a Chinese roast duck recipe that I’m proud of sharing. 

Peking vs. Cantonese duck

This recipe makes a Cantonese style roast duck. The meat is juicy and flavorful, with crispy skin. However, I’ve also included information below, if you prefer to serve it Peking duck style.

Similarities

Peking duck (北京烤鸭) and Cantonese roast duck (广式烧鸭) are from different regions of China. They share some similarities in terms of their preparation process. For example: 

• Both require young Pekin ducks that are small and have thin skin.
• They both require a blanching in syrup process to develop color and sanitize the duck.
• They both require a long marinating and air drying process.
• Air pumping to separate the skin and the meat is key and essential to creating the perfect crispy skin.
• Both require a professional oven to hang the duck and cook it at a high temperature.

However, many different elements also come in play that make them completely different dishes:

Peking duck

It uses more simplified seasoning. The meat doesn’t have a particularly intense flavor because it’s meant to be served with Tian Mian Jiang, which is a very rich sauce that’s salty and slightly sweet. Peking duck requires a very different carving technique that is impossible without professional training. Only a very small portion (the best part) of the duck is carved and served boneless when it’s piping hot. The skin is puffier and crispier than with Cantonese duck. Sometimes the best pieces of the skin are served on their own. The rest of the duck is made into soup and served with your meal. Peking duck is commonly served with mandarin pancakes or steamed buns, cucumber and scallion slices, along with the Tian Mian Jiang. It’s often a meal by itself.

P.S. Growing up in Beijing and having eaten countless good Peking ducks, I refuse to call any homemade duck a Peking duck. Without the professional oven and carving techniques, whatever you produce will not be a Peking duck.

Cantonese duck

Cantonese duck requires more aromatics and sauces to season the meat, which yields a delicate and delicious taste, even enjoyed by itself. The roasting technique is different from the one for Peking duck, and is slightly easier to replicate at home. The duck is carved when it’s warm, with the bones in. The skin is less crispy than with Peking duck, but still very nice. It’s often served as an appetizer with other Cantonese roast meats such as char siu pork, or over rice or noodles as a main dish. Depending on the region (Guangzhou style, Hong Kong style), the duck can be served with plum sauce, ginger scallion sauce, or a salty gravy made with the seasonings you marinated the duck with. 

Why this recipe

This recipe was developed with my team member Jean-Luc, who used to live in Hong Kong and has worked in Cantonese restaurants. He was trained and had experience working at the roast duck station, understanding the techniques and how restaurants prepare this dish, in and out.

We developed this recipe considering the typical home kitchen setup and the available ingredients in the US. Our goal was to recreate the results of a Cantonese restaurant without using too many specialized ingredients or techniques.

• This recipe works with Pekin/Mallard hybrids and Mallard ducks if you cannot source a pure bred Pekin duck.
• It uses minimal specialty ingredients and equipment. You don’t need to buy a dozen items that you’ll only use once.
• The recipe produces a very juicy duck that is full of flavor and crispy skin just like the one from a Cantonese roast duck restaurant.
• I made a video and have step-by-step photos to walk you through the process. You’ll find the process much more approachable than you thought.

What type of duck to use

The best duck for Chinese roast duck is a pure bred young Pekin duck that weighs 3.5-4.5 lbs (1.6-2 kg). This duck yields a very crispy skin because the skin is much thinner than the typical Mallard ducks you often find in the US. Ideally, you should use a head-on duck so it will be easier to keep the marinade from leaking out of the cavity. 

In reality, it’s quite hard to source a high-quality Pekin duck. I’ve tried the Chinatowns in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. Very few shops had Pekin duck and the ones I found didn’t look great.

When testing the recipe, we tried cooking with both Mallard and Pekin Mallard hybrids (it was a Pekin duck sold by D’Artagnan, but it was a hybrid duck). Both produced great results. So I’m happy to share that it’s totally possible to use a regular duck you can find at your local market to cook Chinese roast duck. 

The only thing to be careful of, is to try to use a small duck if you can, especially if you use a Mallard. The mallard we used was about 5lbs and the Mallard Pekin hybrid was 6 lbs. Both produced satisfactory results but you will get an even better result if the duck is smaller. 

Special equipment 

There are three special tools you will need:

An air pump with a needle 

This is a crucial tool to inflate the duck skin and detach it from the meat. This way, the duck skin will render fat properly and become crispy after roasting. 

When testing the recipe, we actually used a bicycle pump. It got the job done nicely.

Alternatively, you can also use an electric pump, which works even better. 

When getting a pump, make sure that it comes with a needle. You will insert the needle underneath the duck skin before pumping. 

Skewers

You will need two skewers to seal the both ends of the duck (one skewer if you use a head-on duck). Small round metal skewers such as these 5.9” skewers are perfect for this job.

Kitchen twine

Once the duck is sealed with skewers, you will need this butcher twine to tie up the skewers, to further secure the marinade inside of the cavity.

Special ingredients

Red fermented tofu

Fermented Tofu (酱豆腐, 腐乳, jiang dou fu, fu ru) is also known as fermented bean curd or preserved tofu. There is white fermented tofu (白腐乳) and red fermented tofu (红腐乳). And we will be using the red type in this recipe. Fermented tofu has a soft and spreadable texture, and a salty and savory taste resembling that of certain cheeses.

You can find this ingredient in Chinese grocery stores or on Amazon. It’s a key ingredient and cannot be replaced. 

A word about vinegar, wine and syrup

Traditionally, Chinese red vinegar, maltose, and rose wine are used in roast duck. The vinegar and maltose are ingredients in the blanching liquid, and their purpose is to add color to the duck skin. The wine is for marinating. I replaced them with apple cider vinegar, brown sugar syrup, and Shaoxing wine, because I prefer not to include ingredients that I use only very occasionally.

However, if you do have these specialty ingredients at home, feel free to use them!

Plum sauce

Plum sauce, or 苏梅酱, is a sweet and sour sauce that is often served with roast duck in the Cantonese region of China. For me, this is my favorite sauce to serve with Cantonese roast duck because the sour sweet flavor balances and adds a great touch to the crispy skin and savory meat. You can find it at regular grocery stores these days and in most Asian markets. I really like the Koon Chun brand, which has more aromatics in it and tastes lightly spicy.

If you don’t have this sauce, you can also serve the roast duck with hoisin sauce as an alternative.

How to cook Cantonese roast duck

Trim and clean the duck

Cut off the wings, so the duck is much easier to maneuver during blanching and roasting. The wings can be saved for later and made into a stock with the leftover duck bones. 

Cut off the skin attached to the neck area if using a headless duck. And remove the fat pieces by ripping them off from the cavity.

Use your hands or a pair of fish tweezers to pluck any obvious feathers from the skin.  

Add the marinade and seal the duck

First, seal the neck area of the duck by using a skewer to thread the skin. Then use kitchen twine to tie up the skewer, so the cavity is fully enclosed to hold the marinade.

Then prepare the dry and wet seasonings, and aromatics for the marinade. Add them in this order: dried seasonings, aromatics, then wet seasonings. 

Once the marinade is added, seal the tail end of the duck by threading the skin using a metal skewer. Then tie up the skewer using kitchen twine.

Air pump the duck

This is the crucial step for creating crispy skin. 

Insert the pump needle under four areas of the duck skin one by one – both sides of the legs where it meets the breast, and both sides of the top breast part. When you pump air into the duck, you can clearly see the skin being lifted up. Aim to lift as much skin as possible, because any skin that’s still attached to the meat won’t crisp up properly. If needed, you can definitely insert the needle into other parts of the duck and pump again.

Blanch the duck

This is a key step to render fat from the skin. The vinegar and the syrup in the bath will also help the duck skin to develop a beautiful golden brown color once roasted.

Use a large wok or a pot that can fit the duck. Add the water, wine, vinegar and syrup to make a bath and bring it to a boil. Very carefully lower the duck into the wok. And use a ladle to pour the liquid over the duck. You will see the skin tightening and becoming smooth. Fat will be rendered out in this process as well. 

This step only takes 30 seconds or so. Because the goal is to prepare the skin, not to cook the duck.

Once done, transfer the duck to a tray lined with a wire rack. I found it possible to lift the duck using a spider strainer if it’s a small duck. You can also use a spatula to lift the duck tail, then use your hands to hold both tips of the duck legs to lift it up.

Marinate and air dry the duck

Once the duck has cooled off, store it uncovered in the fridge. You need to air dry the duck for at least 24 hours. Most Chinese restaurants air dry their ducks for a few days before cooking. Blanching helps to sanitize the skin, so you can safely age the duck. 

Once air dried, the duck skin will become a bit darker. You will also see more fat seep out of the skin. Use paper towels to wipe the duck skin before roasting to remove any oil or moisture.

Roast the duck

Roast the duck at 450°F (232°C) for a total of 20 minutes, and at 350°F (176°C) for another 30 to 50 minutes depending on the size of your duck. If you use a small duck, a total of 50 minutes roasting will cook it through. On the other hand, you will need to roast the duck longer at 350°F (176°C) if your duck is on the larger side (more details in the recipe below). 

The high temperature roasting develops the color of the duck. The low temperature roasting further develops the skin color and cooks the meat through. Remember to rotate the duck every 10 to 15 minutes, so both sides will brown evenly (the rear section of the oven is usually hotter than the area near the door).

If your oven has a convection function, use it and lower the temperature by 25°F. This further dries the duck skin and roasts it more evenly. Unfortunately I don’t have convection so my duck ended up with some uneven spots. 

Test doneness

Once done, the duck skin should have a nice golden brown color. I used apple cider vinegar instead of Chinese red vinegar, so the skin was slightly lighter than the restaurant duck. 

To test the doneness, insert a paring knife into the thickest part of the duck breast then press the knife against the skin. If the juice runs clear, the duck is cooked. If red or pink juice runs out, you need to keep roasting the duck.

At this point, the duck meat will be very moist and the part attached to the bone may still be a bit pink. Once you fully rest the duck, the residual heat will cook the duck a bit more. 

Note: this method produces a duck that has very juicy meat, but it does not meet the internationally recommended internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If you’re concerned about undercooked duck meat, use a thermometer to check the temperature and determine the doneness. 

Rest the duck

Rest the duck for at least 40 minutes, up to 1 hour, once roasted.

This resting step is super important and cannot be skipped. When the duck is just roasted, the inside is piping hot and it will be impossible to carve it without risking burning your hands. Resting also helps to seal the juice within the meat, which creates a better texture.

Carve the duck

First, you need to remove the twine and the skewer from the tail of the duck. It’s best to rest the duck tail on a tray so it’s tilted upwards, because the marinade from the cavity will drip out. Then very carefully stand the duck up and drain the marinade into a big bowl. Handle the duck very carefully because the marinade will still be hot even after the duck is rested. 

Then carve the duck by removing the legs from the joints. Cut off the breast meat (without any bones), and remove the wings. You can see more detailed carving techniques in the video.

How to store and reheat the duck 

You should always roast the duck the day you plan to serve it. Chinese roast duck tastes the best when it’s served warm. It’s possible to prepare it slightly ahead of time and quickly reheat it right before serving. But as soon as the duck goes into the fridge, the skin becomes very soggy and it can’t really be saved. 

You can serve the duck directly after the roasting. But unless you’re very familiar with handling poultry, you’re very likely to get the skin a little wet during the process of draining the marinade and carving the meat. And that makes the skin a little less crispy. 

We found that it’s best to break down the duck into breasts and legs. Then gently roast the duck pieces at 450°F (232°C) for 5 to 10 minutes, just enough to crisp up the skin a bit more and gently warm up the meat. 

Once reheated, you can carve the breasts into smaller pieces, and separate the thighs from the legs. Then plate them and serve. 

Note, this recipe does not use the Cantonese carving method to chop the duck into bone-in pieces. That requires a bone cleaver, which is another special tool. It’s also hard to cut through the bones very cleanly without practice. If not hacked properly, some bones will shatter, and those fragments do not create a good mouthfeel. 

How to serve Chinese roast duck

Serve it the Cantonese way

This is my favorite way to serve Chinese roast duck.

Serve the carved duck plated with a side of plum sauce. For a full-on Cantonese BBQ (烧腊) experience, you can create a mixed platter with char siu pork, siu yuk (crispy pork), and/or soy sauce chicken.

You can serve the duck with other dishes to make it a feast:

• Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup
• Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (蚝油芥蓝, Gai Lan)
• Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce (白灼菜心)
• Shrimp Fried Rice

Serve it the Hong Kong way

In Hong Kong, roast duck is commonly served with a brown sauce made with the reduced duck marinade. And it’s also common to serve the duck with ginger scallion sauce. Personally, I don’t really like the brown sauce because it’s super salty and it masks the delicate flavor of the duck meat. That’s why I didn’t include it in my recipe. I do love to serve the duck with ginger scallion sauce and I have a recipe for it here.

Serve it like Peking duck

Technically this is not a Peking roast duck, but it’s very possible to serve it like one.

You will need mandarin pancakes (or gua bao buns). You can get both from the freezer section of a Chinese grocery store. I also have recipes for mandarin pancakes and bao buns.

For the sauce, the most authentic one is Tian Mian Jiang (a dark brown sauce made with fermented flour, salty and slightly sweet). Or you can use hoisin sauce as an alternative. 

You should have julienned scallion and cucumber on the side.

To assemble, smear some sauce onto the pancake, add two to three pieces of duck, add a small amount of scallion and cucumber. Wrap it up like a burrito and enjoy. You can stuff all the ingredients in a gua bao and eat it like a tiny sandwich. 

How to use leftover duck

The leftover duck meat will still be very tasty, but the skin may be a bit sad once refrigerated. I found the best way to reheat leftover roast duck is to pan fry it. By searing the skin on a hot pan, it draws out the moisture and crisp it up nicely. If you have larger leftover pieces, pan fry the skin until crispy, then reheat at 350°F (176°C) until heated through.

You can either heat up the meat and eat it with a sauce, or use it to make fried rice. For example, use this chicken fried rice recipe but replace the chicken with duck (skip the chicken marinade). 

Afterthoughts

It takes a lot of time and effort to make Chinese roast duck. But I found that with some patience, you will be able to produce a very delicious duck without a professional kitchen. Without using a pure bred Peking duck and the specialty ingredients, the duck might not look exactly like the one from the restaurant. But I assure you that you’ll be delighted at how juicy and flavorful the meat is, and by the quality of the crispy skin. 

No matter whether you’re roasting a duck for Chinese New Year, Christmas, or any other special occasion, I hope you give this one a try! 

If you try this recipe out, leave a comment below to let me know what you think.