This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Roast Duck is covered with a delicious spice rub and then roasted in the oven for tender and juicy duck meat topped with a flavorful crispy skin.
The Best Roasted Duck Recipe
This is a roasted duck recipe that is sure to make a statement for any holiday event you are having. Seasoned to perfection with dried herbs and additional spices and a brown sugar soy glaze. The glaze on top adds a shiny and delicious crispy skin to the recipe. This is an impressive yet simple main dish to serve for Christmas or any special gathering.
Ingredients Needed
Besides the duck, you may already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen already!
- Duck: You will need it to be chilled, and can use any size whole duck you prefer.
- Seasonings: I like to use a blend of garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, rosemary, and additional spices for a duck. Using salt will bring out all those flavors as well.
- Glaze. The glaze uses salty, savory, and smokey ingredients like soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth.
How To Roast A Duck
This is easier to make then it looks.
- Prepare the ingredients for the sauce. Place the softened butter, salt, spices, and herbs in a bowl and combine to form a paste. Clean and dry the duck. Cover all the sides with butter, salt, and spices. Top with sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
- Cover (the duck breast side up) with foil and leave it for 1 hour. Set the oven to 400 degrees and bake (on the bottom rack) uncovered for 30 minutes on a large roasting pan. Bake for another hour covered at 360 degrees.
- While the duck is cooking, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch. Allow it to come to a boil and add 30ml of water to dilute the cornstarch before adding it to the mixture. Once thickened, take off away from the heat.
- Check the duck by puncturing it with a wooden skewer and if the juices run clear, it is ready. Take out the rest of the spices from the top of the duck, and take out the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Coat the duck with the prepared glaze using a brush and serve warm. Decorate with fresh herbs if desired and enjoy!
Storing Roast Duck
The leftovers from this recipe can last up to 2 days in the fridge if stored correctly. You can also keep this stored in the freezer if you want it to last even longer. Place any leftovers in an airtight container for the best storage method.
Tips & Tricks
- Vinegar – If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can substitute it with white wine vinegar.
- Temperature – I like to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the duck when it’s done cooking.
- Seasoning – Feel free to add additional seasonings or spices to your liking for extra flavor.
- Duck fat – we like to save the duck fat from the bottom of the pan for additional recipes.
More Roast Recipes:
- Pork Roast
- Oven Roasted Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Roasted Turkey Breast
Add as Google Trusted SourceRoast Duck with Brown Sugar and Soy Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 duck, chilled
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp spices, for duck, chicken
- 4 Tbsp butter, unsalted
- rosemary, thyme
For glaze
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Measure out the ingredients for the sauce.
- In a bowl, mix softened butter, salt, spices, and herbs. Make a butter paste.
- Wash and dry the duck, and put on foil. Spread on all sides with a paste of butter, salt, and spices.
- Add sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
- Cover with foil and leave for an hour. Preheat the oven to 400F. For the first half hour, bake the duck without foil, then cover it with foil and bake for another hour at 360F.
- While the duck is baking, make the glaze. Mix everything except starch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Dilute starch in 30 ml of water and pour into a saucepan. Once the glaze has thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- The readiness of the duck can be checked like this – pierce the breast with a wooden skewer. If transparent fat flows, the duck is ready.
- Remove the remaining spices from the top of the breast and remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Brush the duck with glaze and serve warm.
- Additionally, you can decorate the duck with fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Leave a comment & rating below, or tag @kitchenfunwithmy3sons on social media!
Jill,
My wife & I made this roast duck recipe for New Year’s Day dinner and it was terrific! (We also made made your Bananas Foster Cheesecake recipe for dessert and it absolutely made the entire dinner.)
Thank you.
Art
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them!