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Ever wondered how to cook duck? It's much simpler than most people think. This Roast Duck has tender and juicy meat, crispy skin, and it's glazed with the honey-balsamic glaze to give the duck a beautiful roasted look. Perfect holiday main dish recipe or something you can make any time for a special occasion.
Why This Roast Duck Is Perfect for the Holidays
It's a great-looking dish - perfect for any special occasion, and with the holidays coming up, this roast duck will look great on any Thanksgiving menu (my 50 best Thanksgiving recipes), or as a Christmas and New Year's Eve dinner idea. By the way, the honey-balsamic glaze in this recipe DOES NOT MAKE THE DUCK SWEET - I did not want a sweet duck. It only gives a nice crispiness and beautiful look to the duck skin. Your duck will have a very savory and juicy flavor from the garlic and lemon that you'll stuff inside the duck cavity. SO GOOD! Cooking this duck does take some time and effort, which makes it a perfect holiday main dish or a special occasion dinner. If you love duck, you've got to try these recipes next: Thai duck curry and festive duck breast with cranberry sauce. My other popular "big" holiday main courses are braised short ribs with polenta, rich Beef Bourguignon (French Red-Wine Beef Stew), and apple cider braised pork shoulder.
This recipe has very detailed instructions (with step-by-step photos) on how to prepare and cook the duck - which could be very helpful if you've never cooked the duck before. The duck will be roasted in the oven at 350 F for about 3 hours, and in addition to the beautiful duck, you'll end up with a lot of duck fat which I highly recommend you save and use for roasting vegetables, potatoes, and even cooking your breakfast eggs with it!
The Best Festive Sides to Dress Up Your Roast Duck
If you want a really beautiful and festive presentation for your holiday duck, use my recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash glazed with Cinnamon & Maple Syrup, with Pecans & Cranberries as garnish for the duck (this is what you see on the photo below). You can garnish the duck and decorate the serving platter with these colorful veggies - they will have all the holiday colors and flavors and will look very pretty with duck. You can also make these side dishes:
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Pine Nuts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
- Roasted Asparagus with Bacon, Garlic, and Cheese
How to Prepare a Whole Duck for Roasting
Step-by-step photos and instructions start here (the complete recipe without photos is at the bottom of this post). I recommend that you read and look through these photos and then scroll down to the recipe box itself for more condensed version of the recipe (without photos).
- If using frozen duck, make sure it's completely defrosted (defrosted in the refrigerator for a couple of days).
- Remove the giblets from inside the duck. Rinse the duck, inside and outside, with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels:
- Set the duck on the working surface. Score the duck's skin on the breast side in a diamond pattern, making sure you only cut the skin, without reaching the meat.
- The 2 deep cuts to the right of the photos is the example of how NOT TO SCORE, but it's still OK, as I did not cut through the meat but did reach the meat in those 2 cuts on the right:
- The duck breast should be scored in a diamond pattern:
- This is what the duck should look like, breast side up, scored (see 2 deep scores on the right - try not to do that but it's OK as long as you don't cut into the meat itself):
- Poke the other fatty parts of the duck with the tip of the knife all over, to ensure fat release, especially in very fatty parts. You don't need to poke the duck legs as the skin is pretty thin there (except for where the duck legs connect to the duck body).
- Season the duck very generously with salt both inside the cavity of the duck and outside on the skin, legs, all over.
- Add 5 chopped garlic cloves and lemon slices inside the duck cavity (these are just for flavor, not for eating - you will discard them after cooking).
- The duck will have flapping skin on both ends - fold that skin inwards, to hold the garlic and lemon inside.
- Tie the duck legs with butcher's twine or butcher's string (or, in my case, I just used folded aluminum foil to tie up the duck legs, because I forgot to get butcher's twine):
- Place the bird breast side up on a large roasting pan with a rack (the roasting pan should have a roasting rack to lift the duck from the bottom of the pan and allow the fat to drip below the duck).
How to Roast Duck in the Oven
THIS IS A RECIPE OVERVIEW WITH STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS. SCROLL DOWN TO THE RECIPE CARD TO SEE THE COMPLETE RECIPE.
Note: this is the recipe for a duck cooked to the final internal temperature of 165 F (well-done, not dry, not overcooked, just juicy and well-done). Use an internal meat thermometer at all times to guide you through the process. Adjust the cooking times proportionally if you prefer to cook your duck medium (140 F internal temperature) or medium-rare (130 F internal temperature).
1) Roast the duck for about 40 minutes at 350 F, breast side up, then remove the duck from the oven, it should look like this after the first 40 minutes of roasting:
2) Then, flip the duck breast side down, and roast for 20 or 40 minutes at 350 F breast side down. After 20 minutes of roasting, check the duck's internal temperature with an instant meat thermometer. If the temperature reaches 140 F, proceed to the next step. If the meat temperature is below 140 F, roast the duck for 10 or 20 more minutes or until the temperature reaches 140 F. The duck should look like this - it's breast side down on this picture:
3) Remove the roasting pan with the duck from the oven, careful not to spill the juices (fat) in the roasting pan. Carefully remove the duck to a platter (making sure the lemons and garlic from the cavity do not fall out - keep the skin on both ends of the duck folded), and carefully pour off all the duck fat juices from the roasting pan into a large heat-proof bowl or container.
4) In a small bowl make balsamic glaze: combine ½ cup of balsamic vinegar with the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon and ¼ cup of honey. Set the duck breast side up again on the roasting rack in the roasting pan. Brush all of the duck with the balsamic mixture (especially the scored duck breast) and cook the duck breast side up for another 20 minutes at 350 F, brushing every 10 minutes with the mixture. Continue to measure the duck's internal temperature with the meat thermometer.
5) Add more honey to the mixture if it's too thin; it should be relatively thick. Roast the duck for another 20 minutes, brushing the duck breast side every 5 minutes with honey balsamic mixture.
6) Remove the duck from the oven once its internal temperature reaches 155 F (and after you've briefly broiled it if needed). Let it rest, uncovered, on the kitchen counter for about 15 minutes. During this time, the duck will continue cooking in residual heat until it reaches 165 F.
7) In the end, the duck should be nicely browned with crispy skin like this:
8) Untie the legs:
9) Serve: If you want a really beautiful and festive presentation for your holiday duck, use my recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash glazed with Cinnamon & Maple Syrup, with Pecans & Cranberries. or Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans.
Serving Suggestions
You can garnish the duck and decorate the serving platter with colorful veggies - they will have all the holiday colors and flavors and will look very pretty with duck:
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Pine Nuts
- Hasselback Squash with Candied Pecans
- Holiday Cheese Ball (with fresh herbs, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries)
- Apple Spinach Salad with Honey-Mustard Lemon Dressing
- Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
- Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Bacon, and Cheese
- Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, and Parmesan
- Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
- Roasted Asparagus with Bacon, Garlic, and Cheese
Roast Duck Recipe
Ingredients
Roast Duck
- 6 lb whole Pekin duck
- salt
- 5 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 lemon small or medium, chopped
Glaze
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon , freshly squeezed juice
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
HOW TO THAW FROZEN DUCK
- If you purchased a frozen duck, make sure it's completely defrosted in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Then remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring it closer to room temperature.
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 °F (175 °C)
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Prepare a large roasting pan with a rack so the duck is elevated and fat can drip beneath.
PREPARE THE DUCK
- Remove the giblets from the duck cavity (if present). Rinse the duck inside and out with cold water; pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Set the duck on the working surface. Score the duck's skin on the breast in a diamond pattern, ensuring you only cut the skin, without reaching the meat. Poke the other fatty parts of the duck with the tip of the knife all over, to ensure fat release, especially in very fatty parts. You don't need to poke the duck legs as the skin is pretty thin there (except where the duck legs connect to the duck body). Season generously with salt inside the cavity and all over the skin, legs and exterior. Place the duck breast side up. (refer to step-by-step photos on scoring duck's skin above this recipe card - please scroll up).
- Place the chopped garlic cloves and lemon slices inside the duck cavity (these are just for flavor, not for eating - you will discard them after cooking). The duck will have flapping skin on both ends - fold that skin inwards, to hold the garlic and lemon inside. Tie up the duck legs with butcher's twine (or aluminum foil if twine is unavailable).(again, refer to the step-by-step photos above).
GENERAL GUIDELINES on roasting the whole duck safely in the oven
- Before you go ahead with the recipe, please review these general guidelines.
- According to USDA, to safely cook the duck in the oven at 350 Fahrenheit you have to cook it for 30 minutes per pound, which equals 3 hours for a 6-pound duck. Of course, one should use a meat thermometer and cook the duck to one's preference (medium-rear, for example), but at your own risk. 🙂 Here is the link for the USDA's safe cooking guidelines for whole ducks.
- The duck is considered safe to eat (according to USDA) when an internal temperature reaches 165 °F using a meat thermometer. That's when it's well done. If you take the duck out of the oven once the internal temperature is 155 F and let it sit for 10-15 minutes on the counter until it reaches 165 F - the duck will be well-done, delicious, and safe to eat. Check the internal temperature in the thigh's and wing's innermost part and the breast's thickest part.
- If you prefer to cook your duck rare or medium-rare, the internal temperature (as measured by a meat thermometer) at which you take it out of the oven is 130 Fahrenheit. For medium, take it out at 140 Fahrenheit. But it could be not safe to eat (according to USDA). Do so at your own risk. 🙂 The USDA recommends roasting the duck for 30 minutes per pound at 350 F to be safe.
RECIPE OVERVIEW
- With these considerations in mind, here is the recipe for a duck cooked to a final internal temperature of 165°F (well-done, juicy, and not overcooked). Always use an internal thermometer to guide the process. As a general rule, whole ducks roast at about 30 minutes per pound at 350°F (175°C), and you can adjust all cooking times proportionally if you prefer your duck medium (140°F) or medium-rare (130°F).
HOW TO ROAST THE DUCK IN THE OVEN
- Step 1. Roast for 40 minutes. Place the duck breast-side up on the prepared rack in the roasting pan. Roast uncovered at 350 °F (175 °C) for 40 minutes.
- Step 2. Roast for 20 minutes (or up to 40 minutes). Flip the duck so it's breast-side down, and continue roasting uncovered at 350 °F (175 °C) for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes of roasting, check the duck's internal temperature with an instant meat thermometer. If the temperature reaches 140 F, proceed to the next step. If the meat temperature is below 140 F, roast the duck for 10 or 20 more minutes or until the temperature reaches 140 F.
- Step 3. Remove duck fat. You now have roasted the duck for 1 hour (or 1 hour 20 minutes total). Remove the roasting pan with the duck from the oven, careful not to spill the juices (fat) in the roasting pan. Transfer the duck to a platter, and carefully pour off the rendered duck fat from the roasting pan into a heat-proof container (you can save this fat for roasting vegetables later). Make sure the lemons and garlic from the cavity do not fall out - keep the skin on both ends of the duck folded.
- Step 4. Make a honey-balsamic glaze and roast for 20 minutes, brushing the duck with the glaze. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup balsamic vinegar + the juice of 1 lemon + ¼ cup honey. Place the duck breast-side up again on the rack in the roasting pan. Brush all over the duck (especially the scored breast) with the balsamic mixture. Return it to the oven at 350 °F (175 °C) and roast for 20 minutes, brushing every 10 minutes with the glaze.
- Step 5. Roast for 20 minutes and continue brushing the duck with the glaze. If the glaze seems thin, add more honey (it should be relatively thick). Then roast the duck another 20 minutes at 350 °F (175 °C), brushing every 5 minutes with the honey-balsamic glaze.
- Step 6. Broil the duck (optional and if needed). You can carefully broil the duck for about 5 or 10 minutes (check it regularly to ensure it doesn't char too much). Broiling the duck is a great option if the skin is not crispy enough. It will speed up the caramelization of the skin if your duck is already cooked to a desired internal temperature (as measured by a meat thermometer).
- Step 7. Remove the duck from the oven. Remove the duck from the oven once the internal temperature reaches ~155 °F (68 °C) (for well-done finished to 165 °F). Let it rest, uncovered, on the kitchen counter for ~15 minutes - during this time the internal temperature will carry over to the final target of 165 °F.
- Step 8. Discard the lemon. Then, carefully remove and discard the lemon from the cavity (being careful not to get burned). Carve the duck and serve!
Notes
- This recipe is written for a 6-lb duck; if your duck is significantly smaller or larger, adjust the time proportionally. As a general rule, a whole duck needs about 30 minutes of roasting time per pound when cooked at 350°F (175°C).
- Using a meat thermometer is essential - times are estimates; internal temperature is your reliable guide.
- If you prefer medium rather than well-done, adjust the cooking times - but be aware the USDA considers 165 °F (74 °C) the safe minimum for poultry.
Why is the calorie amount in the Nutrition Section so huge?
The huge calories (about 3,000 calories per serving) you see on the nutrition label (the nutrition info on my site is approximate anyway!) include a large amount of duck fat rendered when you roast the duck. You will not eat this fat with the duck (it's rendered and then removed from the roasting pan). But you can save it and use some of it to roast the potatoes or eggs for the next several days.Duck's weight matters!
Ducks come in different sizes. The recipe, as written, is for a 6-pound duck. If your duck is half that size (3 pounds), adjust cooking times accordingly (in half). Use a meat thermometer as your guidance.Looking for Thanksgiving side dishes to serve with duck?
I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.Looking for a complete Thanksgiving menu?
Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012).⬇️⬇️ My most popular Thanksgiving side dishes, salads, and desserts are below. They will pair beautifully with the roast duck. I highly recommend you check them out. ⬇️⬇️
Updated recipe
I originally posted this recipe on October 24, 2015. I updated this recipe on October 28, 2023, and again on November 16, 2025, to make it more complete and helpful. Let me know in the comments what you think of the updates - or if you miss the old version (which I can repost).Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
My Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Thanksgiving Side Dish with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries
- Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples
- Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Bacon, and Cheese
- Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Pecans, and Cranberries
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Glaze
My Most Popular Thanksgiving Salads
- Fall Pasta Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Apple Spinach Salad
- Winter Pear Salad
- Christmas Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Honey-Mustard Lime Dressing
Do you have to bring the duck a day before roasting it?
We have 2 ducks (hungry family), do you recommend doing both at once?
*brine
You can brine the duck, if you like, I am sure it will add flavor. However, I think this is usually recommended for wild duck or wild waterfowl. If you use a regular farmed duck, brining is not necessary, in my view.
You can roast 2 ducks at the same time in the same oven without increasing the roasting times. I've roasted 2 six-pound ducks at the same time in the same oven using this recipe for a total of 3 hours.
Unfortunately, my duck was way overcooked. I even cut back the time by 45 minutes. So dry. Duck was 5.75lbs.
Christina, I am so sorry to hear that! What kind of duck did you use?
I would suggest using a meat thermometer. The cooked duck should measure an internal temperature of 165 °F using a meat thermometer. Use the meat thermometer early on (after the first 1 hour and 40 minutes of roasting) to avoid overcooking the duck.
HI - Are the calories accurate in this?!
Stephanie, the calories for the duck include the duck fat rendered from roasting the duck, and the duck fat has HUGE CALORIES. Obviously, you won't use much duck fat if use it at all. Most of the duck fat rendered from the duck will be removed or refrigerated for later (to be used for roasting potatoes or to be used as a cooking oil/fat with anything you like).
I will be roasting a duck for the first time ever, having done many chickens and turkeys of course. My question is this: the manufacturer of the duck I purchased (a certain maple farm) has a basic recipe, similar to yours, except they instruct you, after scoring, to BOIL the duck for 10 minutes first, to render the fat. What is your opinion (this sounds a little silly, since you are draining the fat periodically throughout the cooking process)? Thanks for your help!
Hi Joan! I would not boil the duck! That would definitely create a very different texture profile. I don't think it would be possible to achieve crispy skin if you boil the duck, it will also introduce too much water to the duck meat and rob the meat of flavor. The duck fat renders itself very well into the roasting pan during roasting as a result of scoring the skin.
I have a convection oven that automatically adjust the temperature. Do I still follow the recommended cooking time. Also I have a Calpalone roasting pan with a rack. But the rack does not sit that high off the bottom of the pain. It’s not touching but only a coif inches high.
I do not have a convection oven, so I am not sure how that would change the temperatures. However, one of the commentators below did leave a very detailed comment about making this duck in the convection oven. I will copy and paste our exchange here:
Commentator:
"So the basics of the recipe are great. But the cooking time? Let’s talk about that. I had a 5.2 pound duck that I was roasting in a convection toaster oven. To account for the smaller duck, I reduced the first cooking time to 50 minutes. And to account for the convection oven, I reduced the temperature to 325. I actually wound up pulling out the duck after 48 minutes. And the temperature on the breast was already 141 to 159. Yikes! I went ahead and flipped the duck, setting the timer for only 25 minutes. Halfway through, I reduced the oven temperature from 325 to 310. I then checked the back and thigh temperatures. They were in the 170s to 180s. Bottom line, the recipe is excellent, but the cooking time needs serious reduction."
My response:
"Thank you for the feedback! The convection oven does cook the duck (and the turkey for that matter) much faster than the regular oven. The convection oven is definitely a more efficient way to cook food in terms of time. So, yes, that would change the cooking times. I am curious about the fat rendering from the duck in the convection oven. Did it render a lot of fat? Did the duck’s skin get crispy in this amount of time?"
Commentator:
"I didn’t want to miss out on the glazes, so I wound up flipping the duck breast-side up, basting with the vinegar mixture, and cooking that way for 10 minutes. I then basted on the honey mixture and broiled it for 3 minutes. The breast wound up medium-well (but still tasty!). There were a couple of places where the fat was 3 to 4 millimeters, and then there was a very thin layer elsewhere. So IMHO, it rendered out pretty well, but I’m no expert. The skin was crispy where the broiler hit it well, otherwise okay but not super-crisp. I think next time I will try drying the duck in the fridge for a day and then roasting at 300 instead of 325. But I will still be using your recipe because it’s awesome! And just so you know, the duck carcass will become stock this weekend. Thank you for sharing your recipe!"
Hi! I really want to try this recipe, but we don't have a roasting pan with a rack- would it be problematic to just use a disposable roasting pan?? This is the first time I will be attempting cooking duck!!
Thanks in advance! I really appreciate it!
Hi Victoria! I recommend that you use the pan with the rack because the duck has to be lifted from the bottom of the pan as there will be a lot of fat rendered, and the fat will be constantly flowing to the bottom of the pan. For the duck to acquire crispy skin and not be covered in duck fat - it has to be roasted in a roasting pan with a rack.
Hi. Just wanted to say that your recipe was a hit tonight! This was the first time I ever made a roast and was so happy with the result. I also made roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, leeks and brussels sprouts, flavoured with the rendered duck fat, black pepper and honey, as a side dish. Thank you for making me feel confident enough to try something new 🙂
Apurba, your comment made my day! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Love your side dish of roast vegetables flavored with rendered duck fat!
Thank you for the recepie. I want to try this for X-mas. But don't want sweetness in the duck. So can I replace honey with something else?
Hi Luna! The honey is used to create caramelization of the skin - it doesn't add sweetness at all. You can reduce the amount of honey to 2 tablespoons - it would be enough to create the caramelization of the skin and you won't taste the sweetness.
Do you cook the bird uncovered the entire time? Going to try this recipe this weekend. Really looking forward to it!
Hi Julie! Yes, the bird is roasted uncovered the whole time. Enjoy the recipe!
Hi, thank so for sharing you recipe, I a must planning on cooking this for Christmas dinner, could you recommend a gravy recipe/method to use with it. Thanks again
Hi Ryan! Use the drippings from the duck to make gravy.
1) Remove as much fat as you can from the drippings.
2) In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk, stirring for about 1 minute on medium heat until lightly browned.
3) Gradually add in reserved duck drippings. Bring to a brief boil and reduce to simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Tip: Add cream of mushroom for an extra burst of flavor!
Also, if you would like to serve the duck with a different sauce (in addition to gravy), check out this cranberry sauce made with honey, balsamic vinegar, and dried cranberries:
Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce
Greetings from London!
As Xmas has been cancelled, this seems like a perfect dish to cheer everyone up in my house.
By Cream of Mushroom, do you mean soup? If so, how much to add?
Happy to see visitors to my site from London! I've been to London and the UK about 4 years ago and had an amazing time! Yes, by cream of mushroom I mean the creamy version of mushroom soup. We have it sold in cans here in the US, such as this cream of mushroom soup
You can also make your own cream of mushroom soup as in this recipe: Creamy Mushroom Soup
Hi Julia,
One more thing. I’ve just read the convection vs conventional oven comments, freaking out slightly.. My turkey is slightly larger (6lbs 10oz) but my oven can cook with a fan or without. I’m going to go without because my brain might melt if I have to contend with the faster cook.
The question I have is in the recipe does the heat come from above, below or both??
Sorry for the silly questions!
Hello AJ! In this recipe, the heat was coming from below only, since I roasted the duck in a regular oven.
Based on the comments from the person who made the duck in the convection oven, it seems like the roasting times should be drastically reduced for each step, just to be on the safe side. And, if the duck is not cooked through at that point, just continue roasting it longer.
Also, seems it's key to use the meat thermometer early on (after the first 1 hour and 10 minutes of roasting) to avoid overcooking the duck. The cooked duck will measure an internal temperature of 165 °F using a meat thermometer.
I look forward to using your recipe & very detailed instructions on Friday. Since it's just my husband & myself, our bird is only 3 1/2 pounds. Would you be kind enough to help me figure out cooking times? I'm not very experienced with this. Thank you very much.
Hi Cheryl, This recipe is for 6 lb duck. If you use a smaller duck, such as 3.5 pounds, I would suggest the following changes (as well as using a meat thermometer early on, after the first 1 hour and 10 minutes of roasting, to check the duck for doneness).
Here is what I suggest:
In the recipe card where it says: Roast the duck for 3 hours in 4 distinctive steps: I would follow step 1 through Step 3 (cooking the duck for 1 hour and 40 minutes total). Except that in step 1 I would roast the duck for 30 minutes, and then roast the duck for another 30 minutes in step 2 (cooking the duck for a total of 1 hour instead of 1 hour and 40 minutes).
Then skip step 4 and move to step 5 where you are supposed to roast the duck while brushing it with the balsamic vinegar + lemon + honey mixture for 40 minutes. At this point, check your duck for doneness every 10 minutes. It’s best to use a meat thermometer. The cooked duck should measure an internal temperature of 165 °F using a meat thermometer.
If the duck is not cooked to your preference, continue cooking the duck and brushing it with the honey-balsamic mixture, checking it for doneness every 10 minutes.
*****How to know when the duck is done? The duck is done to medium rare if the juices are pinkish when you carefully cut the duck in the fattest part. The duck is well done when juices run yellow-ish color.
*****You can also use a food thermometer. The cooked duck should measure an internal temperature of 165 °F using a meat thermometer. Use the meat thermometer early on (after the first 1 hour and 40 minutes of roasting) to avoid overcooking the duck.
Hi! I plan on cooking this for Xmas this year with a 4lb duck. Just to make sure I understand the revised directions here, it's essentially
30 minutes for step 1
30 minutes for step 2
THEN 40 minutes for step 5, checking every 10 minutes for doneness OR is it 40 minutes THEN start checking every 10 minutes?
Thank you!
Hi Meghan, your summary is accurate - I would start checking for doneness after a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes of roasting.
My first time cooking duck. I found the recipe easy to follow, though I did forget to drain the fat after roasting. I did adjust the time a little as my duck was only 5.5 lbs. It was delicious!!!
Patricia, I am so happy you liked this recipe! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your review!
So the basics of the recipe are great. But the cooking time? Let’s talk about that. I had a 5.2 pound duck that I was roasting in a convection toaster oven. To account for the smaller duck, I reduced the first cooking time to 50 minutes. And to account for the convection oven, I reduced the temperature to 325. I actually wound up pulling out the duck after 48 minutes. And the temperature on the breast was already 141 to 159. Yikes! I went ahead and flipped the duck, setting the timer for only 25 minutes. Halfway through, I reduced the oven temperature from 325 to 310. I then checked the back and thigh temperatures. They were in the 170s to 180s. Bottom line, the recipe is excellent, but the cooking time needs serious reduction.
Zennie, thank you for the feedback! The convection oven does cook the duck (and the turkey for that matter) much faster than the regular oven. The convection oven is definitely a more efficient way to cook food in terms of time. So, yes, that would change the cooking times. I am curious about the fat rendering from the duck in the convection oven. Did it render a lot of fat? Did the duck's skin get crispy in this amount of time?
(Ack! This is my third attempt to reply. I got weirdly kicked out twice. Feel free to delete this part of the comment, but I wanted to let you know in case your are seeing multiple responses!)
I didn’t want to miss out on the glazes, so I wound up flipping the duck breast-side up, basting with the vinegar mixture, and cooking that way for 10 minutes. I then basted on the honey mixture and broiled it for 3 minutes. The breast wound up medium-well (but still tasty!). There were a couple of places where the fat was 3 to 4 millimeters, and then there was a very thin layer elsewhere. So IMHO, it rendered out pretty well, but I’m no expert. The skin was crispy where the broiler hit it well, otherwise okay but not super-crisp. I think next time I will try drying the duck in the fridge for a day and then roasting at 300 instead of 325. But I will still be using your recipe because it’s awesome! And just so you know, the duck carcass will become stock this weekend. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Thank you for your persistence! 🙂 I love comments and feedback that's why I always appreciate it when people take the time to write comments. (by the way, this is the only version of your comment that went through so I didn't see multiple comments).
So thankful for your detailed feedback about using the convection oven. It does sound like the duck rendered a lot of fat since the skin got thin and crispy. That fat is so good to use for cooking potatoes, eggs, and even other meats.
Seems like you know very well what you're doing with your bird since even the duck carcass goes into use! 🙂
Reading this exchange with interest! I'm planning to use your recipe Christmas day. I'm in the UK, is a convection oven a fan oven? I will be using a fan oven so I may need to make these adjustments. I'm so glad I read the comments! I'm not sure what weight my duck will be yet. I collect it tomorrow. We're a family of 4, which the butcher knows so I've left it to their judgement!
I'd be so glad of your conclusions, the recipe sounds awesome.
Forgot to star my comment. Also, found I did not have lemons so I cut up 2 oranges and put them in the duck instead. Really, really tasty.
Linda, thank you so much for your review! I bet the duck was so good with the oranges instead of lemons!
Wow! This Duck recipe was fantastic! My husband and I love Duck and this duck turned out so good. My son and his wife said they will try it also.
Linda, so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to share this comment.