Five-Spice Roast Ducks (Printable View)

Aromatic whole duck with Chinese five-spice, honey, orange, and crispy golden skin. Serves 2 for special dinners.

# Ingredient List:

→ Duck

01 - 1 whole duck (3.3–4.4 lb), cleaned and patted dry

→ Marinade & Seasoning

02 - 2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
04 - 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, gluten-free
05 - 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, gluten-free
06 - 2 tablespoons honey
07 - 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 orange, zested and juiced
11 - 2 spring onions, chopped

→ For Roasting

12 - 1 orange, quartered
13 - 4 star anise pods

# How to Make:

01 - In a small bowl, combine five-spice powder, salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, orange zest, and orange juice. Mix until well incorporated.
02 - Position the duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Using a fork, prick the skin all over, avoiding the meat beneath.
03 - Rub the marinade thoroughly over and inside the duck. Stuff the cavity with quartered orange, spring onions, and star anise pods.
04 - Place uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, for maximum flavor development.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Place duck breast-side up and roast for 1 hour, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes.
06 - Increase oven temperature to 425°F and continue roasting for 20–30 minutes until skin is crisp and golden brown.
07 - Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The skin crisps up so beautifully that it shatters under your fork, giving way to tender, aromatic meat underneath.
  • The marinade does all the heavy lifting while you mostly just wait, making it feel far fancier than the effort required.
  • It fills your home with a scent so intoxicating that everyone will assume you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • If you don't prick the skin all over, the fat has nowhere to escape and you'll end up with chewy, greasy skin instead of crispy perfection.
  • Leaving the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight dries out the skin even more, which is the secret to getting that restaurant-quality crackle.
  • Basting is not optional, those pan juices carry all the flavor and keep the meat from drying out while the skin crisps.
03 -
  • Use a roasting rack so the duck isn't sitting in its own fat, this ensures even crisping all around.
  • Save the rendered duck fat from the pan, it's liquid gold for roasting potatoes or frying eggs.
  • If you're nervous about carving, use kitchen shears to cut along the backbone and through the joints, it's faster and less stressful than a knife.
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