Homemade Crispy, Juicy Roast Duck💯

You can recreate that crispy-on-the-outside, tender-and-juicy roast duck at home! All you need is one duck and a bit of patience to make a restaurant-level dish. 🍗

Ingredients

• Whole duck: 1 (3–4 jin / 1.5–2 kg, fresh is best)
• Crispy glaze: 2 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp white vinegar + 1 tbsp cooking wine (key!)
• Marinade: 3 tbsp light soy sauce + 1 tbsp five-spice powder + scallions & ginger to taste
• Filling: 1 apple (or orange), cut into pieces — removes gamey taste, adds aroma
• Condiments / sides: cucumber, white part of scallion shredded, sweet bean sauce (store-bought or homemade)

🔥 Steps (Detailed)

1️⃣ Prepare the duck: make the skin extra crispy

• Scald the skin: Pour hot water (~80°C / 176°F) evenly over the whole duck to tighten the skin.
• (Optional) Blow air between skin and meat: use a straw to separate skin from meat — this helps the skin crisp better after roasting.
• Brush glaze: Mix honey + white vinegar + cooking wine and brush evenly over the skin. Hang the duck in a ventilated place to air-dry for about 4 hours (or speed up with a fan).

2️⃣ Roast: the key to golden crispiness

• Stuffing: Fill the cavity with apple pieces + scallions and ginger; seal with toothpicks (fruit aroma cuts grease).
• Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Place duck on a rack with a tray underneath to catch drippings.
• Roast in stages:
  • 200°C for 30 minutes to set the shape
  • 180°C for 40 minutes for even cooking and flavor penetration
  • Last 5 minutes: increase to 220°C for better color and crisping

3️⃣ Carve & plate

• Let the duck rest for 10 minutes after roasting to let juices redistribute.
• First slice the breast skin (the crispy part) — some people like to dip it in a little sugar for a melt-in-mouth contrast — then carve the rest of the meat.
• Serve with steamed pancakes (or make by stacking dumpling wrappers brushed with oil and steaming for 10 minutes), sweet bean sauce, cucumber and scallion shreds. Roll and enjoy!

💡 Tips

• ✅ Crispier skin: the longer you air-dry, the better — but don’t exceed ~6 hours or the meat may dry out.
• ✅ Prevent burning: wrap wing tips and thigh roots in foil to avoid charring.
• ✅ Upgrade sweet bean sauce: simmer store-bought sweet bean sauce with a little sesame oil and sugar for 5 minutes to deepen the flavor.

🍽️ Serving moment

Fresh from the oven, the skin should crackle with a satisfying "crack" and the meat remain tender and juicy. Wrap in a thin pancake with sauce and vegetables — absolutely delicious! 😋

Try it!