Peking Duck Recipe

This Peking Duck recipe gives you that classic combo of shatter‑crisp skin, tender meat, and sweet-savory pancakes but trims the steps so they’re easier to follow at home. The duck is dried, glazed, and roasted hot so the fat renders and the skin turns deep golden and brittle. Quick, clear instructions walk you through drying, glazing, roasting, and slicing, then show you how to stack duck, scallions, cucumber, and hoisin inside warm wrappers for a simple, street-style way to serve it.

Peking Duck Recipe

Simplified Peking Duck with crispy skin, tender meat, and hoisin‑loaded pancakes, using straight‑forward drying, glazing, and roasting steps.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Drying Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 9 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese

Calories: 600

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For The Duck

• 1 whole duck about 4½–5 lb
• 2 tsp kosher salt

For The Glaze

• ½ cup boiling water
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

For Serving

• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• 8 thin pancakes or small flour tortillas
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ½ cup thin cucumber strips

Equipment

• Paper towels
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Small saucepan
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Large roasting pan
• Roasting rack
• Spoon
• Tongs

Method

 

Dry And Glaze The Duck

1. Place the duck on a cutting board and pat it very dry with paper towels, then sprinkle kosher salt all over, rubbing it in with your hands.
2. Set a roasting rack over a roasting pan, lay the duck on the rack, and chill it uncovered in the fridge for about 8 hours so the skin dries out.
3. When ready to cook, add boiling water, honey, soy sauce, and rice vinegar to a small saucepan and stir with a spoon over low heat just until smooth, then turn off the heat.
4. Set the duck on the counter, and use the spoon to brush the warm glaze all over the skin while it is still on the rack over the roasting pan.

Roast And Serve

1. Heat the oven to 400°F, then slide the roasting pan and rack with the duck into the center of the oven and roast about 1 hour 20 minutes until the skin is deep golden and very crisp when tapped with tongs.
2. Transfer the duck to a cutting board with tongs and let it rest 10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to slice off strips of skin and meat.
3. Warm the pancakes, then on a cutting board or plate spread a little hoisin sauce with a spoon, add duck slices, green onion, and cucumber, roll up, and serve right away.

Notes

Make sure the duck skin is as dry as possible before glazing; that’s the secret to getting that glassy, crisp finish. If the skin browns too fast, move the pan to a lower rack so it keeps crisping without burning.