Cantonese Roast Duck

Cantonese Roast Duck

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 50 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Refrigeration:: 50 hrs
Total: 51 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 1 Duck

This recipe for Cantonese roast duck yields the shiny, reddish-brown-skinned poultry seen hanging in the windows of many Asian markets. Not to be confused with Peking duck, which is traditionally sliced and served with Mandarin pancakes, Cantonese duck is usually served whole, as you'd serve a roasted chicken, and is famous for its tasty meat and bones. Cantonese ducks are stuffed with aromatics and marinades, thus the succulent and flavorful meat.

Cantonese roast duck takes a few days to prep and roast, so plan accordingly. The crackling crisp skin comes from air-drying the duck prior to roasting. The moist and juicy meat comes from the marinade that is poured into the cavity and sewn in with a needle and string to prevent leakage.

This recipe uses yellow bean sauce, a savory fermented preparation made out of yellow soybeans, which is available at online retailers or specialized Asian markets. Make sure to clear a large space in the fridge as the air-drying requires the duck to be refrigerated for four hours. Although the recipe might seem intimidating at first, when broken down into steps, it's a simple process. Once the duck has been air-dried, it takes about one hour to roast.

"The Cantonese roast duck was perfectly cooked and delicious, with incredible aromas and flavor from the marinade. The duck made a lovely meal with its sauce, a simple risotto, and a salad on the side. Make sure you watch it for browning and tent it with foil if necessary." —Diana Rattray

Cantonese Roast Duck/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 1/2-pound) duckling (oven-ready)

  • 2 teaspoons fine salt

For the Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon oil

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon superfine sugar

  • 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry

  • 1 tablespoon yellow bean sauce

  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

  • 2 teaspoons five-spice powder

For the Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup maltose syrup, or honey

  • 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring, optional

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 1 cup warm water

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Duck

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cantonese Roast Duck, duck ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Clean the duck well. Remove the wing tips and the lumps of fat from inside the cavity. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.

    duck cleaned and lumps of fat removed from the inside

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Rub salt over the entire duck and place it on a ceramic plate in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 hours.

    salted duck on a plate

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Make the Marinade

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    marinade ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the green onion, ginger root, and garlic and sauté until fragrant.

    green onion, ginger root, and garlic in a pan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Add the sugar, Chinese rice wine, bean sauce, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder, and bring to a boil, stirring often.

    marinade ingredients in a pan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

    marinade cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

    marinade in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prepare and Blanch the Duck

  1. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil.

    water in a pot

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  2. Remove the duck from the refrigerator and tightly tie the neck with kitchen string

    duck on a pate, neck tied with kitchen string

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Pour the cooled marinade into the cavity of the duck.

    cooled marinade poured into the cavity of the duck

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Using a heavy needle and kitchen or butcher's twine, sew the cavity closed securely.

    duck cavity sown closed

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Carefully place the duck in the boiling water, holding it by the legs. If needed, use a ladle to pour boiling water over any exposed portions of duck until the skin has contracted.

    duck in a pot of boiling water

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Remove once all of the skin has tightened up (this will only take a few minutes) and dry well.

    duck on a plate

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Air-Dry the Duck

  1. Place a pan under the duck to catch any drips and hang it head-down with a heavy-duty S-shaped hook. If you don't have hooks, make an S shape with a clean wire clothes hanger. Alternatively, place the duck on a rack and the rack on a plate to catch any drippings. Place in the fridge.

    duck on a wire drying rack

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Let dry in the fridge, uncovered, 24 to 48 hours.

    duck on a wire drying rack

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Make the Glaze

  1. When you're ready to roast the duck, gather the ingredients for the glaze.

    glaze ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. In a small bowl or saucepan, dissolve the maltose or honey, red food coloring, if using, and rice vinegar in the warm water.

    glaze in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Brush it all over the air-dried duck. Repeat the brushing two more times.

    glaze brushed onto the duck

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Roast the Duck 

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F/200 C/Gas Mark 6. Place a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven. If you have the attachments, hang the duck head down from the top rack. If not, place it on a rack and the rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

    duck on a wire baking rack

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Roast for 25 minutes.

    duck on a baking sheet, brushed with glaze

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Reduce the heat to 350 F/180 C/Gas Mark 4. Baste with the remaining glaze mixture and cook for about 30 minutes more. If the duck appears to be browning too quickly, tent it with foil.

    duck on a wire rack over a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. The duck is done when an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh (away from the bone) reads at least 165 F/74 C

    Cantonese Roast Duck on a wire rack over a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Serve the Duck

  1. Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.

    Cantonese Roast Duck on a plate

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Place the duck in a clean pan with a lip and snip the string, letting the juices drain into the pan. 

    duck on a pan, juices drain on the pan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Place the duck on a cutting board and cut it into serving-size pieces.

    Cantonese Roast Duck cut into pieces on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. If desired, transfer the juices to a small saucepan, skim off the fat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Serve in a gravy boat alongside the duck.

    juice from the duck in a small saucepan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Enjoy.

    Cantonese Roast Duck on a plate

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

How to Store and Reheat Roast Duck

  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Before reheating, allow the duck to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Reheat the leftovers in a 300 F oven for 20 minutes and then at 325 F for an extra 10 minutes to crisp up the skin, if any, and reheat thoroughly.
  • To freeze the duck, remove all of the bones, place portions in zip-top bags, and freeze for up to four months. Before reheating, thaw the duck overnight in the fridge, then let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Is Duck White or Red Meat?

Duck is scientifically considered white meat, but because of its levels of myoglobin, the heme iron protein that gives meat its color, in culinary traditions and standards it is referred to as red meat because of its darker, reddish-brown color.


Duck is a fatty meat, higher in iron compared to other poultry, and a great source of selenium.

What is Yellow Bean Sauce?

Chinese yellow bean sauce is a fermented soybean paste made from yellow soybeans. If you can't find it, you may substitute with another Chinese bean paste or more hoisin sauce.

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Article Sources
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  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, "Duck, domesticated, meat and skin, raw." 1 April, 2019.