Five-Spice Roast Ducks (Printable)

Aromatic duck with Chinese five-spice, honey, and orange. Crispy skin, tender meat, perfect for celebrations.

# What You Need:

→ Duck

01 - 1 whole duck (3.3-4.4 lbs), 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 if required)
05 - 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
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

# Step-by-Step:

01 - In a small bowl, combine five-spice powder, salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, orange zest, and orange juice. Mix until well incorporated.
02 - Place duck on a rack in a roasting pan. Using a fork, prick the skin all over, avoiding piercing the meat beneath.
03 - Rub the marinade thoroughly over the entire surface and inside the duck cavity. Stuff the cavity with quartered orange, chopped spring onions, and star anise pods.
04 - Place uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for enhanced flavor development.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
06 - Roast duck breast-side up for 1 hour. Baste with accumulated pan juices every 30 minutes.
07 - Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and roast for an additional 20-30 minutes until skin achieves a crisp, golden-brown finish.
08 - Remove from oven and allow duck to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
09 - Carve and serve with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried greens, if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The marinade does most of the work while you go about your day, making this surprisingly hands off for such an impressive result.
  • Crispy skin and tender meat happen in the same roast without any complicated techniques or special equipment.
  • Your kitchen will smell like the best Chinese restaurant you've ever walked into, and that's before you even take a bite.
  • Leftovers are a gift that keeps giving, tucked into rice bowls or eaten cold straight from the fridge at midnight.
02 -
  • Leaving the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight before roasting dries out the skin and guarantees maximum crispiness, a trick I learned after one too many chewy-skinned attempts.
  • Don't skip the basting, those pan juices are liquid gold that build flavor and color with each brush.
  • Resting the duck isn't optional, cutting into it immediately sends all those precious juices running onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer if you're nervous, the thickest part of the thigh should read 74°C when fully cooked.
  • If the skin browns too quickly during the initial roast, tent it loosely with foil and remove it for the final high-heat blast.
  • Substitute maple syrup for honey if you want a deeper, more molasses-like sweetness that plays beautifully with the spices.
  • Pierce only the skin and fat, not the meat, or you'll lose precious juices during roasting.
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