My slow roasted duck is a simple recipe which will give you tender meat and crispy skin with the fat rendered out by the slow cooking. I serve it with a quick sauce of port, raspberry jam, and orange, along with a dash or two of chipotle powder for some kick! This a perfect recipe for your next holiday dinner or celebration.
Hello, all!
Here in still chilly, but getting warmer, New England I’ve been watching the crocuses come up and thinking about Easter fast approaching. Thinking about Easter has had me thinking about holiday recipes, and one of my favorite way to prepare a holiday roast is slowly.
But don’t wait for a holiday! Birthday. Anniversary. Dinner Party. These are all times which are perfect for slow roasted duck. 🙂
Slow Roasting FTW!
I LOVE slow roasting! The simplicity of popping the roast in the oven and letting it tick away while I can putter away working on other things makes slow roasted meats so amazing! I don’t know about you, but I always have a pile of other things to do on holidays and fussing with my roast is not something I want to bother with.
I think slow roasted duck is especially awesome since the low oven temperatures allow all that fat to render out, leaving behind crispy skin and tender meat. Bonus!
And I haven’t even gotten to the best part!
Prep for this recipe consists of tying the legs, salting & peppering it, and slicing an orange. That’s it! You can get it prepped in about 5 minutes as the oven heats and then leave it alone for 3 hours. Does it get easier than that? I don’t think so!
How to make this
To make slow roasted duck with crispy skin, sprinkle a whole duck with salt and pepper, and tie the legs. Roast it in a low oven at 300F for three hours, then raise the heat to crisp the skin and finish it off.
1. Prep and Roast
Simple is the word here!
All you do is put a few orange pieces in the cavity, tie up the legs, (maybe trim some fat), prick the skin, give it good salt and peppering, and the duck is fully prepped.
The one little thing I do differently is to lay a few orange slices on the bottom of the roasting pan and then putting the duck on top of them. This way it is off the bottom and out the fat while it roasts AND the orange slices get full of flavor. Flavor which we are going to use to make the sauce!
Anyway, get things prepped, put it on the orange slices, and then into the oven at 300F for at least 3 hours. Once it’s tender, raise the heat to 425F and get the skin good and crispy. That’ll take about 15 more minutes.
2. Make the raspberry sauce
Raspberry jam makes a wonderful sauce with lots of flavor and great body while also being easy to keep on hand. Jam really is a secret weapon in making amazing savory sauces.
What you need to do is mix the jam with port, a little balsamic vinegar, those orange slices, and some chipotle powder. Bring it all to a boil and let it cook down for a few minutes.
The sauce you end up with is a complex mix of sweet, sour, and spicy, and thick enough to coat a spoon. Everything you want in a sauce!
If you try my recipe for Crispy Slow Roasted Duck, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
– Happy Roasting, Annemarie
Slow Roasted Duck with Crispy Skin
Ingredients
Roasted Duck
- 1 navel orange
- 1 whole duck, about 5 lbs
- kosher salt and black pepper
Port Raspberry Sauce
- 1/2 cup ruby port
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 dashes chipotle powder
Instructions
Roast Duck
- Heat the oven to 300F.
- Cut three thick slices off the orange. Quarter up any remaining orange.
- Stuff the quartered orange into the duck and place the slices down the middle of the roasting pan.
- Trim off excess fat from the duck. Tie together the legs with kitchen twine and sprinkle it all over with salt and pepper. Then prick the skin with fork.
- Place the duck, breast side up, on the orange slices. Put it in the oven and roast for 3 - 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.
- Raise the heat to 425F and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown.
- Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest while you make the sauce.
Port Raspberry Sauce
- In a medium sauce pan, combine the port, raspberry jam, and balsamic vinegar with the orange slices which were under the duck. Add a couple of dashes of chipotle powder.
- Bring to a boil and cook the sauce for 5-8 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and can coat a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasonings by adding a little kosher salt, pepper, and another dash of chipotle if needed.
- Arrange a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the sauce into the sieve to strain out the orange slices.
- Transfer the sauce to a serving container. Carve the duck and serve it with the sauce.
Notes
- Whole duck: These are often sold frozen. If you are using frozen, give it at least 3 days in the refrigerator to fully thaw. You can keep a thawed, vacuum-packed duck for at least a few days if kept in the refrigerator. (Though perhaps up to 14 days. I've personally never waited more than a couple days after thawing.)
- Oranges: I used Cara Cara oranges in the recipe, which is why the photos show deep orange/red colored oranges. Either Cara Cara oranges or Navel oranges are great choices.
David says
Thanks for the wonderfully easy recipe Annemarie! I chose to brine it overnight in salt, brown sugar and orange slices, and didn’t have port on hand for the sauce, so I subbed in some good brandy instead. Amazing results! Delicious, tender and most importantly the crispiest skin!
5 stars all day long. I wish I could send you a picture.
Thank you,
David
Lisa Iovacchini says
Does the duck need to be covered when first start cooking it? This is how I cook my whole chicken, I cover it in the beginning then remove the foil near the end to crisp up the skin.
justalittlebitofbacon says
No it does not – I make it uncovered entirely for the crispest skin.
Lisa Iovacchini says
Thank you so much. It came out beautifully. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Edie says
try roasting your chicken without a cover, too! Just make sure to baste it every 15-20 minutes. 350 degree oven– put fat of your choices, lots of salt and garlic salt, celery salt. Put it in oven uncovered for 90 minutes total. Regardless of size. Baste it thoroughly every 15-20 minutes. Take it out of oven and COVER it with foil for 30 minutes. Best. chicken. ever.
Karyn Long says
I’m cooking one for the first time today. My grandma used to cook them all of the time but of course I don’t have her recipe. I like this one because it’s simple. Been in the oven about 45 minutes. Wish me luck. Also, I put potatoes and onions in the bottom of the pan to absorb the fat! Seemed like a good idea instead of water. Thanks for the recipe!
Charlie says
I have a Sous vide machine and have sous vide duck breast a number of times before crisping up the skin.
Your duck has beat it hollow.
This is the tenderest duck I have ever had!! It was so delicious,
I usually only have one serving of anything at any given time.
I went back 3 times for the duck. I cannot praise it enough!
Now can you tell me how to get a single duck breast this tender??
JJ says
Hello what temperature should the meat be when you are done roasting?
Thank you
justalittlebitofbacon says
In this recipe the temperature doesn’t matter – what matters is that the duck is tender. It’s like how you don’t check the temperature of pulled pork or barbecued ribs but whether they are falling apart. I hope that helps.
JJ says
Thank you, wife will not eat it if it is to pink. With this way to cooking Will it be very pink or a little more cooked?
Thank you
Joe says
Thank you, wife will not eat it if it is to pink. With this way to cooking Will it be very pink or a little more cooked?
Thank you
justalittlebitofbacon says
There will be zero pink. We’re going way past how you cook a steak (or a duck breast) and getting it past well done and over to falling apart.
George says
I cooked this last Christmas and it was a success! I’m going to make it again this Christmas, but I wonder, can I replace raspberry jam with strawberry jam? Or is raspberry best?
justalittlebitofbacon says
I think strawberry would be fine though I personally prefer raspberry or blackberry with duck.
Kathleen Gausmann says
I’m 70 yrs old, have made roast duck exactly twice. The first time, I set the oven on fire. The second time was better, but not outstanding. Your recipe looks totally doable. I’ll let you know if the house is still standing afterward. Questions: 1) To avoid spattering, do you put anything in the bottom of the roaster? I’ve read about using water, but that doesn’t sound right. Won’t that cause it to steam? 2) My husband hates orange flavor on duck. I’ve read you can use soy sauce or honey. Which might be best? I also have raspberry balsamic vinegar. Would that work? 3) How about potatoes inside the duck instead of orange, or a combination of the two, cutting down on the orange pieces? 4) What would be the correct poundage range for the duck to fit into the 3-hour cooking time? Thanks so much for your help. I really want this to work.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Your experiences sound like the first time I made roast duck. It was on the grill and I do not recommend. 🙂
As for this recipe and your questions: 1. I put nothing in the roaster just as it is written. The low temp reduces splatter. Yes, water will steam and you don’t need it. 2. I don’t know about vinegars or honey on/in the duck. I keep it simple – just duck and salt. You can use onion slices to keep the duck up off the floor of the roaster in place of the orange. 3. Onions, garlic, shallots, lemons are good aromatics for putting in the duck. 4. I use a Peking/Long Island (it’s the standard around here). They run about 5 pounds.
Good luck! You’ve got this.
Kathleen Gausmann says
This recipe is outstanding! I made it yesterday, and it is probably the best duck I’ve ever had, with very little work involved. The skin was delightfully crisp and beautifully brown. The meat was juicy, tender and oh so flavorful with nothing added but salt and pepper at the prep stage. I made it in a conventional oven, in a large baking pan with a rack about half an inch off the bottom of the pan. That was enough to even brown and crisp the underside. There was no spattering at all, and I didn’t set anything on fire. The only mistake I made was using a fork to prick the skin, thinking that would be easier than a knife, so the pricks did go a little way into the meat. It didn’t matter in the end. The only change I made was that I did the searing at 450 degrees at the beginning rather than the end. I don’t have a good explanation for this except that’s the way I’ve always done it with any meat. I admit I was a bit scared, given my previous experiences with duck, but this is foolproof. All else I can say is, WOW! I reluctantly made duck at my husband’s request. Now I know he’ll request it more often, and I’ll be totally willing to make it. A bird of about five pounds weight will be ready in three hours and fifteen minutes with almost no work on the cook’s part, and it’ll be delicious. Thank you so much, Annemarie! You’ve restored my confidence and given me a recipe that’s a real keeper. Happy New Year to you and all your readers!
Charlie says
Kathleen:
First, the orange is not overpowering, you can barely taste it.
Second, you can use anything you want instead of oranges. I added apples to the oranges, and onion.
The Raspberry Balsamic would be so great instead of the orange juice.
Nid says
I brined my duck first so it’s in the oven now and I’m having a late night
Fingers crossed !
justalittlebitofbacon says
Good luck! I hope it was wonderful!
John McMeekin says
This is the best old fashioned Long Island duck recipe I have used in a while. I lowered the temp to 275 and increased the temp to render more fat the. Increased the temp to crisp the skin. The raspberry sauce is a keeper. Thanks.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Wonderful! Thanks for the feedback.
Linda Tucker says
Can’t wait to make this tomorrow! Sounds just like my Czech Grandmother used to make…not basting skin but piercing fatty areas to release fat. Like the sauce suggestion but want to save duck fat for other recipes. I’ll figure it out. Thanks
justalittlebitofbacon says
Enjoy! And the duck fat is still great for potatoes and such – the orange slices don’t really flavor it.
Eric says
If roasting a half duck cooking time a little less? Don’t want to overcook. Looks fantastic by the way. Hoping I can make it taste as good as it looks.
justalittlebitofbacon says
I’ve never done this recipe as a half so I’m not absolutely sure. However, halving isn’t going to change the thickness of the breast or thigh so I would still plan on near 3 hours since that’s still how it will take for them to get tender. And don’t worry too much about overcooking – this isn’t medium rare duck but rather falling apart duck. 🙂
Gabriela says
Hi,
Do you cover the pan with aluminum foil?
Thank you
justalittlebitofbacon says
No – do not cover the pan. That would make the duck steam instead of crisp!
Bonnie says
Made this for the Christmas feast. It was easier than pie, and absolutely delicious. I cut an apple in wedges and put it in w the oranges on the bottom (because I had an apple). Awesome as a side dish. Thanks for sharing this recipe. 😊
justalittlebitofbacon says
Lovely! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Ysmi says
This was perfection! Thank you for such a simple and tasty recipe. I’ll be using it again and again and again 🙂
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Barbara Robinson says
Can I roast this duck in a stand-a-lone roasting pan with a cover or does it have to roast uncovered?
justalittlebitofbacon says
It needs to roast uncovered so that the skin can get crispy. Using a cover would keep the moisture in and steam the duck.
Mireille Delisle-Oldham says
Very nice recipe. I too like to slow roast duck, then finish at 425, although I opt for a more “Asian-style” seasoning 9f salt, soy sauce, and 5-spice powder. One trick I have discovered: prior to roasting, a stand the duck on a pointy roasting holder in front of a fan for a few hours to dry it out. Also, I roast it on the holder, with water in the bottom of the pan. 🙂
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks, Mireille! And the idea for drying the duck is a great one. I’m sure your skin is super crispy. 🙂
Grace says
On the topic of drying the skin first–that is something that’s usually part of Peking Duck recipes–letting it dry for a couple of days, uncovered, in the fridge. Brining first will give the meat good flavour. I’m going to try making this using a plum sauce instead of the raspberry though I think I’ll add either some raspberry vinegar or a black mission fig vinegar…just because I have a ton of plum jam to use up. I’ll come back and let you know how it turned out. .
Dana says
This looks crisped to perfection and so so juicy. I’ve never made duck. I’ve never had the opportunity. But it looks like I need to get out there and create the opportunity myself because this. looks. AWESOME. Love the orange incorporated into the recipe!
Marisa F. Stewart says
It’s been years since I’ve had roast duck. I remember it being a dish I really enjoyed. Your duck looks beautifully golden brown with a crispy skin. So pretty and the sauce sounds amazing. I have got to make this recipe. I’m pinning this onto my roster.
Debra says
I’ve never roasted duck before. It always sounds so intimidating, but your recipe looks totally doable. Love how elegant it looks with little effort on my part! The perfect Saturday night dinner party entree.
Jenni LeBaron says
I’ve never made my own duck before, but this looks absolutely scrumptious. I think my favorite part is the port raspberry sauce, which sounds like it would be heavenly on just about anything. I also love that this takes so few ingredients for such big flavors!
Gloria says
YES…I LOVE duck. If I go out to a restaurant for dinner, and duck is on the menu, you can be sure I am ordering it. After reading this post/recipe….I will be saving LOTS of money and cooking it at home. Then I can have leftovers too…even better.
Sarah says
Woah that’s a pretty bird! And I’m sure the citrus flavors are perfect with the fatty duck. I’ve always assumed duck is complicated to prepare, but I want to try this!