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.
Carolyn says
I have never roasted a duck before and am going to try this recipe. I am not a fan of orange….is there something else I can use?
justalittlebitofbacon says
You could prop it up with some onion slices and make a wine sauce using them if you want. I like my zinfandel raspberry sauce. Just replace the shallot with some (or all) of the onion.
Carolyn says
That sounds great! Thanks so much.
Shel says
The duck I bought and have waiting for Christmas dinner is closer to 7.5 lbs. Would you suggest roasting it for longer than 3 hours? If so, how much longer?
justalittlebitofbacon says
Your duck is likely to take 4 to 4 1/2 hours at that size. However, I would check it at 3 1/2 just in case. Note that if it is done earlier than you expect, you can blast the sliced duck in a hot oven (450) for a few minutes before serving.
Shel says
This turned out amazing! I didn’t have raspberry jam, so I used blackberry. It was superb!
Poony says
We made this tonight. It was my first time making duck. Went back and forth if we should try the slow roast or a quicker time/higher temperature. We were so glad we picked this recipe. The reviews convinced us and the duck was amazing, tender, with crispy skin, just like the recipe promised. Simple, easy and delicious. Dont hesitate to give it a try.
Jack says
6.5 lb duck defrosted in fridge for 2+ days. Didn’t have oranges but had some carrots. Cut them into half inch rounds dropped them in the bottom of a dutch oven with a teaspoon of evoo. Left all the fat on the duck. Cooked on very low heat on the range top covered just to start the fat rendering(5-10 minutes). Then added 6-7 cloves of garlic to the fat and popped it into the 300 F. oven uncovered. Basted it every 30 minutes or so. cooked for 3 hours and the skin was golden brown without the 450 F. at the end. And as we Hungarians like to say Mindmegette. “It was all eaten” Hungarians don’t cut away any duck fat, it gets to be put to good use.
Natalie says
Thank you so much for your recipe and wonderfully written instructions. As one of the reviewers from 2021 I had a disastrous experience with a roasted duck completely messing up my oven and filling the house with smoke. But a friend gifted me with a fresh duck and I felt like I am given another chance:) I searched internet for several days until I came across this recipe and it was SUCCESS! I didn’t need to turn up the temperature at the end because at 3 hrs it was wonderfully golden brown exactly as on the picture at the beginning of this page. My oven remains splatter free, no smoke in the house and very tender yammy bird! I made it in the aluminum foil tray and put the duck on thick slices of orange – no clean up after:)) Thank you so much!!!
Simone says
I’ve used this recipe at least twice, maybe 3 or 4 times by now, and each time the duck has been perfect. I had never roasted a whole duck before using this recipe, and this recipe gave me confidence to confront the duck! I’ve used my judgement on the exact timing depending on the size of the duck, checking the temperature of the meat after about 2.5 hours. I also have started placing root vegetables on the bottom with the orange slices, and they turn out incredibly delicious, too, no surprise 🙂
Traci DeMarco says
I haven’t cooked it yet; it is for the upcoming Thanksgiving meal…. I am purchasing a 6 to 8 lb duck, per the butcher I ordered from, which I pick up tomorrow. Does the larger size of the bird effect the estimated cooking time of 3 hours? Is there a temperature I am aiming for? And while most recipes are indicating 165 degrees for the finished, rested bird, I am ‘getting hints’ from some recipes that a duck can be ‘done’ at a Medium or even Rare temp. Of course these recipes say ‘refer to USDA duck cooking guides’ and ‘eat rare or medium’ at your own risk….. I DO NOT want an overcooked duck as this is the centerpiece of the meal and I am introducing my family to a new tradition, I hope. We all prefer rare to medium rare in the beef and lamb department and we don’t like overcooked pork or chicken. Any feedback and personal thoughts on the goal temp of the duck would be appreciated.
justalittlebitofbacon says
If you are looking for a rare or medium rare duck, this recipe is not for you. Perhaps do a search for rare whole roast duck?
This duck is fork tender with crispy skin but the nature of the recipe means it is fully cooked. Do you like duck confit or barbecued ribs where the meat is falling off the bone? If so, this would be similar to that. If you do decide to make the recipe, I would guess the size of your duck would bump up the time a little, more 3 1/2 to 4 hours, before it is tender.
Julia says
Dear Traci DeMarco,
I hope it turned out well!!
But I wouldn’t do first time duck for Thanksgiving.
Slow roast to crispy skin duck is *the* only way to prepare and eat. Nothing worse than undercooked duck. Eww. If duck is overcooked, still edible and skin still delicious.
Have grown up on roast duck monthly for Sunday lunch and most Holidays.
Vicky says
No one in our family are fans of duck, our 11 yr old had never had duck. But after a successful opening weekend… I bit the bullet (literally as it turned out) and decided to give it a go. I chose your recipe – for its simplicity, and it made sense to me to cook a game bird slow, but mostly because it sounded delicious.
5 stars because: it was easy, the net result had meat falling off the bone and oh my, that sauce!!! Luxurious! Thank you. We all decided to change our minds. Your recipe has converted us from avoiding duck to enjoying! Thank you.
Charlie says
This is the only way I will do a roasted duck.
The meat just melts in your mouth!
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Tim says
I have never roasted a duck before but with this recipe I will not be afraid to do it again and again.
My wife loved the duck, how moist and fall off the bone it was. The sauce was wonderful even if I wasn’t able to use a sieve to get all the tiniest bits out. (I’m purchasing one this week.)
Thank you for this!