Roast Duck: the delicious recipe for a phenomenal holiday dinner

If you're tired of turkey and want to treat your family to something special this holiday season, nothing beats roast duck. Whether you're cooking up a Christmas or New Year's Eve meal, roast whole duck is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

With a sweet-savory balsamic, lemon, and honey glaze, beautifully crispy skin, and tender, juicy meat, this simple roast duck is simply delicious.

It's easy to make and doesn't take many ingredients. Switch things up this year with this easy roast whole duck recipe – it's a fantastic main dish that's sure to impress!

How to Prepare a Whole Duck for Roasting

To prepare a duck for roasting, remove the giblets (you can save these to make stock), and pat the duck dry with a paper towel. Do not wash the duck.

If you prefer, you can boil the duck for 10 minutes to help render out excess fat, but this is up to you.

How to Roast a Duck in the Oven

Roasting whole duck isn't much more complicated than cooking and any other type of poultry. Start by preheating your oven to 350F and letting your duck come up to room temperature.

Flip your duck breast side up and score the skin. Don't cut through the meat, but don't score too lightly either. Then poke the fatty parts of the duck. You want the fat to escape the duck while it's roasting – this will ensure crispy skin. Season the duck generously with salt and pepper, then put the garlic and lemon inside the duck cavity. Tie the legs with butcher's twine.

Roast the duck for 1 hour, then flip it over onto its breast. Roast for another 40 minutes. Take out the roasting pan and pour off the fat. Turn the duck breast side up and brush with the balsamic mixture. The next part is easy, but it does require you to keep an eye on your duck.

Cook for 40 minutes, brushing every 10 minutes or so. Whisk the honey with the remaining balsamic mixture. Glaze the duck breast and roast for 40 minutes more, brushing every 10 minutes with the balsamic mixture.

Once the duck reaches an internal temperature of 180F at its thickest part, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This will allow the meat to reabsorb the juices and ensure your duck is perfectly juicy and moist. Throw out the garlic and lemon. Carve and serve the duck with your favorite sides, and enjoy!

How Long to Roast a Whole Duck Per Pound

The general rule of thumb is to cook duck for about 22 minutes per pound. A fully-cooked duck should have an internal temperature of 180F at its thickest parts.

How to Make Duck Skin Crispy

The secret to perfectly crispy duck skin is to score the skin over the breast and poke the fatty parts of the duck to let the fat escape. Brushing the duck with the glaze while it's cooking will also help crisp up the skin, as will pouring off excess fat that accumulates in the roasting pan after the duck has cooked for an hour or so.

What to Serve with Roast Duck

There are loads of delicious side dishes you can serve with your roasted duck. Some excellent options are roasted or mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, green salad, sweet potato fries, beet salad, or an orange and fennel salad.

Tips for the Best Whole Roast Duck

Do not wash your duck before roasting it. This will only spread bacteria around your kitchen and potentially increase your risk of food poisoning.

When scoring the duck skin of the duck breast, make sure you don't cut into the meat.

There are loads of variations of this easy glaze you can brush over your duck. Try adding orange juice, using raspberry balsamic vinegar, swap honey for maple syrup or agave nectar, or use pomegranate juice – they're all delicious!

You don't need to cover the duck while it's roasting, especially because during the second half of cooking you'll be brushing it with the glaze every 10 minutes.

How to Store Roast Duck

Once cooled, transfer leftover duck to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Instructions

Take the duck out of the fridge to let it come up to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350F.

Using a sharp knife, scored the skin of the duck breast in a diamond pattern.

Using the tip of the knife, poke the fatty parts of the duck. Season all over with salt then place the duck breast side up in a roasting pan.

Put the garlic and lemon inside the duck cavity.

Tie the legs with butcher's twine.

Roast the duck for 1 hour, then flip it over onto its breast. Roast for another 40 minutes.

Whisk balsamic and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Take out the roasting pan and pour the duck fat into a container. Turn the duck breast side up and brush with the balsamic mixture. Cook for 40 minutes, brushing every 10 minutes or so. In a second small bowl, whisk honey and 3 tablespoons of balsamic mixture to combine. Brush the breast with the glaze and roast for 40 minutes, brushing every 10 minutes with the glaze.

Remove from the oven and let the duck rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the garlic and lemon from the cavity and discard. Carve and serve the duck.

Notes

If you're using frozen rather than fresh duck, make sure to let it thaw out first. Defrost your duck in the freezer for a few days.