Oven-Roasted Whole Duck Recipe

Oven-roasted whole duck is an impressive main dish perfect for the holidays or any special occasion! This roast duck recipe has tender and juicy meat with crispy skin. Served with crispy potatoes, onions, and your favorite side dish this is the perfect family dinner or holiday meal!

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This herb-roasted duck is rubbed with dried rosemary and thyme and then stuffed with fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, and a whole head of garlic. It’s incredibly juicy, fork-tender, and totally delicious!

Whole roast duck is easier to make than it looks. Duck meat has a unique flavor similar to turkey but it's much fatter and tender. I love its rich meatiness and it’s a great switch-up to serve during the holidays instead of chicken or turkey. 

Jump to:

• Easy Holiday Main Dish
• Recipe Ingredients
• How To Make Oven Roasted Duck
• Variations
• Recommended Tools
• What to serve with herb roast duck?
• Pro Tips
• How To Store/ Reheat
• Frequently Asked Questions  —
• Looking For More Recipes?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Easy Holiday Main Dish

The cooking process is pretty much hands-off. All you need to do is stuff the duck cavity with fragrant herbs and then tie the legs together. It cooks for several hours and then it’s ready to serve with your mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy!

The first time I made a whole roast duck was this past spring and it came out 10/10 perfection. The crisp skin, tender meat, and duck fat cooked potatoes were #chefskiss. 

I have been counting down the days until the holidays to make it again. But really, this crispy roasted duck is amazing and easy enough to make any night of the week. Your whole family will gladly devour it every time!

Recipe Ingredients

Whole duck - I used a 5-pound duck for this recipe. Make sure the duck is completely thawed before cooking. This can be done in the refrigerator several days ahead of time.

Seasonings - kosher salt, dried rosemary, dried thyme, ground paprika, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper.

Poultry herb blend - Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage are stuffed inside the cavity of the duck. You could also add fresh or dried marjoram or tarragon. 

A whole head of garlic - is stuffed inside the duck to flavor the meat from the inside. 

Baby red potatoes and red onions - are added to the bottom of the roasting pan towards the end of the cooking process. They are cooked in duck fat and they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

How To Make Oven Roasted Duck

All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step one. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the duck then pat dry with paper towels. Trim away any excess fat with kitchen shears, then using a sharp knife cut the skin on the breast side into a diamond pattern. Be careful not to pierce the meat otherwise, it could dry out. 

Step two. Rub the whole duck including the inside cavity with kosher salt. Then rub with the dried seasonings - dried rosemary, thyme, ground paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Stuff the duck cavity with the fresh poultry blend herbs and the whole head of garlic partially crushed with a cup or a heavy-bottomed pot.

Step three. Cross the duck legs, tie them together with kitchen twine then place it in a large roasting pan or large cast iron skillet breast side up. Put a little oil on the matte side of a large piece of aluminum foil (so it doesn’t stick to the duck skin) then cover the duck with it. 

Step four. Place the duck into the oven to roast for 2.5 hours. Check on it every 30 minutes or so. 

Step five. Remove the duck from the roasting pan to a cutting board. Drain all of the fat from the pan then add the sliced red potatoes and the sliced red onions to the bottom of the roasting pan then finally place the duck on top of the vegetables, breast side up. Increase the heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit then cook uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through the duck has crispy skin.

Step six. Cut off the kitchen twine and remove the head of garlic (save for a different recipe) and fresh herbs. Allow your oven-roasted duck to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving and serving. Enjoy!

Variations

- Save the duck carcass to make a duck broth.

- Use the roasted garlic cloves to spread over a crusty piece of bread. 

- Roast the duck with winter squash, parsnips, or carrots. 

Recommended Tools

15 x 10.5-inch Large roasting pan or 12-inch large cast iron skillet

Aluminum foil

Sharp paring knife to make the diamond pattern

Kitchen twine to tie the duck’s legs together

Cutting board or cutting mat

What to serve with herb roast duck?

• Homemade Cranberry Sauce

• Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes, if you don't want to roast them with the duck

• Yogurt Mac and Cheese

• Cornbread Dressing

• Green Beans and Mushrooms

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms

Pro Tips

• Score the skin. This helps to get a beautiful roasted look and to help render out the fat from the skin. 

• Allow the duck to rest for 10 - 20 minutes before slicing and serving. This is so that the juices don’t run out of the meat quickly leaving the meat dry. Instead, this waiting time allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat.

How To Store/ Reheat

Store any left duck meat in an air-tight container or large gallon bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for several weeks. 

Reheat duck meat covered in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 - 15 minutes or until heated through. 

Frequently Asked Questions  —

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