Oven-Roasted Whole Duck Recipe

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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!

Close up image of roast whole duck with potatoes.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.

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. 

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, turkey cornbread dressing and gravy!

Whole roast duck on a serving platter.

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 ingredients on a table.
  • 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.

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. Place the duck into the oven to roast for 2.5 hours. Check on it every 30 minutes or so. 
  5. 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.
  6. 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. 

What to serve with herb roast duck?

Side view of roast herb duck and potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions  —

How long does it take to roast a duck in the oven?

This will depend on the size of your duck, I used a 5 – 6 lb duck and it took about 3 hours to roast in the oven. 

What is the best temperature to roast duck?

It’s best to roast the whole duck at a lower temperature like 350 degrees Fahrenheit to give the inside of the duck a chance to cook all the way through.

Should you flip the duck when roasting?

This is a great idea. It helps to keep the whole duck moist and juicy. I would start the duck breast side down for the first 40 minutes to 1 hour, then flip it over to finish roasting with the breast side up.

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Close up image of roast whole duck with potatoes.

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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Course: Holidays
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 690kcal
Author: Tonya Fowler
Cost: $35

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 whole duck 5 – 6 lb, defrosted*
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
  • teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 .5 ounce package fresh poultry herbs(thyme, rosemary, and sage)
  • 1 large head of garlic partially crushed

Optional

  • 7 medium baby red potatoes sliced in half
  • Half red onion sliced

Instructions 

  • 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. 1 whole duck
  • 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. 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon ground paprika ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 .5 ounce package fresh poultry herbs(thyme, rosemary, and sage) 1 large head of garlic
  • Cross the duck legs tie them together with kitchen twine then place the duck into a 15 x 10.5-inch large roasting pan or large 12-inch 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. 
  • Place the duck into the oven to roast for 2.5 hours. Check on it every 30 minutes or so. 
  • 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. 7 medium baby red potatoes Half red onion
  • Cut off the kitchen twine and remove the head of garlic and fresh herbs. Allow the duck to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

*If your duck is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator until it is no longer frozen solid (this may take several days). After that, you can finish the thawing process in a large bowl or pot of cold water until it’s no longer icy.  Just make sure to change out the water every 30 minutes or so. 

Storage and Reheating Instructions

  • 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. 

Tips and Tricks

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 1406mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 5mg

All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.

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