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.
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!
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes, if you don’t want to roast them with the duck
- Yogurt Mac and Cheese
- Turkey Cornbread Dressing
- Green Beans and Mushrooms
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms
Frequently Asked Questions —
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.
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.
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.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken with Potatoes
- Braised Leg of Lamb
- Jalapeno Honey Cornbread
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
- Grandpa’s Southern Turkey Cornbread Dressing
- Chicken Dressing Recipe
- Smothered Chicken Wings
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Oven-Roasted Whole Duck Recipe
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet or 15 x 10.5 inch roasting pan
- Sharp knife
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
- 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 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
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
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.