23 December 2025
Chinese-Style Crispy Roast Duck (Extra Crisp Skin, Juicy Meat)
JojoM
Glass-crisp skin and juicy, aromatic meat from overnight air-drying and slow fat rendering. A festive Chinese-style roast duck for special occasions.
Chinese-Style Crispy Roast Duck
This method creates glass-crisp skin without frying or heavy glazes. The key is an overnight air-dry, gentle fat rendering, and a hot finish for a shattering crackle.
Why This Method Works
Duck skin is thick and rich in fat. Roasting too hot from the start can trap moisture under the skin, leaving it rubbery. By drying the surface and rendering fat slowly, the skin turns thin, brittle, and golden while the meat stays juicy.
How to Serve
- Pancake style: mandarin pancakes, julienned cucumber, spring onions, and hoisin or plum sauce.
- Family-style platter: steamed bok choy, duck-fat fried rice, and light soy with grated ginger.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Covering the duck (steams the skin).
- Adding soy, honey, or sugar too early.
- Roasting too hot from the start.
- Letting fat pool under the duck.
Final Result
Expect crisp, crackly skin; juicy, aromatic meat; and clear, golden fat you can save for roasting potatoes or stir-frying greens.
Chinese-Style Crispy Roast Duck (Extra Crisp Skin, Juicy Meat)
JojoMGlass-crisp skin and juicy, aromatic meat from overnight air-drying and slow fat rendering. A festive Chinese-style roast duck for special occasions.
Chef's Tips
Air-dry the duck uncovered for 8-24 hours for glassy skin.
Drain the fat halfway through roasting to prevent soggy skin.
Brush vinegar in the last 10 minutes for extra crackle.
Rest the duck uncovered so the skin stays crisp.
Tools Used
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Ingredients
USMetric
Duck
Aromatics (Inside the Cavity)
Seasoning
Optional Light Glaze
Instructions
Prepare and Dry (Night Before)
- 1
Pat the duck completely dry inside and out.
- 2
Score the skin in a shallow crosshatch, cutting through skin and fat only.
- 3
Sprinkle fine salt evenly over the skin.
- 4
Set the duck on a wire rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 8-24 hours.
Roast and Render
- 1
Heat the oven to 160 C (fan 140 C).
- 2
Pat the skin dry again with paper towels.
- 3
Stuff the cavity with ginger, garlic, spring onions, five-spice, and optional star anise or cinnamon.
- 4
Place the duck breast-side up on the rack and roast for 1 hour 15-20 minutes.
- 5
After 30-40 minutes, carefully drain the rendered fat from the tray.
Crisp, Rest, and Carve
- 1
Increase oven temperature to 220 C (fan 200 C).
- 2
Return the duck to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, rotating once if needed.
- 3
For extra crackle, brush with vinegar in the last 10 minutes. For a light glaze, brush the honey-soy mix in the last 5-8 minutes.
- 4
Rest the duck uncovered for 15-20 minutes before carving.
- 5
Slice the breast thinly with skin attached, then separate the legs and thighs.
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