Peking Duck
Quick answer
- Total time
- 160 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Peking duck is a centuries-old Chinese banquet dish refined in the imperial kitchens of Beijing.
Read more
A whole duck is air-dried to tighten the skin, then roasted at high heat until the exterior shatters like glass while the fat beneath renders almost entirely away. The skin is the centerpiece: a lacquered sheet of crunch that carries a faint sweetness from the maltose glaze applied before roasting. Traditionally, a skilled carver slices the skin and meat tableside into thin pieces. Diners place a few slices onto a paper-thin wheat pancake, add julienned scallion and cucumber, streak on hoisin sauce, then roll everything into a tight parcel. Each bite layers crisp skin, supple meat, raw vegetable crunch, and the fermented sweetness of the sauce into a single mouthful.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Do not rinse the whole duck.
Pat it completely dry inside and out with towels, then prick only the skin lightly with a fork without piercing the meat.
- 2Season
Mix 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon black vinegar, and 1 teaspoon five-spice powder until smooth.
Brush a thin, even coat over the duck, breaking up any thick patches.
- 3Step
Set the duck on a rack and air-dry it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
The surface should feel tacky rather than wet, and the color should deepen before roasting.
- 4Step
Preheat the oven fully to 200C, then roast the duck on the rack for 20 minutes.
This first high-heat stage tightens the skin and starts browning before the longer roast.
- 5Heat
Lower the oven to 180C and roast for another 45 to 50 minutes.
Carefully clear rendered fat midway and turn the duck once. Check that the thickest thigh is cooked through and the juices run clear.
- 6Finish
Rest the roasted duck for 10 minutes, then slice the crisp skin and meat thinly.
Spread hoisin on each pancake, add duck, julienned scallion, and cucumber, then roll tightly and serve warm.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Peking Duck is a classic banquet dish with air-dried skin that roasts to a glass-like crisp.
- Finish cue
- Check that the thickest thigh is cooked through and the juices run clear.
- Avoid this
- Do not rinse the whole duck.
- Storage and reheating
- Set the duck on a rack and air-dry it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
160min, 9 ingredients
Category median
40min, 8 ingredients
Based on 232 recipes
Official safety guidance
-
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat the center to 74°C.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
Sources checked 2026-08-03
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Korean Minari Apple Juice
honey, cucumber
Korean Spicy Sea Snail Salad
scallion, cucumber
Charred Daepa Gamja Doenjang Salad (Charred Leek Potato Salad)
honey, scallion