Make this Roast Duck Recipe filled with apples and roasted till the pores and skin is a crispy golden brown. It’s an ideal meal to serve on an important day.
In the event you love roasted poultry, then you must do that juicy Roasted Turkey or Roasted Hen.
Desk Of Contents
Recipe Particulars
My Bulgarian grandmother has been making this Roast Duck Recipe for so long as I can keep in mind. It’s good for an important day or vacation dinner the place you may wow your company with this deceptively straightforward dish.
- TASTE: Duck has a powerful, gamey taste that’s balanced by the candy, citrusy notes of the apples and glaze.
- TEXTURE: Tender and moist on the within with a crisp, fatty outer pores and skin, this Roast Duck is unctuous with a wealthy mouth-feel because of the duck fats.
- TIME: This dish takes slightly below 2 hours to make.
- EASE: Making any roast from a chicken appears intimidating, but it surely’s really quite simple! This recipe will present you ways straightforward it truly is.
What You’ll Want

Ingredient Notes
- Duck- I used a 6-pound complete duck for this recipe. You will discover them in most supermarkets. The meaty, gamey taste of this poultry is enhanced by the apples, glaze, and seasonings.
- Apples- The tart-sweet style of Granny Smith apples is ideal for this savory dish.
- Juice- We’ll use orange juice and lemon juice for the glaze. Their citrusy, acidic taste will add nice style to this duck.
- Honey- This provides an exquisite sweetness to the glaze that contrasts with its tart flavors.
- Seasonings- Garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper are all you’ll want.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute one other apple variety- You should utilize different varieties for a barely completely different taste, similar to honeycrisp, pink woman, gala, waterproof coat, and fuji.
- Add balsamic vinegar- For extra acidity, but nonetheless candy, add balsamic vinegar to the glaze.
- Substitute the honey- As an alternative of honey, you should utilize maple syrup, brown sugar, or a easy syrup manufactured from boiled sugar and water.
- Use different fruit- Instead of the apple halves, make this Roast Duck with figs, prunes, pears, or oranges.
The best way to Make Roast Duck
- Put together the duck. Take away the giblets contained in the duck. Wash and dry the duck. Mix the seasonings after which unfold the spice rub evenly over the duck.
- Add the apples. Core the apples and half them. Then stuff the duck as a lot as attainable with the apple items.

- Put together the duck for roasting. Tie the drumsticks with kitchen twine. Then place the duck (the wrong way up) in a roasting pan on a wire rack.

- Make the glaze. Whisk collectively the honey, orange juice, and lemon juice.
- Roast the duck. Roast at 350 levels Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. Then flip the duck onto its entrance facet and roast for an additional 50 minutes.
- Add the glaze. Take away the duck from the oven and brush a beneficiant quantity of the glaze on high, throughout the breasts, thighs, and wings. Let it sit for about 20 minutes earlier than serving.
Professional Tip: I discover that one of the best ways to glaze the meat on this roast duck recipe is to make use of a silicone pastry brush.

Recipe Ideas
- Dry the duck well- Maintaining the pores and skin of the duck dry will assist the spice rub adhere to it. Use paper towels to pat it dry.
- Tie the drumsticks together- Since you’ve gotten stuffed the duck with apple halves, as they cook dinner, they’ll fall out with out this step. It additionally creates a steamy inside cavity that may support in even, thorough cooking.
- Cook dinner the duck breast facet down first- To keep away from drying out the chicken, let it roast for half the time the wrong way up. Then flip the duck for the remaining to get a crispy pores and skin.
- Add numerous glaze- Don’t overlook to generously coat all uncovered components of the pores and skin to create a pleasant golden brown crusty pores and skin. It’ll caramelize from the warmth of the duck because it sits.
FAQs
It takes an hour and 40 minutes to roast a 6-pound duck. You’ll roast it for 50 minutes with the breast facet down, then 50 minutes with the breast facet up. This retains the breast meat moist whereas crisping up the pores and skin.
It’s best to roast the duck at 350 levels Fahrenheit. That is the right temperature to completely cook dinner the duck whereas additionally crisping the outer pores and skin. Keep in mind to preheat the oven beforehand in order that the duck pores and skin will get good and crispy.

Serving Strategies
This Roast Duck recipe is a flexible primary course that goes effectively with all kinds of facet dishes. You may serve it with soups and salads, pair it with greens, and end the meal with dessert.
- Salad: Serve a Spinach Pomegranate Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or Cucumber Radish Salad earlier than this duck.
- Soup: Begin your Roast Duck dinner with a bowl of Simple French Onion Soup, Hen Gnocchi Soup, Baked Potato Soup, or Clam Chowder Soup.
- Sides: Pair this dish with some Tremendous Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, or Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.
- Dessert: End the meal with one thing candy, like these Pecan Tassies, Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO), Gingerbread Cake, or Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make forward: You may prep the components and stuff the duck forward of time, storing it coated with plastic wrap within the fridge till you’re able to roast it later within the day.
Storing: Retailer any leftovers of this Roast Duck within the fridge, sliced off the bone, in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze the slices of duck in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. Enable it to thaw within the fridge, then come to room temperature earlier than reheating within the oven till warmed by means of and barely crispy.
Extra Tasty Most important Dishes!
Love this recipe? Please depart a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ score within the recipe card beneath ⬇️ and/or a overview within the remark part additional down.
Let’s join on social media! 😍 discover me @ Instagram, Fb, YouTube, and Pinterest. And don’t overlook to tag me if you happen to attempt considered one of my recipes!
Full Recipe Directions

Roast Duck Recipe
Make my Roast Duck Recipe filled with apples and roasted till the pores and skin is a crispy golden brown for an ideal household meal you’ll like to serve.
Print Pin Charge
Servings: 10
Energy: 277kcal
Directions
-
In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
-
Take away the insides of the duck, then wash and pat it dry. Rub all the duck with the spice and salt combination.
-
Core the Granny Smith apples and minimize them into halves.
-
Stuff the duck as a lot as attainable with the apples. Then tie the drumsticks with kitchen twine.
-
Place the duck (the wrong way up) right into a roasting pan.
-
Whisk collectively the honey, orange juice, and lemon juice. This would be the glaze.
-
Roast at 350 levels Fahrenheit for 50 minutes.
-
Flip the duck on its entrance facet and roast for an additional 50 minutes.
-
Take away the duck type the oven and brush a beneficiant quantity of the glaze on high. Let it sit for about 20 minutes earlier than serving.
Notes
- Dry the duck well- Maintaining the pores and skin of the duck dry will assist the spice rub adhere to it. Use paper towels to pat it dry.
- Tie the drumsticks together- Since you’ve gotten stuffed the duck with apple halves, as they cook dinner, they’ll fall out with out this step. It additionally creates a steamy inside cavity that may support in even, thorough cooking.
- Cook dinner the duck breast facet down first- To keep away from drying out the chicken, let it roast for half the time the wrong way up. Then flip the duck for the remaining to get a crispy pores and skin.
- Add numerous glaze- Don’t overlook to generously coat all uncovered components of the pores and skin to create a pleasant golden brown crusty pores and skin. It’ll caramelize from the warmth of the duck because it sits.
Vitamin
Energy: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 32g | Fats: 107g | Saturated Fats: 36g | Ldl cholesterol: 207mg | Sodium: 522mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 7mg
This recipe was initially posted on March 16, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
