Summary: Peking Duck is a famous Chinese speciality featuring crispy, golden-brown skin and succulent meat, traditionally served with thin pancakes, spring onion, cucumber strips, and sweet hoisin sauce. Prepared via scalding, air-drying, and roasting, total preparation and cooking time is 26 hours (including 24 hours of drying), yielding 6 portions.
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Category: Main Dishes, Poultry
Success rate: 98% of users successfully made this recipe
Quick overview
- Dish: Peking Duck
- Category: Main Dishes, Poultry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Main ingredient: Whole duck, 2500 g (high-quality farm-raised duck)
- Guide: 12 most popular Chinese dishes: favourite Chinese cuisine recipes
- Total time: 1560 minutes (1440 min prep + 120 min cooking)
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Portions: 6 (Portion weight: 350 g)
- Key technique: Air-drying and roasting
- Preparation types: Scalding, glazing, roasting
- Dietary info & Allergens: Contains wheat, soy
- Suitable for: Festive dinners, banquets
- Nutritional values (per 1 portion): 650 kcal, Protein: 38 g, Fat: 42 g, Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Storage: 3 days in the fridge, 2 months in the freezer
- Pairing: Tsingtao beer, Riesling wine, Jasmine tea
- In short: Crispy skin, succulent meat, authentic imperial taste.
- Last updated: 2025-05-15
WAGUU says: “Mastering Peking Duck requires patience, precision, and adherence to traditional air-drying techniques for the ultimate crispy skin.”
Key facts
| Prep time: | 1440 minutes |
| Cooking time: | 120 minutes |
| Temperature: | 200 °C |
| Number of portions: | 6 portions |
In a nutshell
Experience the pinnacle of Chinese culinary art with this authentic Peking Duck recipe, featuring perfectly rendered fat, shatteringly crisp skin, and melt-in-your-mouth meat wrapped in delicate pancakes with hoisin sauce.
Ingredients
Base portions: 6 portions • Portion weight: 350 g
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Whole duck | 2500 g | Farm-raised, plump |
| Maltose syrup | 60 g | Traditional Chinese |
| Soy sauce | 30 ml | Light fermented |
| Chinese five-spice powder | 5 g | Freshly ground |
| Rice vinegar | 20 ml | Unseasoned |
| Salt | 25 g | Fine sea salt |
| Water for boiling | 3000 ml | Clean filtered |
| Mandarin pancakes | 18 pieces | Thin steamed |
| Spring onion | 100 g | Fresh julienned |
| Cucumber | 150 g | Crisp green |
| Hoisin sauce | 120 g | Authentic sweet bean |
Why you will love this recipe
- Authentic Imperial Flavor: Recreates the legendary taste of traditional Beijing palace cuisine in your home kitchen.
- Unmatched Texture: Features shatteringly crisp skin combined with tender, juicy meat and fresh condiments.
- Interactive Dining: Wrapping your own pancakes with duck, spring onion, and hoisin creates a memorable culinary experience.
Success guaranteed: Following the precise scalding and air-drying steps ensures professional results every time.
Recipe overview
Prep: 1440 min | Cooking: 120 min | Difficulty: Advanced | Portions: 6 | Type: Main Dish | Origin: Chinese
Detailed instructions
Overall progress: 0% complete
Phase 1: Duck Preparation and Cleaning – 30 min
Appliances: Kitchen sink, sharp knife
1. Thoroughly rinse the 2500 g whole duck inside and out with cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels. Trim excess neck skin and wing tips. Inspect the cavity and remove any remaining feathers or internal residue.
VKB: Visual check: the skin should be clean, dry, and free of moisture.
Before moving to the next step:
Ensure the duck surface is completely dry before applying seasonings to help the skin tighten properly.
Phase 2: Seasoning and Spicing – 20 min
Appliances: Mixing bowl, small whisk
2. Mix 25 g fine sea salt with 5 g freshly ground Chinese five-spice powder in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture thoroughly inside the duck cavity to infuse deep aromatic flavors during roasting.
VKB: Sensory check: fragrant aroma of star anise, cloves, and cinnamon inside the cavity.
Before moving to the next step:
Do not rub spices on the outer skin, as this can hinder the glazing process and browning.
Phase 3: Sealing and Pumping Air – 30 min
Appliances: Air pump / culinary inflator, butcher’s twine
3. Secure the bottom cavity opening using butcher’s twine or skewers. Insert a culinary air pump nozzle between the skin and flesh near the neck. Gently pump air to separate the skin from the fat layer, creating an even air cushion across the entire duck.
VKB: Visual check: the duck body should inflate uniformly like a balloon.
Before moving to the next step:
Inflate gently to avoid tearing the delicate skin, which would let juices escape.
Phase 4: Scalding and Glazing – 40 min
Appliances: Large stockpot, ladle
4. Bring 3000 ml clean water to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in 60 g maltose syrup, 30 ml light fermented soy sauce, and 20 ml unseasoned rice vinegar until dissolved. Suspend the duck over the pot and ladle the boiling glaze continuously over the entire skin for 3 to 5 minutes until the skin tightens and turns glossy.
VKB: Visual check: the skin must tighten and take on a uniform shiny amber hue.
Before moving to the next step:
Ensure every square centimeter of the skin is scalded with the hot glaze.
Phase 5: Air-Drying – 1440 min
Appliances: Refrigerator or cool ventilated room
5. Hang the glazed duck by its neck in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area or inside a refrigerator (uncovered) for 24 hours (1440 minutes). This crucial step dries out the skin completely, ensuring ultimate crispness during roasting.
VKB: Touch check: the skin should feel like smooth parchment paper, completely dry to the touch.
Before moving to the next step:
Do not skip the drying time; wet skin will steam rather than roast into crispy crackling.
Phase 6: Roasting and Carving – 120 min
Appliances: Oven, roasting rack, carving knife
6. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place the duck on a roasting rack breast-side up over a deep baking tray filled with 500 ml water. Roast for 60 minutes at 200 °C, then reduce temperature to 175 °C and roast for another 60 minutes until the skin is deep golden-brown and crisp. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving into thin slices combining skin and meat.
VKB: Temperature check: internal meat temperature reaches 75 °C; skin is crisp and golden.
Required equipment
| Utensil | Ideal size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large stockpot | 10 litres | Deep canning pot | Boiling water overflow |
| Roasting rack | 35 × 25 cm | Wire cooling rack | Uneven fat drainage |
| Carving knife | 20 cm slicing blade | Sharp chef’s knife | Tearing skin during slicing |
Shopping list
Nutritional profile
Values per 1 portion (excluding side dishes). Calculated from average nutritional values of ingredients.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 portion | Per 6 portions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 185.7 kcal | 650 kcal | 3900 kcal |
| Fat | 12.0 g | 42 g | 252 g |
| of which saturates | 3.8 g | 13.3 g | 79.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8.0 g | 28 g | 168 g |
| of which sugars | 4.5 g | 15.8 g | 94.8 g |
| Protein | 10.9 g | 38 g | 228 g |
| Salt | 1.1 g | 3.8 g | 22.8 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Pro Level
- Pro standard: Verified recipe with precise ratios and visual control points.
- Tip 1: Use a dedicated air pump to separate the skin from fat evenly without puncturing the meat.
- Tip 2: Ensure humidity in the drying refrigerator is kept low for optimal skin desiccation.
- Tip 3: Pour boiling water inside the cavity before roasting to help cook the duck from the inside out.
- Tip 4: Carve the duck at the table into precisely 108 slices for an authentic imperial presentation.
Scientific background
The secret to Peking Duck lies in the Maillard reaction and lipid rendering. Scalding with maltose syrup denatures surface proteins and introduces sugars that caramelise during roasting, while 24 hours of air-drying removes moisture from the subcutaneous fat layer, allowing it to crisp up into a glass-like skin rather than steaming in its own juices.
Fine Dining – Professional techniques
- Plate composition: Artful arrangement of crispy skin slices, tender meat, fan-folded pancakes, and precise julienne of spring onion and cucumber.
- Textural contrasts: Shatteringly crisp skin paired with succulent meat and soft, pliable steamed pancakes.
- Temperature contrast: Warm freshly carved duck served with room-temperature crisp vegetables and sweet sauce.
- Aromatic garnishes: Delicate curls of spring onion infused with subtle allium sharpness.
Sensory radar
- Appearance: Glossy amber-brown mahogany skin with golden highlights
- Aroma: Rich roasted poultry fragrance with sweet maltose and five-spice undertones
- Taste: Savory, sweet, umami-rich, and deeply satisfying
- Texture: Crispy exterior skin, succulent tender meat, soft wrap
Pairing
- BEER: Chilled crisp Tsingtao lager to cut through the rich duck fat
- WINE: Off-dry German Riesling with balancing acidity and fruit notes
- NON-ALCOHOLIC: Premium hot jasmine green tea
Various preparation variants
- Canton Style Duck: Roasted with internal juices and soy marinade without air-pumping.
- Tea-Smoked Duck Variant: Infused with black tea leaves and camphor wood smoke before roasting.
Allergens and dietary information
Contains: Wheat, soy • Gluten: Contains gluten in pancakes and soy sauce • Not suitable for: Celiac diets, strict soy allergies
Suitable for
Festive dinners, celebratory banquets, gourmet gatherings
Substitution catalog
- Maltose syrup: Honey or light corn syrup
- Mandarin pancakes: Thin flour tortillas or rice paper wraps
FAQ
Can I skip the 24-hour air-drying step?
No, air-drying is essential to remove moisture from the skin so it can crisp up properly in the oven.
What if I don’t have an air pump for the duck?
You can carefully separate the skin from the meat using the handle of a wooden spoon, though an air pump yields the best results.
How should leftover duck be stored?
Store carved meat and skin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can I make the mandarin pancakes from scratch?
Yes, using flour and boiling water kneaded into a dough, rolled thin, and dry-fried in pairs.
WAGUU Petr advises: Cooking for 12 or more people?
12–16 people: Prepare two ducks simultaneously and roast them on separate oven racks with swapped positions halfway through • 20+ people: Roast ducks in batches ahead of time and keep warm in a low oven; scale pancake and condiment quantities accordingly.
Sides and Serving
- Mandarin pancakes – Thin steamed wheat wrappers (not included in the recipe)
- Pickled cucumber salad – Refreshing crisp side dish (not included in the recipe)
Serving: Serve carved skin and meat wrapped in pancakes with hoisin sauce, spring onion, and cucumber.
Storage and reheating
Fridge: 3 days • Freezer: 2 months • Reheating: Reheat gently in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 10 minutes to crisp the skin.
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 30 Oct 2026
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Common mistakes
- Skipping air-drying – Results in soggy skin that fails to crisp up in the oven.
- Incomplete scalding – Leaving patches unglazed causes uneven browning and texture.
- Overroasting – Cooking at too high a temperature burns the sugar glaze before the meat cooks through.
- Incorrect slicing – Cutting thick chunks instead of thin slices combining skin and meat ruins the texture balance.