This Five-spice Orange Glazed Roast Duck is surprisingly easy to make, achievable for cooks of any skill level. It has wonderful flavor, and is perfect for special dinners or holidays!

If you can roast a chicken, then you can roast a duck. Seriously, it’s just as easy.

Roast Duck - On Wooden Cutting Board Glazed with Orange

Duck is a little harder to come by than chicken, but I often see it at the grocery during the holidays.

A lot of times people think duck is fancy restaurant food, but it’s actually really easy to roast at home.

Don’t be afraid of duck! It’s a nice, special change from the usual meat and makes the holiday table really special.

For this recipe, the whole duck is rubbed with aromatic Chinese Five-Spice, and the inside is rubbed with a mixture of orange zest, ginger, and garlic.

Then the whole thing is glazed with an orange marmalade sauce, and roasted until sticky.

Roast Duck Recipe - On Bed of Greens and brushing Orange Glaze with Brush

Oh sweet heavens it’s good.

How to Make Roast Duck:

Start by combining sea salt and Chinese Five Spice Powder:

Chinese Five Spice and Salt in a Bowl

In another bowl, combine orange zest, garlic, and ginger:

Ginger, Garlic, and Orange Zest in a Bowl

Rub the five spice salt mixture all over the inside and outside of the duck, then rub the orange mixture only inside the cavity.

Stuff the inside of the duck with a few orange slices.

Truss the duck, then score the fat with a knife:

Scoring Duck Breast with a Knife

This helps the fat render better, and get crispy skin in the oven.

Roast the duck in the oven set on a wire rack, and in the meantime, make the glaze.

It’s made with orange marmalade, soy sauce, orange juice, and ginger:

Orange Marmalade and Glaze Ingredients in Bowl with Whisk

Toward the end of the roasting process, glaze the duck with a brush:

Brushing Whole Duck with Orange Glaze

We are glazing toward the end of the roasting process so the sugars in the orange marmalade don’t burn and overcook.

Give the duck one more glaze when it comes out of the oven, then let the duck rest for a few minutes, just as you’d let a roast chicken rest. This helps the juices redistribute.

Then go ahead and carve:

Cutting Slice from Duck Breast

Beef Wellington is another of my favorite holiday recipes. Enjoy!

Orange Glazed Five Spice Duck on Bed of Greens

Five-Spice Orange Glazed Roast Duck

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
This Five-spice Orange glazed duck is the perfect duck recipe to make at home for cooks of any skill level. It is so easy and full of flavor!
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Ingredients

For the roast duck:

  • 5 lb whole duck
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp five spice powder
  • 1 orange zested and cut into six slices
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp grated garlic

For the duck glaze:

  • 1/2 cup orange marmalade*
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tsp grated ginger

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • To prepare the duck remove any innards and pat the bird dry. Mix the salt and the five spice powder together and generously season the duck’s cavity and exterior. 
  • Combine the garlic, ginger, and orange zest. Rub the inside of the duck with the garlic mixture. Stuff the cavity with the orange slices, then truss the bird by tying the legs together with kitchen twine. 
  • Roast the duck for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Meanwhile make the glaze, by whisking all four glaze ingredients until combined.
  • After the duck has cooked for 1 hour and 15 minutes, cook for an additional 35 minutes, glazing three more times throughout that time period, until the duck reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer, measured at the thickest part of the leg. The duck is ready to eat, enjoy!

Notes

*Orange marmalades seem to vary a lot in sweetness and bitterness. I used a pretty sweet one, Harry & David brand.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 163mg, Sodium: 2170mg, Potassium: 537mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 420IU, Vitamin C: 27.5mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 2.8mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: asian
Author: Fifteen Spatulas