Peking Duck
Whole duck, mandarin pancakes and hoisin sauce come together in this Chinese chicken — 60 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Pat the duck dry, rub the cavity with the salt and five-spice, then ladle boiling water over the skin all over until it tightens, and pat dry again.
- Stir the maltose and Shaoxing wine with a little hot water and brush this glaze evenly over the skin, then hang or sit the duck uncovered in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours until the surface is dry and taut.
- Bring the duck to room temperature, set it breast-up on a rack over a tray, and roast at 200°C for about 70 to 80 minutes, turning once, until the skin is mahogany and crisp and the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 74°C with clear-running juices.
- Rest the duck for 15 minutes while you warm the pancakes in a steamer and shred the scallions and cucumber into fine matchsticks.
- Carve the crisp skin and meat into thin slices, keeping some skin on each piece.
- Serve by smearing a pancake with hoisin, adding scallion, cucumber and a few slices of duck, then rolling it up to eat by hand.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Saucepan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Honey
- maple syrup · agave
What to serve with Peking Duck
- Kung Po Prawns Seafood
- Ma Po Tofu Beef
- Wontons Pork
- Sweet and Sour Pork Pork
Tips & common questions
How long does Peking Duck take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of honey?
Try maple syrup. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Peking Duck is an original Chinese recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Peking duck slices.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.