No scoring, twining, basting & fidgeting with the oven! This easy roast duck is going to give you the most crispy skin & tasty, tender duck
Updated 15 November 2023
No-fail roast duck
Looking for an impressive but no fuss roast dinner this Christmas? Great, because this classic Roast Duck is shouting your name! So get ready for a stress free Christmas as you’re going to be mingling with your guests instead of slaving in the kitchen.
When roasting meat, what part makes you groan? I could think of a few things, such as scoring, twining, basting, and foil tents. Well, don’t let those things bother you because this Roast Duck doesn’t require any of those steps!
Further, to this, there is no need to fidget with the oven temperatures and deal with dried flavourless meat. Sounds too good to be true, right? I know, sounds like a dream. However, it doesn’t finish there.
This hassle free Roast Duck calls for only a few cheap ingredients and these ingredients may already be in your pantry. It’s just a simple mix of dry spices and herbs. Rub it on the duck, leave it to dry for a day or two in the fridge and then roast. Yes, it’s that simple!
What does this effortless recipe give you? AMAZING duck with crispy skin with tasty, succulent meat that is perfectly seasoned! If you’re also a fan of duck fat potatoes, then you’re in for a real treat because I’ll show you how to roast them with the duck. Yes, we’re going to get crusty crunchy and fluffy potatoes to serve with the duck! If you want to add some delicious dazzle to your Roast Duck, serve it with this beautiful buttery Cherry Sauce.
The easiest Roast Duck
How do you get crispy skin on a duck?
Ducks contain a large amount of fat between their skin and meat. This means we have to render most of the fat to make the skin crispy when roasting. You’ll be glad to know that this recipe has simple steps to achieve the best and most impressive crispy duck skin!
The salt in the dry rub draws moisture from the duck. To dry the duck further, we place it uncovered in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. During this time, the duck will also absorb some of the salt and flavours from the herbs and spices.
Once the duck is ready for roasting, we’ll leave it at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. This will help the duck cook evenly. The duck is then roasted in a moderately hot oven at 210°C (410°F)
Is it safe to leave the duck uncovered in the fridge?
I absolutely understand any concerns you may have about leaving your duck uncovered for a couple of days. You’re probably throwing these kinds of questions, ‘Am I going to get food poisoning?’ or ‘Is it going to stick up my entire fridge?’
With all the stuff on poultry and food safety, no one can blame us for feeling this way. I’ve left chicken and duck uncovered in the fridge several times now and none of us got sick from it. The duck didn’t leave any unpleasant smell in the fridge afterwards. So yes, it is all good folks!
However, in saying that, make sure you get the freshest duck you can get your hands on.
What are duck fat potatoes?
Duck fat is relatively healthy compared to other animal fats and has a clean taste, with no duck flavour!
Duck fat potatoes take our good ole spuds to another level! We parboil the potatoes in salty water and toss them in semolina for that extra crunchy crust. We then roast them to golden perfection in the rendered duck fat.
Roasting potatoes with the duck is optional but highly recommended. It’s only a few extra steps, but trust me, it’s so worth it. Otherwise, you could skip the potatoes and collect the rendered duck fat for a later dish.
More Christmas inspiration:
Ingredients for Classic Herb Roast Duck
Whole Duck – My duck came frozen, weighing 2.3 kg / 5lb, but anything between 2.3 to 2.5kg / 5 to 5.5lb is fine. I defrosted my duck in the fridge for a couple of days.
Dry herb rub – I used garlic powder, thyme and smoked paprika, but you could substitute with any of your favourite dried herbs and spices.
For the Duck Fat Potatoes (optional)
Potatoes – Use starchy or all-rounder potatoes for duck fat potatoes, but avoid waxy ones. Desiree, Sebago, Dutch Cream, Maris Piper, or Russet potatoes are excellent choices.
Semolina is a coarse flour that comes from durum wheat, the same wheat that is used to make pasta and couscous. Semolina makes the crust on the potatoes extra crunchy. You can usually find semolina in the same aisle as the flour or health foods. You can use cornflour or cornstarch instead of semolina.
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How to make Classic Herb Roast Duck
Step-by-step guide with photos
For the dry herb rub – In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper until combined.
Use paper towels to pat the duck dry all over, including inside of its cavity. Rub the dry herb mix evenly over the duck, including the cavity. Put the duck on a roasting rack and place it in a roasting tray. Chill the duck uncovered in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. This method will dry out the duck and give it a deliciously crispy, golden skin when roasted.
Take the duck out of the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the ambient temperature) before roasting. Doing this helps the duck cook evenly.
Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F) or 190°C (374°F) for fan-forced ovens. To make cleaning easier, line the baking tray with baking/parchment paper, then line the entire inside of the tray with foil. If roasting potatoes with the duck – Ensure the foil is lined carefully, especially at the base, to catch the fat drippings, you don’t want the fat to seep under the foil.
To prevent the herbs from burning, remove them from the duck with paper towels. Insert the onion and thyme in the cavity. Put the duck and its roasting rack on the foil-lined roasting tray. Roast the duck for 1 hour and 40 minutes our until cooked. Allow the duck to rest for 30 to 45 minutes before carving.
For the duck fat potatoes (optional)
As soon as the duck is in the oven, start on the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes into a saucepan along with 1 tbsp of salt, then add enough water to submerge the potatoes by at least 4cm / 1.6in. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them sit for 5 minutes to allow the steam to dry them. Return the potatoes to the same saucepan along with the semolina and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cover the saucepan and give it 4-5 shakes to roughen the potato surface.
Remove the duck from the oven after 40 minutes. Lift the roasting rack with the duck away from the roasting tray, being cautious and using mittens. There should already be some duck fat drippings on the foil. Cover the potatoes with the fat, then place the rack and duck back on top. Put the tray back in the oven.
Turn the potatoes every 30 minutes so they’ll brown and crisp evenly. The duck will finish roasting before the potatoes. When the duck is out of the oven and resting, increase the oven temperature to 230°C (450°F) or 210°C (410°F) for fan-forced ovens. Roast the potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy.
How to store roast duck
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The duck fat potatoes are most delicious when served right away, although they can also be stored for a few days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Roast Duck (Easy, tender with crispy skin)
Video
Ingredients
- 2.3 to 2.5kg / 5 to 5.5lb whole duck (NOTE 1)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- optional – small bunch of fresh thyme or small onion for cavity
For the duck fat potatoes (optional)
- 1.2kg / 2.6lb large potatoes (peeled and cut into 4 or 6 pieces) (NOTE 2)
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling with the potatoes)
- 1 tbsp semolina (NOTE 3)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- For the dry herb rub – In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and pepper until combined.
- Use paper towels to pat the duck dry all over, including inside of its cavity. Rub the combined herbs evenly over the duck, including the cavity. Put the duck on a roasting rack and place it in a roasting tray. Chill the duck uncovered in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. This method will dry out the duck and give it a deliciously crispy, golden skin when roasted.
- Take the duck out of the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the ambient temperature) before roasting. Doing this helps the duck cook evenly.Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F) or 190°C (374°F) for fan-forced ovens. To make cleaning easier, line the baking tray with baking/parchment paper, then line the entire inside of the tray with foil. If roasting potatoes with the duck – Ensure the foil is lined carefully, especially at the base, to catch the fat drippings, you don't want the fat to seep under the foil.
- To prevent the herbs from burning, remove them from the duck with paper towels. Insert the onion and thyme in the cavity. Put the duck and its roasting rack on the foil-lined roasting tray. Roast the duck for 1 hour and 40 minutes our until cooked. Allow the duck to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- For the duck fat potatoes (optional) – As soon as the duck is in the oven, start on the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes into a saucepan along with 1 tbsp of salt, then add enough water to submerge the potatoes by at least 4cm / 1.6in. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil the potatoes for 10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them sit for 5 minutes to allow the steam to dry them. Return the potatoes to the same saucepan along with the semolina and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cover the saucepan and give it 4-5 shakes to roughen the potato surface.
- Remove the duck from the oven after 40 minutes. Lift the roasting rack with the duck away from the roasting tray, being cautious and using mittens. There should already be some duck fat drippings on the foil. Cover the potatoes with the fat, then place the rack and duck back on top. Put the tray back in the oven.Turn the potatoes every 30 minutes so they'll brown and crisp evenly. The duck will finish roasting before the potatoes. When the duck is out of the oven and resting, increase the oven temperature to 230°C (450°F) or 210°C (410°F) for fan-forced ovens. Roast the potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy
