Orange-Maple Roast Duck Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

  • Duck
  • Easy
  • Recipes
  • Slow Cooking
  • Thanksgiving

by Kylie PerrottiPosted on December 4, 2021November 23, 2023

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This orange-maple roast duck recipe may be time-consuming but it’s so unbelievably easy to prepare and tastes incredible.

If you’ve ever been intimidated by a roast duck recipe but you’ve wanted to try making it, this recipe is for you. It truly is a no-fuss recipe that tastes absolutely delicious.

Orange-Maple Roast Duck Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (1)

How to Make this Orange-Maple Roast Duck Recipe:

To make this orange-maple roast duck, simply start by removing the giblets from the duck. If the neck is attached, you can remove it with kitchen shears or simply leave it in the cavity like I did.

Next, create slits along the fatty part of the duck – the breasts, in between where the legs meet the body, and in between where the wings meet the body. Alternatively, you can also prick the bird all over but slits is the preferred method. This allows the fat to render from the bird.

Next, pat the duck all over with season liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the duck with quartered clementines and shallots.

From there, it’s simply the slow process of roasting. Line a sheet pan with foil and place a raised rack on top. Place the duck, breast-side up, and tie the legs together. If you don’t have kitchen twine, you can cut a 1” wide piece of foil and roll it into a tube and use that to tie the legs up. You’ll alternate roasting the duck breast-side up, breast-side down, and breast-side up for the final roasting time.

While the duck is roasting, you’ll prepare the glaze. Simply combine juice from 4 clementines, star anise pods, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard in a pot and simmer it for 10 minutes.

Orange-Maple Roast Duck Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (2)

Looking for more duck recipes? Check my archives!

If you made this orange-maple roast duck recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!

Orange-Maple Roast Duck Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (3)

Orange-Maple Roasted Duck

This orange-maple roast duck recipe may be time-consuming but it's so unbelievably easy to prepare and tastes incredible.

4.31 from 65 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • Sheet pan

  • Roasting rack

  • Small pot

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare the Duck:

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.

  • Pat the duck dry and use a sharp knife to create angled slits along the breast. Cut into the fatty parts around where the legs meet the body and between the wings and the body. You just want to make enough slits around the fatty part of the duck skin so that the fat renders out.

Stuff the Duck:

  • Peel the shallots and quarter. Quarter 4 of the clementines. Stuff the duck with the clementines and shallots and tie the legs together. Season the duck liberally with salt and pepper.

Roast the Duck:

  • Line a baking sheet with foil and place a raised roasting rack on the foil. Place the duck on top and transfer to the oven, breast-side up, for 1 hour.

  • Flip the duck and roast, breast-side down, for 1 more hour.

  • Remove the duck from the oven. At this point, you can drain off the duck fat and reserve it for another use.

  • Roast the duck, breast-side up for 20 minutes more.

Prepare the Glaze:

  • As the duck finishes the 20-minute roast from the previous step, make the glaze. In a saucepan, combine the juice of the remaining 4 clementines, maple syrup, 4 star anise pods, and the Dijon mustard and whole-grain mustard. Bring to a boil and whisk until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

  • Remove the duck from the oven and brush half the glaze over the duck. Return to the oven for 20 more minutes.

  • Brush the duck with the remaining glaze and bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 4-5 minutes until the skin darkens on top, being careful not to burn the sugars in the glaze.

To Serve:

  • Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before carving.

Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!

Orange-Maple Roast Duck Recipe | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why do you boil duck before roasting? ›

Pat duck dry. With a large sharp fork, prick the skin all over (approach at an angle) being careful not to pierce the meat (if meat is pierced, it will dry out). Carefully put the duck in the pot of boiling water; boil for 10 minutes. This will help render out some of the fat.

Should I sear a duck before roasting? ›

The journey towards perfectly roasted or baked duck breast entails commencing with a searing process. This initial step sets the foundation for achieving the ideal oven-roasted duck breast—a tantalizingly golden and crisp exterior juxtaposed with a succulent, flavorful interior.

How do you make duck taste good? ›

Duck breast fillets can be brined for six to 12 hours. If you're short on time, just a few hours in the brine will always help. Once brined, give your ducks a rinse with cold water, pat dry and start your favorite recipe.

What's a good glaze for duck? ›

For the glaze, mix the honey, soy, Sherry and mustard in a bowl. When the duck has had its time, remove it from the oven, pour off any fat from the tin and baste generously with the glaze.

What should you soak your duck meat in before cooking it? ›

Always Brine Ducks and Geese

Soaking waterfowl in a saltwater solution replaces blood with brine. The process also adds flavor and moisture. Once brined in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, the meat will be paler in color, giving it less of a livery look and more the appearance of domestic meat.

Should you cover a duck when roasting? ›

Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours. Remove the aluminium foil and continue cooking uncover for 30 to 40 minutes to make the skin crispy and brown.

Why is my roast duck tough? ›

The Importance of Proper Prep

Vigorously simmering the leg and thigh meat on the stovetop before roasting the birds in the oven jumpstarts these tougher portions so that they finish cooking at the same time as the breast meat.

What temperature should duck be cooked at? ›

The USDA recommends 165°F (74°C) internal temperature for all poultry.

How long to roast a whole duck? ›

Prick the skin around the duck legs. Season the duck all over with salt and pepper. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting tin and roast in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes per KG plus 10 minutes extra. When the duck is cooked cover with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.

What seasonings are good for ducks? ›

Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, five spice powder, dry mustard and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck so it has a 1/4-inch diamond pattern. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck.

How to get rid of the gamey taste in duck? ›

In order to get rid of that undertone of wild game, I soak the birds in buttermilk (after the feathers are removed) overnight in the refrigerator. When I'm ready to cook them, I take them out, one at a time, and roll them in flour or breadcrumbs. The gamey flavor is gone by then.

What is the tastiest duck to eat? ›

Pekin duck is the most popular duck to eat. Pekin duck meat is known for its mild, satisfying flavor that easily adapts to a number of cuisines. It has lighter flesh and milder flavor than either Moulard or Muscovy duck, and is considered perfect for whole roasting.

What to serve with orange duck? ›

I like to serve duck à l'orange with a simple green salad and steamed rice, to soak up all the sauce, though potatoes or crusty bread work well too.

Can you buy ready made orange sauce for duck? ›

A delicious ready made orange sauce to go with duck, game, chicken and pork.

What is traditional duck sauce made of? ›

Ingredients. It is made of plums, apricots, pineapples or peaches added to sugar, vinegar, ginger and chili peppers. It is used in more traditional Chinese cuisine in the form of plum sauce.

Should I blanch duck before roasting? ›

Blanching the duck and piercing its skin helps render the fat during roasting.

How do you keep ducks from splattering in the oven? ›

All that fat can make a mess of your oven. But the solution is simple: keep a thin layer of water in the roasting pan. The fat drips into it and stays there. (You'll need a rack to elevate the duck, but you should be using one for a crisp bird anyway.)

How do you prepare a duck before cooking? ›

Remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard or reserve for another use. Cut off excess fat from duck cavity. Place duck, breast side down (wings up), on a rack in a roasting pan; add water to come just below the rack. Sprinkle duck with pepper and brush with a little soy sauce.

How long do you boil duck for? ›

If you cook the duck as a separate dish, put it into boiling water, which ensures juiciness and higher nutritional value. The whole duck cook over low heat for 1.5 hours, the pieces - for 30-40 minutes. If needed, add the water to at all times cover the surface of the meat.

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