How to Roast a Whole Duck with Glorious Sweet Orange-Five Spice Glaze

Learn how to roast a whole duck with a crispy skin and a delicious orange, honey, and five-spice glaze! Perfect for Christmas or any special roast dinner. Step-by-step tips for prepping, seasoning, and glazing your duck to perfection.

Watch The Recipe Video Below

How to Roast a Whole Duck with Glorious Sweet Orange-Five Spice Glaze

Serves: 4–6

Prep time: 20 minutes + optional 1–2 days for drying skin

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients

For the Duck:

1 x Whole Duck

1 tsp x Salt

½ tsp x Chinese Five-Spice

1 x Orange, cut into chunks

For the Glaze:

20ml x Soy Sauce

80g x Runny Honey

Juice of 1 orange

1 tsp x Chinese Five-Spice

Method

Prep the Duck:

Preheat oven to 160°C (fan) / 180°C (conventional).

Pat the duck dry with kitchen paper. For extra crispy skin, remove from packaging 1–2 days ahead and leave uncovered in the fridge, or hang if possible.

Remove wing tips and any excess skin. Optional: lightly score the skin in a criss-cross pattern (without cutting into the meat) to help render fat.

Season the Duck:

Mix 1 tsp salt with ½ tsp Chinese five-spice.

Sprinkle seasoning inside the cavity and add orange chunks.

Lift the legs and tie together to keep a neat shape.

Initial Roast:

Place the duck on a wire rack over a tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes to start rendering the fat.

Prepare the Glaze:

Combine soy sauce, honey, orange juice, and 1 tsp five-spice in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Glazing and Roasting:

After the first 30 minutes, brush a thin layer of glaze over the duck. Roast another 30 minutes.

Repeat glazing every 15 minutes for three more intervals, ensuring the duck is evenly coated.

Final Glaze (Optional):

Reduce any remaining glaze in a small saucepan until slightly sticky and brush over the cooked duck for extra shine and flavour.

Serve:

Let the duck rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve with your favourite sides or as part of a festive meal.