Herb Roasted Duck

Worth cooking

Got some duck from the grocery store but don’t know what to do with it? You’ll love this easy roast duck recipe that shows you how to roast duck with a few herbs and spices. You’ll love this recipe for the following reasons:

• It is quick! With a prep time of only 10 minutes, you’ll have the duck roasting in the oven so you can free up time to do other things.
• It is insanely tasty! With just two herbs and two dried spices, you get really flavorful and juicy dark meat. This tastes way better than chicken! Our 10-year-old daughter says it is 5 times more flavorful than chicken.
• It is great for the holidays! Not a fan of turkey? Try duck instead. Duck on its own has a really good flavour, and when seasoned well, it makes an unforgettable holiday meal. Plus, it pairs well with cranberry sauce and all your favourite holiday sides.
• It is low-carb friendly! Just add your favorite vegetables! We served it with creamy Brussels sprouts, and it was such a soul-satisfying meal! We’ve had it with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli as well. worth making again!

Ingredients For Herb Roasted Duck

Here is everything you need to make savory Herb Roasted Duck. You might already have the herbs and spices in your pantry.

Here are some notes on key ingredients:

• Duck: We used a duck that was almost 6 pounds. Always estimate about one pound of duck per person. An almost 6-pound duck feeds our family of 7 just fine.
• Spices and herbs: Garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary and thyme pair with the duck to create rich flavors.
• Chicken bouillon powder: A tasty seasoning that elevates the taste of meats, soups, stews, and more. We often use the Knorr brand.
• Stuffing ingredients: Onion quarters, rosemary sprigs, and lemon slices make a great stuffing that imbues flavor into the meat and keeps it juicy as it cooks. If you choose not to stuff your duck, you’ll have to reduce the cooking time.

For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.

Best Herbs For Roast Duck

Many herbs go well with duck including:

• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Basil
• Parsley
• Sage
• Marjoram
• Oregano
• Herb de Provence

When using strong herbs like rosemary or oregano, be careful not to add too much as they could make the taste of the duck overwhelming. A little bit does the trick.

How To Roast Duck

The best way to roast duck, in our opinion, is with herbs and spices. Here is your step-by-step guide for making Herb Roasted Duck. Cooking an entire duck isn’t hard at all!

Thaw and prep the duck: Thaw the duck in the fridge for 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before cooking. Remove excess fat from the cavity of the duck and trim the neck.

Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Add an oven-safe rack on top.

Make cuts on the duck: Pat the bird dry thoroughly with paper towels, then make little slits over the duck breasts with a small sharp knife. These small cuts will help the duck fat to render as the bird cooks.

Season the duck: Drizzle olive oil over the bird. Mix the herbs, spices, and seasoning in a small bowl, then rub all over the bird, including the cavity. Stuff the duck cavity with onions, fresh rosemary sprigs, and lemon slices.

Tie with kitchen twine and tuck wings: Tie the duck legs with butcher twine and tuck the wings underneath the bird.

Roast: Place in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet topped with an oven rack and roast in a 400-degree oven until it registers an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Rest and carve: Let the duck rest covered for about 15 minutes so the juices can redistribute before carving and serving. Transfer to a cutting board, carve with a sharp knife and serve.

Always let roast duck rest for at least 10 minutes before serving so the juices can get back into the meat, yielding juicy duck. Never ever cut roast duck as soon as it comes out of the oven. If you do, the juices will run out, resulting in dry meat.

Duck Cooking Guide + Internal Temperature

While testing this recipe, we found that a good rule was to roast duck for about 20 minutes per pound of duck. So a 5-pound duck will cook in about 100 minutes, which is 1 hour 40 minutes.

Now, the time might be longer or shorter depending on other factors, like whether the duck is stuffed, the oven temperature, and the size of the duck. If you cook at a high temperature like we do, you can cook the duck for a shorter time. You’ll still get juicy succulent meat.

Herb roasted duck should register an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for the meat to be considered safe to eat. A digital meat thermometer (linked below) makes it easy to determine the internal temperature of the bird.

Adapt the seasoning for this whole roast duck and use it on duck legs or duck breasts. Season the duck part you choose and roast in the oven until done.

Duck Recipe FAQs

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 5-6 pounds duck, ours was 5.90 pounds
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme*
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
• 2 sprigs Rosemary, for stuffing cavity
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds, for stuffing cavity
• 1 medium onion, cut into quarters, for stuffing cavity

Method

1. First keep frozen duck to thaw in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then bring the duck to room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Rinse the duck in and out with cool water then pat dry in and out with paper towels.
2. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place an oven-safe rack on top. Preheat oven to 400℉.
3. Remove excess fat from the duck cavity. Trim the duck neck and reserve for stock. Use a small knife to poke small holes all over the duck breasts.
4. Drizzle the olive oil all over the duck and rub the oil on the bird to ensure it coats the bird. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, and fresh rosemary. Sprinkle the seasoning all over the duck and rub it on the skin of the duck and in the cavity of the duck. Stuff the cavity first with the onion quarters then add the fresh sprigs of rosemary and lemon slices. Tie the duck legs with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the bird.
5. Transfer the duck onto the rack on the foil-lined sheet pan. Then place in the preheated oven to roast for 1 hour 30 minutes until it registers an internal temperature of 165℉ (about 74℃) on an instant-read meat thermometer. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking. After the 1st hour, loosely cover the duck with aluminum foil so it doesn't over-brown. If you don't have a meat thermometer, make a small cut on a duck breast. If the juices run clear then the duck is ready.
6. Once the duck is done, remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil then let it rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes so the juices can redistribute. Cut the butcher's twine and discard. Carve and serve.