Cantonese Roast Duck is a Chinese-style whole duck marinaded in a mixture of spices, air-dried over a period of time and roasted until golden in color.
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What is Cantonese roast duck?
Cantonese roast duck is a Chinese-style BBQ duck, commonly found at BBQ meat shops, along side roasted BBQ pork (char siu)(叉燒) along with Chinese sausage (lap cheong)(臘腸) and roasted pork (siu yuk)(燒肉).
The duck is marinaded with various spices and left to air-dry, before it is hung on a rack to be roasted.
Once roasted, the duck is typically chopped into sections before serving.
It's a casual, home-style dish served with steamed rice and vegetables.
What's the difference between Peking duck (北京烤鴨) and Cantonese roast duck (廣州燒鴨)?
Peking duck is a dish from Beijing, China and features thinly sliced crisp duck skin with a little meat.
It's typically served with thin wheat wrappers, also known as Mandarin pancakes, along with julienned cucumber, spring/green onion and hoisin sauce.
Special ingredients you'll need
Dry spice rub (乾抹):
- sand ginger powder (沙薑粉)
- white pepper (胡椒粉)
- dry aged orange peel (chen pei) (陳皮): you can find this dried in packages in Asian supermarkets; also commonly added to red bean soup
- Sichuan peppercorns (red and green) (四川胡椒)
- cloves (丁香)
- star anise (八角)
Wet marinade (醃泡汁):
- hoisin sauce (海鮮醬)
- black bean sauce (豆豉醬)
- oyster sauce (蠔油)
- red bean curd (玫瑰腐乳): are blocks of soybean curd in a fermented red sauce, also used in char siu pork
- soy sauce (醬油)
- Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露酒) or Shaoxing wine (紹興酒)
Glaze (塗油):
- Chinese black vinegar (黑醋)
- maltose (麥芽糖): is a natural sweetener made with malt barley; if you don't have it, you can use honey instead
- red yeast rice powder (紅曲粉): optional, for coloring
Main:
- whole duck (成隻鴨): about 4 lbs
Where to find?
You can find these ingredients at Asian grocery stores or large supermarkets.
How to make Cantonese roast duck at home
To prepare the duck, start with a dry spice rub by grinding spices into a fine powder and setting aside.
Then, make the wet marinade by mashing fermented bean curd into a smooth paste.
For the glaze, combine black vinegar, maltose, and red yeast powder, warming the mixture if needed.
Clean the duck, rubbing it with coarse salt, rinsing, Then rubbing with flour and rinsing.
Pat dry with paper towel, rub with rose wine, then fill the cavity with both dry and wet marinades.
Scald the duck by pouring boiling water over it, pat dry, and brush on the glaze.
Air-dry in the fridge overnight, then roast at 450°F for 15 minutes, lowering to 350°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Let duck rest, then slice and serve.
How to serve Chinese roast duck
Serve Cantonese roast duck with sweet plum sauce and any residual duck juices on freshly steamed rice and Chinese veggies, such as bok choy (青菜), gai lan (蘭花) or yu choy (菜心).
Pair it along with other roasted meats, such as BBQ pork (char siu)(叉燒), crispy pork (siu yuk)(燒肉). Or try it with steamed pork patty (蒸肉餅).
How to store
Store any leftover roast duck in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Roasted duck can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
Leftover bones?
Peel off the duck meat, save the bones and make a broth.
In turn, serve the broth with rice noodles in roasted duck noodle soup.
Other Cantonese pork recipes you may like
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Cantonese Roast Duck
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Dry spice rub (乾抹):
- 20 g sea salt (鹽) (a little over 1 Tbsp)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (砂糖)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (肉桂粉)
- 1 teaspoon sand ginger powder (沙薑粉)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper (胡椒粉)
- 1 dry aged orange peel (chen pei)(陳皮)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (四川胡椒) red and green
- 5-6 cloves (丁香)
- 2 star anise (八角)
Wet marinade (醃泡汁):
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce (海鮮醬)
- 1 tablespoon black bean sauce (豆豉醬)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (蠔油)
- 1 cube red bean curd (玫瑰腐乳) with sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (醬油)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露酒)
- 1 shallot (蔥) minced
- 1 " piece ginger (薑) minced
- 4 cloves garlic (蒜) minced
Glaze (塗油):
- 1 tablespoon black vinegar (黑醋)
- 1 teaspoon maltose (麥芽糖) or honey
- ¼ teaspoon red yeast rice powder (紅曲粉) optional
For cleaning the duck:
- 1-2 tablespoon coarse sea salt (粗鹽)
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour (麵粉)
- 2-3 tablespoon rose wine (玫瑰露酒)
Main:
- 2 kg (about 4 lbs) whole duck (成隻鴨
)
- hot boiling water (沸水)
Instructions
Make the dry spice rub:
- Combine all the ingredients into a spice grinder.
- Blitz until it becomes a fine powder.
- Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Make the wet marinade:
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mash the red fermented bean curd cube into the sauce until smooth.
- Set aside.
Make the syrup glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine black vinegar, maltose, and red yeast powder.
- Warm it up in a microwave for about 20 seconds if the maltose is too stiff.
- Stir together. Set aside.
Clean and prepare the duck:
- Use about 1-2 tablespoon coarse salt, rub the all over the duck and skin and remove any innards. Rinse with water. Rub the duck with the flour, and rinse under cold water.
- Pat duck dry with paper towel.
- Rub duck with a few tablespoon of rose wine.
- Stitch up the neck hole of the duck with a metal skewer.
Dry and wet marinade:
- Add dry spice rub into the cavity of the duck and gently rub it all over inside with your hands.
- Add the wet marinade into the duck cavity and repeat, coating the entire cavity.
- Use a second metal skewer to stitch up the abdominal cavity.
- Place duck onto a trivet or steaming rack in a roasting pan.
Scald the duck:
- Bring a kettle of hot water to a boil.
- Slowly pour the hot water over the entire surface of the duck, and watch for the skin to tighten up, about 15-20 seconds.
- Flip the duck and repeat pouring the hot boiling water over the skin.
- Carefully drain the water from the roasting pan into the sink.
- Use paper towel to pat the duck dry.
Glaze the duck:
- Brush the maltose glaze over the entire duck; flip and repeat with the other side.
Air-dry:
- Place the duck into the refrigerator (uncovered) and let it air dry for at least 12 hours.
- The next day, remove the duck from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Roast the duck:
- Preheat oven to 450°F/232°C.
- Use aluminum foil to cover the wing tips of the duck.
- Roast the duck for 15 minutes at 450°F/232°C.
- Reduce heat down to 350°F/177°C and roast for another 20 minutes for a total of 35 mins on the back side.
- Carefully flip duck with the breast side facing up. Continue roasting for another 20 minutes.
- Remove foil from wing tips. Roast for another 20 minutes.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part of the duck and check to see if it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.
- Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest, covered with foil.
- Slice into pieces and serve.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
I've never cooked / roasted whole duck - only with chunks in a stew. This bird looks perfectly cooked, and it tastes amazing!
Michelle
Thank you Ben -- it's quite a bit of work, but in the end, that succulent duck is just *chefs kiss!*
Heidi
I love all of the fabulous flavors you've infused into this tasty roast duck... YUM Plus, your photos make the process so easy and straight forward to duplicate at home.
Michelle
Thanks Heidi, I'm glad to hear that process photos are a helpful guide. 🙂
Raymund | angsarap.net
This Cantonese roast duck recipe is making my mouth water! I love how you've broken down the steps and the differences between Cantonese and Peking duck, I actually never knew.
Michelle
You're welcome, Raymund! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine
This Cantonese roast duck is the best recipe ever- great results and a more delicious option than a bland turkey on Thanksgiving day. We made a side of fried rice and stir fried veggies and some thin pancakes to serve!
Michelle
Amazing! It's the perfect option for those who may not be the biggest fan of turkey. Sounds like you had such a delicious gathering! 🙂
Mar
The duck is beautifully roasted and the meat is juicy and mouth watering. It is a must on the festive season!
Michelle
Thank you Mar, it is a delicious roast to celebrate with friends and family 🙂