If you are looking for something a little bit different to serve on Christmas day or a Sunday Roast, then why not try this Honey Roast Duck? Crispy and tender roasted duck with a little sweetness from the honey and orange and a hint of thyme, that just falls off the bone.
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The festive season doesn't have to be all about turkey, and your guests might appreciate the change. This post includes our top tips on how to cook duck too.
Most people only eat duck when it is shredded and served with hoisin sauce from their local Chinese takeaway, but it makes such a nice roast dinner alternative and this is one of our favourite roast duck recipes.
If you have been put off cooking duck, don't be. It's really simple. Roasted duck gets the skin nice and crispy and you can just put it in the oven and forget about it until it needs basting. The honey and orange makes it taste simply amazing. This duck roast is the perfect lazy Sunday meal but impressive enough for a special occasion..
If you are looking for more roast dinner meats to try, why not try our Slow Cooker Roast Beef , Slow Cooker Beef Brisket or Best Roast Chicken recipes?
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Why You Will Love It
- A nice alternative to a Sunday roast - If you are bored of roast chicken and beef, then this roast duck makes a nice change. It's not as difficult to cook as you might think either.
- A new way to try duck - If you have only ever had duck pancakes, then you need to give this a try.
- Great for feeding a crowd - If you are feeding a big family this Christmas, then this duck roast will be perfect for serving up to wow them with.
- Freezes well - If you have leftovers, you can wrap slices of the meat up and keep in the freezer for quick and easy roast dinners.
- Just 5 ingredients - This is so simple to make and you only need 5 ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- A whole duck - This is a whole duck recipe. You can usually find these in the supermarket around Christmas time (some supermarkets stock it all year round) or you can pick it up from your local butcher.
- An orange - This adds so much freshness to the roast duck, and duck and orange are a classic combination.
- Honey - Not only does this add a lovely sweetness, but it helps the duck skin get lovely and crispy too.
- Thyme - Honey and thyme are a delicious combination, but you could swap it for rosemary if you prefer.
- Sea salt and black pepper
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Roast a Duck
Prep: Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/430°F/Gas 7.
- Step 1: Squeeze a little orange juice inside the duck cavity and then place two orange halves and two sprigs of thyme into the cavity of the duck. Season all over with sea salt and black pepper.
- Step 2: Place the duck into a large roasting pan and put into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the skin begins to crisp. Reduce the heat to 190°C/370°F/Gas 5.
- Step 3: Cook for a further 40 minutes then remove from the oven. Drizzle the honey over the duck and sprinkle over thyme leaves and put back in the oven.
- Step 4: Baste regularly and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F the duck is cooked.
- Step 5: Once cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to settle, resulting in rally juicy meat.
Roast Duck Flavours
Honey and duck are such a delicious combination and you only have to look at a Chinese restaurant menu to see that it is also a classic and traditional combination.
We have kept the flavours simple with this roasted duck recipe and the honey combined with the orange give it just enough sweetness so you notice it, but it's not overpowering. The honey also helps the skin to get nice and crispy too.
Other than some salt and pepper, the only other flavour you will taste on this duck is some thyme, which I always think goes really well with honey.
Serving Suggestions
This epic honey roast duck is a must when it comes to a Sunday roast dinner. But, what is a Sunday roast without all the vegetables and sides? And do we have some side dishes for you!? Take a look of some of these that go perfectly with this roasted duck:
- Easy Roast Potatoes
- Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli
- Balsamic and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Cauliflower Cheese
- Air Fryer Parsnips
- Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
- The BEST Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Mustard and Honey Roasted Parsnips
- Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
- Vegetable Mash
- Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Garlic and Parsley Roasted Carrots
- Easy Sautéed Cabbage
Dannii's Top Tips
- If duck isn't your thing, then you could use this same recipe for chicken instead.
- Swap the thyme for rosemary or marjoram if you have some that needs using.
- Add some garlic cloves inside the cavity or some garlic powder on the skin for a garlic roast duck.
- A couple of cloves of garlic stuffed into the cavity would add some nice extra flavour.
- Don't waste the juices in the tin after it has finished roasting - use them to make gravy.
- When the duck has finished cooking, it is important to let it rest before carving it, because all the juices will soak into the meat, making it more juicy.
- Don't throw away the carcass, as you can make stock from it. Follow our recipe for Chicken Stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you don't have many guests over and have lots of the meat left over, you can slice it up and wrap it up and it will keep in the freezer for 2 months. It will also keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, perfect for leftover roast sandwiches.
Leftover cooked duck will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at the bottom of the fridge. To freeze the duck, once cooled fully, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or put in air tight containers and freeze immediately.
Never let duck thaw at room temperature - always defrost in the fridge overnight and use within 2-3 days.
Don't leave anything to chance and get yourself a Thermapen meat thermometer so you can be sure that the meat is cooked to a safe temperature (74°C when it comes to duck and chicken). It gives an accurate reading in just 3 seconds!
We used a 1.3kg duck, which is what the cooking times in this recipe are for. If your duck is bigger or smaller than ours, then you will need to adjust the cooking time.
More Roast Recipes
If you've tried this Honey Roasted Duck recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Honey Roast Duck
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg (3 lb) Whole duck
- 1 Orange
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 2 sprig Thyme - whole
- 2 sprig Thyme - leaves only
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/430°F/Gas 7.
- Squeeze a little juice from 1 Orange inside 1.3 kg Whole duck and then place two halves of 1 Orange and 2 sprig Thyme into the bird's cavity. Season all over with Sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Place the duck in a roasting tin and put into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until the skin begins to crisp, then reduce the heat to 190°C/370°F/Gas 5.
- Cook for a further 40 minutes then remove from the oven. Drizzle 2 tablespoon Honey over the duck and sprinkle over the leaves of 2 sprig Thyme and put back in the oven.
- Baste regularly and check the temperature. When the internal temperature reaches 74° the duck is cooked (this should take around a further 20 minutes).
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- If duck isn't your thing, then you could use this same recipe for chicken instead.
- Swap the thyme for rosemary if you have some that needs using.
- A couple of cloves of garlic stuffed in to the cavity would add some nice extra flavour.
- Don't waste the juices in the tin after it has finished roasting - use them to make gravy.
- When the duck has finished cooking, it is important to let it rest before carving it, because all the juices will soak into the meat, making it more juicy.
- Don't throw away the carcass, as you can make stock from it. Follow our recipe for Chicken Stock.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Mel says
I've had a whole duck in my freezer for over a year having bought it in the sale after Christmas 2021! I LOVE duck, but for some reason, although I'm a competent cook, I've been a bit scared to try my hand at it - I am a first-time duck cook! I finally bit the bullet & got it out a couple of days ago to defrost (it was due to go out of date in March 2023!). Then I found your recipe.....
SO glad I did! Wonderful flavours, crispy skin & yes, easy!
I took your advice and chucked 4 fat cloves of garlic (love garlic here!) in the cavity along with a sprinkling of dried thyme (sadly couldn't get fresh) and the fresh orange halves & juice. The only thing I did differently is I mixed some of the fresh orange juice from an extra orange I had with the honey & thyme to drizzle over the duck.
So delicious! I served with roast potatoes & parsnips and a medley of veg - tenderstem broccoli, fine beans, baby corn & mangetout. I scooped out the cooked garlic cloves, chopped into slightly smaller chunks and mixed into the veg. Yum :)
Made a gravy with chicken gravy granules, chicken stock cube, black pepper, small pinch of thyme & all the juices (inc. fat!) from the pan, whisking it into a lovely smooth, thick, glossy gravy.
Thank you so much for this recipe. Loved it - definitely special enough to impress!
Dannii says
Thanks so much for your lovely review. I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Nancy says
Made this for dinner tonight. Easy and DELICIOUS!!! I scored the skin before roasting but that was the only "adjustment" I made. My husband raved about it. Thanks for the recipe!
Dannii says
So glad you all enjoyed it! It is one of our favourites.
Emilee says
If we have a 2kg duck, how will it effect the cooking time?
Dannii says
You should roast a duck for 40 minutes per KG plus 10 minutes extra. That means a 2kg duck should take 90 minutes. However, saying that, we find that leaving it in the oven for a bit longer is best - I would suggest roasting for around 100-110 minutes. A meat thermometer will really help judge if the duck is cooked.
Cliff Tigert says
Always include both Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures so everyone and their thermometers are covered. Also include how many people a duck will serve.
Dannii Martin says
Hi cliff, we include celcius and fahrenheit with the oven temperatures, however we will include it for the cooked temperature too. However, if you check out the recipe card it shows you right there how many people every recipe serves.
ved says
Thank you so much for this sharing.
Gene Chandler says
I tried your honey duck impeccable
Dannii says
So glad you enjoyed it :)
Elaine Benoit says
I adore duck! I've never had it honey roasted but I bet it gives it such a nice flavor. Your duck looks so delicious and super easy!
Allison says
This will be the perfect addition to our holiday meal! My grandparents always made duck, I haven't had it in years. Thanks for sharing!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
Oh wow the flavours in this dish have my mouth watering! We don't have duck too often but I certainly need to give this a try!
Ellen says
Such an impressive recipe! The duck is perfectly roasted and tasted amazing! My hubby loved this dish.
Barbara says
Great Idea. I love duck and I will try it.
Edyta at Eating European says
Oh gosh, I love duck. I make it for special occasions. Maybe I should make one this Christmas. You got me thinking. Your recipe looks amazing.
Natalie says
Wow that's one tasty looking roasted duck. I love the colour and I bet it taste just fantastic. This is perfect for upcoming Holidays.
Demeter says
Wow, it really is such an easy recipe! I'm sure your guests will be impressed!
Danielle Wolter says
Duck is seriously one of my favorite meats ever. I absolute love a good roasted duck. Especially with honey. Yum!
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
The combination of orange and honey with duck is just perfect to serve for a little bit fancier, but truly comforting Christmas dinner :)