Crispy roasted duck with golden skin and juicy, flavorful meat — an elegant yet simple centerpiece for any special meal.

If you love duck with crackling golden skin, juicy meat, and bold Caribbean-inspired aromatics , this crispy roasted duck will quickly become your holiday favorite. This method uses a high-heat finish for that restaurant-style crispiness plus easy seasoning, no complicated steps, and big flavor.

I love using Maple Leaf Farms whole duck for this recipe; it’s a trusted brand that’s all-natural, gluten-free, and comes with a flavorful orange sauce that makes holiday prep even easier. I alsoprefer to use this annatto paste for deeper flavor and rich color, but if you don’t have it on hand, annatto powder works perfectly fine for color as well. I would recommend, if the color of the duck isn’t a big concern for you but more so flavor, you can simply omit annatto paste or powder altogether.

Whether you're serving this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a cozy Sunday dinner, this recipe is beginner-friendly and delivers impressive results every time.

Love this recipe! Be sure to check out these others on the blog:

• Homemade Crispy Fried Chicken

• Spicy Peri-Peri Spatchcocked Cornish Hens

• Easy Oven-Baked Jerk Chicken

Why This Recipe Works

• Crispy Skin, No Deep Fryer Needed: By roasting first and then giving the duck skin a quick high-heat finish (in a hot pan or oven), you render out the fat and crisp the skin without needing a deep fryer.

• Dry-Rub or Marinade for Flavor + Drying: Rubbing or marinating the duck with aromatics like, salt, five-spice, ginger, garlic, scallions, not only seasons it deeply, but also helpsdry outthe skin. Many chefs recommend refrigerating the seasoned duck uncovered overnight so surface moisture evaporates. A key trick for ultra-crispy skin.

• Simple Yet Bold Seasonings: This recipe uses pantry staples such as: soy sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar plus aromatics like, ginger, garlic, scallions, five-spice, which pack big flavor with minimal fuss. Five-spice powder, a staple in Chinese duck recipes, adds warmth. A little brown sugar and annatto (for color) balance the savoriness. The result is a richly flavored duck that tastes gourmet yet easy for home cooks.

• Tender Meat, Juicy Results: Roasting the duck slowly at moderate oven heat (around 350°F) ensures the dark meat stays juicy and tender. The fat under the skin melts and can even be spooned out to make potatoes or other dishes while the duck rests.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerator: Cool any leftover duck quickly, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

• Freezing: To keep longer, wrap pieces well in foil or freezer bags (remove air) and freeze. Frozen duck will keep quality for 1-3 months.

• Reheating (Crispy Skin Tips): If you want the skin to remain crispy then reheat in the oven (about 325–350°F for 10–15 min) or on the stovetop. For best results, place each piece skin-side down in a hot skillet (no extra oil needed) and let the skin get crisp again for 5 minutes.

FAQ

• Do I need to score the duck skin? While not absolutely mandatory, scoring (making shallow cuts) or pricking the skin is highly recommended. It helps fat render out faster and ensures the skin puffs up and crisps uniformly. Just be careful to cut the skin only, not deep into the meat.

• Can I prepare this ahead of time? Yes! You can marinate the duck the night before (even up to 24 hours) to let the seasoned duck chill and build flavor.

• Can I air-fry the duck? You can air-fry pieces of duck (especially legs or wings) to crisp the skin after roasting, but a whole duck usually won’t fit. If you have an extra-large air-fryer or a spatchcocked duck, you could try it: roast first, then air-fry at high temp 2–3 minutes skin-side down until crackling.