Kitchen Recipe Collection
Peking Duck (Beijing Kao Ya)
The imperial masterpiece of Beijing. A meticulously roasted duck featuring incredibly thin, shatteringly crisp skin, served with thin pancakes, hoisin sauce, and scallions.
- Prep
- 1440 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 1530 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 whole duck (approx. 2-2.5 kg), head and neck on if possible
- 2 tbsp maltose (or honey)
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
- Peking duck pancakes (store-bought or homemade)
- Sweet bean sauce (Tianmianjiang) or Hoisin sauce
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 4 scallions, cut into matchsticks (white parts only)
Equipment
- Air pump (optional)
- Roasting rack
- Meat hook
Instructions
- 1
Clean the Duck
Clean the duck inside and out. Remove any remaining pinfeathers.
- 2
Separate Skin
Use an air pump (or bicycle pump) inserted under the neck skin to pump air between the skin and meat, separating them entirely. This is crucial for crispy skin.
- 3
Blanch the Duck
Pour boiling water repeatedly over the entire duck until the skin tightens and shrinks.
- 4
Make the Glaze
Dissolve the maltose and black vinegar in 1/2 cup of boiling water.
- 5
Glaze the Duck
Brush the maltose glaze evenly all over the duck. This gives it the iconic mahogany color.
- 6
Air Dry
Hang the duck in a cool, well-ventilated place (or in front of a fan) for at least 24 hours. The skin MUST be completely dry and feel like parchment paper.
- 7
Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the duck breast-side up on a rack over a roasting pan filled with 1 inch of water (to catch fat and prevent smoking).
- 8
Roast
Roast for 30 minutes. The skin should start turning brown.
- 9
Lower Heat
Reduce the heat to 325°F (160°C). Flip the duck and roast for another 30 minutes.
- 10
Final Crisp
Flip back to breast-side up. Increase heat to 400°F (200°C) and roast for 10-15 minutes until the skin is deeply mahogany and shatteringly crisp.
- 11
Rest and Carve
Let the duck rest for 15 minutes. Carve the skin and meat into thin slices, ensuring each slice has a piece of crispy skin.
- 12
Serve
Serve by placing duck slices, cucumber, scallions, and a dab of sweet bean sauce inside a thin pancake. Fold and eat.
Cooking Tips
- The drying phase is the most critical step. If the skin has any moisture before roasting, it will be chewy instead of crispy.
- Traditional Peking Duck is carved at the table into exactly 108 slices.
Variations
- Duck Bone Soup: The remaining carcass is traditionally boiled with tofu and cabbage to make a milky white soup served at the end of the meal.
Nutrition Estimate
650 calories · 35g protein · 20g carbs · 48g fat · 2g fiber per serving
