TOP 15 simple and tasty recipes for cooking duck in the oven so that it is juicy and soft

Duck baked in the oven is not only a festive and tasty dish, but also a rather complex process. To cook poultry flawlessly, you need to know many subtleties and theoretical points, which can then be consolidated in practice. There is quite a wide variety of recipes for duck in the oven, suitable for both beginners and true culinary masters.

How to properly prepare a bird

To properly prepare a duck carcass at home, the cook should know several subtleties of this stage. It is also worth noting that the first and most important secret is that for cooking, preference should be given to a young duck weighing no more than two and a half kilograms.

Is it necessary to soak the carcass?

Many people wonder at what temperature and how long to soak duck meat. To make it soft and juicy, place the bird carcass in salted boiling water for half an hour.

It is also worth noting that defrosting the carcass using a microwave oven is not recommended, since the meat will turn out dry and tasteless.

Recipes for popular marinades

A properly prepared marinade will ensure gastronomic success in cooking poultry.

A classic option is sweet and sour sauce for duck. To do this you will need:

• 1 dessert spoon of flour;
• 4 tablespoons of water;
• 2 dessert spoons of sugar;
• 1 spoon of soy sauce;
• 1 spoon of tomato paste;
• 1.5 tablespoons of vinegar;
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice;
• ginger.

Mix sugar with soy sauce, add vinegar and paste. Separately mix flour with water and add to other ingredients. Boil the mixture and wait until it cools. Pour in lemon juice and add grated ginger. Apply the marinade to the bird and leave it overnight.

Another popular option is a honey and mustard marinade for a whole duck. Components:

• 2 oranges;
• a tablespoon of mustard;
• 1 dessert spoon of soy sauce;
• 3 spoons of honey;
• a pinch of salt.

Season the cut carcass with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix orange juice, mustard, honey and soy sauce. Then thoroughly coat the duck and wrap it with film. Place in the refrigerator for several hours.

How long should you marinate?

Quickly, but at the same time quite simply, you can marinate the duck by adding apples or the most common spices. In order for the cooked carcass to be juicy, you need to immediately transfer all the ingredients into a baking sleeve.

As a rule, marinating takes at least three hours. However, it turns out more delicious if you leave the poultry meat with the marinade overnight.

Basic technology for cooking duck

Only by following the correct preparation and baking technology can you get a real culinary masterpiece.

Optimal baking temperature

To bake duck meat in pieces you will need 200 degrees, and for a whole carcass the optimal temperature is 180 degrees.

Cooking time

Baking a duck carcass takes two and a half hours. However, 15 minutes before cooking, remove the foil to allow a golden brown crust to form.

Recipes with duck

Considering that almost no festive evening is complete without baked duck, a great variety of mouth-watering options have been invented.

Poultry with prunes and apple pieces

These components will give the dish a special taste and additional softness. For this option, it is better to use a baking sleeve. What do you need:

• 300 grams of prunes;
• one duck carcass;
• 100 grams of mayonnaise;
• 2 apples;
• 2 garlic cloves;
• spices to taste.

How to cook: first, keep the prunes in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Rub the duck with mayonnaise and pepper and leave for half an hour. Then mix apples, prunes with garlic, salt and coriander. You need to stuff the carcass with these components and place it in a baking sleeve. Bake for two hours at the desired temperature.

Classic recipe for whole duck in marinade

A properly prepared and baked whole duck is no less juicy and tasty than one cut into pieces. There are several options for preparing the meat of this bird.

Up your sleeve

According to this recipe, the duck comes out especially tender and juicy, since it is baked in its own juices. In the classic version, it is enough to rub the duck with salt and pepper, after soaking it in boiling water. Then place a few garlic cloves inside the bird.

Then wrap it in a sleeve, tie the edges and bake for two and a half hours.

With potato

You can also prepare a delicious dish with baked potatoes - and you don't need foil or a sleeve for this. First, potatoes and onions are cut into slices and placed in a mold. The bird should be coated with spices and placed on vegetables. From time to time you should baste the carcass with fat.

With buckwheat

If you bake a carcass with buckwheat, the cereal will absorb excess fat, and the meat will turn out to be as tender and tasty as possible. Following the recipe, you will have to rub the skin with mustard and spices of your choice. Then stuff the bird’s belly with boiled buckwheat porridge and close with toothpicks or thread. All that remains is to bake.

In honey marinade

Juicy poultry in a honey marinade is a simple and tasty way to cook. Components:

• 1 duck;
• 2 apples;
• 2 tablespoons mustard;
• spoon of honey;
• a couple of cloves of garlic;
• spices to taste;
• 2 tablespoons of oil.

Preparation instructions: mix mustard with honey, butter and grated garlic. Coat the duck with pepper and salt on all sides. Place cut apples inside. Then you need to place the carcass in the marinade, rub it well and leave for a day. Then cover with foil and bake for 2.5 hours at 180 degrees.

Duck with rosemary and oranges

For perfect taste, citrus fruits and aromatic herbs are best suited.

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges;
• bunch of rosemary;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• salt and spices.

How to cook: First, thoroughly wash and dry the bird. Then rub it with spices and salt and leave it like that for an hour. Then stuff the carcass with orange slices and rosemary sprigs, and tie the legs or secure with toothpicks. In a separate bowl, mix the orange zest, crushed garlic and olive oil.

Then make small cuts in the skin, coat the carcass with this mixture and bake for 2.5 hours.

Beijing style

Cooking poultry according to this recipe is quite simple if you skip the complex technological steps. Components:

• 2 liters of water;
• half a teaspoon of cinnamon, red pepper and star anise;
• 2 tablespoons honey;
• 5 garlic heads;
• 1 dessert spoon of ground ginger;
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce;
• salt.

Directions: Mix honey, cinnamon, star anise, red pepper and water in a bowl. Boil the mixture and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the prepared marinade over the skin and then rub it with ground ginger. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 12 hours). Then pour soy sauce over the duck, cover with foil and bake for two hours.

Recipe for cooking poultry in foil

Foil is necessary to maintain the set temperature, and it will also prevent the meat from burning. For this recipe you need:

• 1 kilogram of onion;
• lemon;
• 2 tablespoons mustard and honey;
• soy sauce;
• salt and pepper.

Preparation: For the marinade, combine honey, sauce, mustard, pepper and salt. Rub the skin with this and stuff the bird with chopped onion and lemon. Line a baking sheet with foil, place the duck, seal it tightly and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours. After this, bake for 3 hours, and 15 minutes before ready to open the foil.

Poultry in lingonberry sauce

This recipe makes a truly delicious and savory dish. What to take:

• spoon of honey;
• duck;
• salt and pepper;
• 200 grams of lingonberries;
• starch;
• sugar.

How to prepare: for the sauce you need to grind the berries, add honey, sugar, starch, salt and pepper to them and boil this mixture for 5 minutes. First, rub the duck with honey, salt and pepper, and then put it in the refrigerator for an hour. During baking, you should pour the resulting juice over the bird.

In pomegranate sauce

To get aromatic and incredibly tasty meat, you should try this recipe. What do you need:

• medium duck;
• orange;
• 300 milliliters of pomegranate juice;
• dessert spoon of dry rosemary;
• 1 spoon of honey;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation: In a separate bowl, mix rosemary, honey, orange zest, pepper and salt. Rub the mixture over the bird and leave for an hour. Then move it into the mold, pour over orange juice and pomegranate juice.

Then all that remains is to bake the duck at 180 degrees for 2.5 hours, periodically basting with juice.

Stuffed duck “New Year’s luxury”

Fragrant duck is a must-have decoration for every holiday table.

The recipe requires:

• medium duck;
• 100 grams of breading;
• apple;
• 2 chicken eggs;
• lemon jam;
• 2 oranges;
• salt, pepper and cinnamon.

How to cook: mix breading with pepper, cinnamon and grated apple. Add salt, pepper, egg and lemon jam to the mixture. Beat everything thoroughly. Rub the skin with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Then you need to fill the bird with the prepared mixture, place orange slices next to it and put it in the oven.

Wild duck in the oven

To prevent the meat from turning out too dry, it is important to follow all cooking rules. Components:

• duck;
• 5 apples;
• 2 onions;
• bunch of rosemary;
• salt and pepper.

Instructions: pre-soak for 3 hours in cold water and vinegar. Pat the bird dry and season with salt and pepper. Stuff it with chopped apples, onions and rosemary sprigs. And also grease the skin with olive oil. Then place in the oven for 2 hours at 200 degrees.

Fragrant crispy duck legs with plums

When fried with a variety of spices and a creamy sauce, the result is sure to be an incredible dish. Components:

• 4 legs;
• 6 plums;
• orange juice;
• Five spice mixture;
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and honey.

Preparation: mix spices, soy sauce, juice and honey in a mold. Place plums cut in half there, as well as duck legs, which should be well dipped in the sauce on all sides. Bake for 50 minutes, periodically brush the bird with sauce.

Stuffed duck with pineapple

An unusual and original dish can be prepared with pineapple pieces. What do you need:

• spoon of soy sauce;
• canned pineapple;
• salt and pepper;
• mayonnaise.

Preparation: wash and dry the carcass, then thoroughly coat with salt, pepper, any spices and mayonnaise. Make punctures with a fork and leave for an hour. Then fill it with pineapples, put it in a baking sleeve and pour in pineapple juice.Place in the oven for 2 hours.

Appetizing duck with potatoes in the oven

This is a simple yet delicious way to prepare a delicious bird. What to take:

• 1 kilogram of potatoes and duck;
• salt, coriander, pepper and paprika;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 100 grams of mayonnaise.

How to cook: mix mayonnaise with grated garlic, salt and black pepper. Rub the skin with this mixture and leave for half an hour. Brush the peeled potatoes with paprika and salt. Pour oil onto a baking sheet, place all the prepared ingredients and bake for an hour and a half.