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    Home » Recipes » Meats

    Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    By Susan Ensley · Dec 8, 2024

    Jump to Recipe
    Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    Elevate your holiday feast with this succulent Roast Duck, glazed to perfection with a tangy cranberry-orange sauce. With a festive twist, this classic dish is slow-roasted to juicy perfection. It's an elegant main course perfect for a special occasion or a cozy family dinner.

    Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
    • Steps to Make Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze
    • Steps to Make the Cranberry-Orange Glaze
    • Recipe Tips and Tricks
    • Other Great Holiday Meats
    • Recipe

    Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need

    Ingredients for Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    Steps to Make Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    1. If the duck is frozen, place it in a deep pan and thaw it in the refrigerator for a few days until it is thawed. Once the duck has thawed, remove it from the packaging and remove everything from inside the cavity.

    Place paper towels on top of a large, sturdy cutting board. Place the duck on top of the paper towels and dry the outside with more paper towels.

    Stuff the cavity with paper towels several times to dry the inside. Use kitchen sheers to trim off the excess fat opposite the cavity opening. Then, use a sharp kitchen knife to score the skin in a criss-cross pattern, taking care not to pierce the meat.

    scoring the skin
    1. Cut the onion and lemon into quarters. Then, stuff the cavity with one of each, making sure to shove them as far inside as possible.
    stuffing with lemon and onion quarter
    1. Then stuff the cavity with ⅓ of the fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. Repeat stuffing with the lemon and onion, alternating with the fresh herbs, ending with the lemon and onion.
    stuffing fresh herbs
    1. Fold the "pope's nose" up and wrap the loose skin at the cavity opening around it, then secure the skin with a toothpick. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine in a figure-eight movement.
    tying legs together
    1. Line a quarter-sheet pan with paper towels and place a quarter-sheet rack inside. Pat the outside of the duck dry with more paper towels and place it on the rack. Reserve one teaspoon of Kosher salt for later, and salt the entire outside of the duck with the remaining salt. Cover the duck and place it in the refrigerator for at least eight hours and up to a day to allow for extra crispy skin.
    salting duck
    1. Remove the duck from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before roasting and preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the duck on a plate upside down and remove the paper towels from inside the sheet pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil, spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray, and place the duck back in the pan. Then, combine the paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and reserved Kosher salt in a small bowl.
    combining spices in bowl
    1. Coat the underside of the duck with half of the spice mixture. Then, place the duck breast side up on the prepared baking pan. Coat the rest of the duck with the remaining spice mixture.
    coating duck in spice mixture
    1. Insert an oven-proof meat thermometer in the thickest part of the duck thigh. Bake in 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an hour.
    inserting meat thermometer

    Steps to Make the Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    1. Place the cranberry juice and orange juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.
    cranberry and orange juices in sauce pan
    1. Add the molasses, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger.
    adding molasses, vinegar, garlic, and ginger
    1. Add the cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Simmer until it slightly reduces.
    adding cinnamon sticks
    1. Whisk cold water into the cornstarch to make a slurry. Then, whisk the slurry into the sauce to avoid clumping and bring it to a boil. Keep whisking, and allow the mixture to boil for about a minute.
    adding slurry to sauce
    1. Remove from the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the orange zest.
    adding orange zest to sauce
    1. After the duck has roasted for one hour and 15 minutes, remove from the oven and use a basting brush to brush the cranberry-orange glaze all over. Return the duck to the oven and continue roasting for another hour or so until the thermometer reaches 165°F, brushing the outside of the duck every 15 minutes with the sauce.
    brushing glaze on duck
    1. Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F, remove the duck from the oven. Remove the thermometer, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the duck and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
    duck out of oven

    This mouthwatering Roast Duck With Cranberry-Orange Glaze is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table. Slow-roasted to juicy perfection, this dish is sure to impress your guests.

    Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • If you don't have a quarter sheet pan and quarter sheet rack, you can use a regular roasting pan.

    Other Great Holiday Meats

    • Honey and Brown Sugar Glazed Holiday Ham
    • Rib Roast with the side dishes.
      Perfect Rib Roast: Simple Elegance for Any Occasion
    • Crown Roast of Pork is an elegant entrée for your special Christmas dinner.
      Crown Roast of Pork
    • Oven-Roasted Lamb with Cowboy Butter Sauce
      Oven-Roasted Lamb Rack with Cowboy Butter Sauce

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    Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    Susan Ensley
    Elevate your holiday feast with this succulent Roast Duck, glazed to perfection with a tangy cranberry-orange sauce.
    5 from 3 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course Christmas, Dinner, Easter, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 1447 kcal

    Equipment

    • quarter sheet rack
    • quarter sheet pan
    • Paper Towels
    • Kitchen Twine
    • Kitchen shears
    • Kitchen Knife
    • aluminum foil
    • Oven-proof meat thermometer
    • Basting Brush

    Ingredients

    • 6 lb Whole Duck
    • 2 tbs Kosher Salt divided
    • 1 Onion quartered
    • 1 Lemon quartered
    • 4 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
    • 12 leaves Fresh Sage
    • 12 sprigs Fresh Thyme
    • 1 teaspoon Sweet Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

    For the Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    • 1 c Cranberry Juice
    • ½ c Orange Juice
    • ¼ c Molasses unsulphured not bootstrap
    • 3 cloves Garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoon Grated Ginger
    • 1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
    • ¼ teaspoon Table Salt
    • pinch Cayenne Pepper
    • 2 Cinnamon Sticks
    • 2 teaspoon Corn Starch
    • 1 tbs Cold Water
    • ½ teaspoon Orange Zest

    Instructions
     

    • If the duck is frozen, place it in a deep pan and thaw it in the refrigerator for a few days until it is thawed. Once the duck has thawed, remove it from the packaging and remove everything from inside the cavity.
    • Place paper towels on top of a large, sturdy cutting board. Place the duck on top of the paper towels and dry the outside with more paper towels. Stuff the cavity with paper towels several times to dry the inside. Use kitchen sheers to trim off the excess fat opposite the cavity opening. Then, use a sharp kitchen knife to score the skin in a criss-cross pattern, taking care not to pierce the meat.
    • Cut the onion and lemon into quarters. Then, stuff the cavity with one of each at a time, making sure to shove them as far as they will go inside. Then stuff with ⅓ of the fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. Repeat stuffing with the lemon and onion, alternating with the fresh herbs, ending with the lemon and onion. Fold the "pope's nose" up and wrap the loose skin at the cavity opening around it, then secure the skin with a toothpick. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine in a figure-eight movement.
    • Line a quarter-sheet pan with paper towels and place a quarter-sheet rack inside. Pat the outside dry with more paper towels and place the duck on the rack. Reserve one teaspoon of Kosher salt for later, and salt the entire outside of the duck with the remaining salt. Cover the duck and place it in the refrigerator for at least eight hours and up to a day to allow for extra crispy skin.
    • Remove the duck from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before roasting and preheat oven to 425°F. Place the duck on a plate upside down and remove the paper towels from inside the sheet pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil, spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray, and place back in the pan.
    • Combine the paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and reserved Kosher salt in a small bowl. Coat the underside of the duck with half of the spice mixture. Then, place the duck breast side up on the prepared baking pan. Coat the rest of the duck with the remaining spice mixture.
    • Insert an oven-proof meat thermometer in the thickest part of the duck thigh. Bake in 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an hour.

    To Make the Cranberry-Orange Glaze

    • Place the cranberry juice and orange juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the molasses, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly reduced.
    • Whisk cold water into the cornstarch to make a slurry. Then, whisk the slurry into the sauce to avoid clumping, and bring it to a boil. Keep whisking, and allow the mixture to boil for about a minute.
    • Remove from the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks, Then, stir in the orange zest.
    • After the duck has roasted for one hour and 15 minutes, remove from the oven and use a basting brush to brush the cranberry-orange glaze all over. Return the duck to the oven and continue roasting for another hour or so until the thermometer reaches 165°F, brushing the outside of the duck every 15 minutes with the sauce.
    • Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F remove the duck from the oven. Remove the thermometer and cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the duck and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
    • Yield 8 servings

    Tips/Notes

    1. If you don't have a quarter sheet pan and quarter sheet rack, you can use a regular roasting pan.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1447kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 40gFat: 134gSaturated Fat: 45gPolyunsaturated Fat: 17gMonounsaturated Fat: 64gCholesterol: 259mgSodium: 2038mgPotassium: 994mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 820IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 9mg
    Keyword Roast Duck with Cranberry-Orange Glaze
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    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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