Make irresistible crispy aromatic duck with Hoisin sauce and pancakes at home following this easy recipe. Duck legs are first marinated, slowly simmered until tender, before crisping up in the Air Fryer or your oven. Everyone will LOVE this homemade Chinese Crispy Duck recipe!
Check out my Air Fryer Roast Duck!
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Crispy duck with pancakes is my kids’ fave dish and I must admit I adore it myself. It’s the ultimate sharing treat to enjoy with family and friends – never a shred left.
Up until recently we would order in Chinese Crispy Duck or buy one of those kits in the supermarket to make it at home.
I really wanted to crack a homemade version of crispy duck myself and after quite a bit of trial error I think I have it!
It is not complicated but it IS a little time consuming. Most of that time is completely hands and with the aid of a slow cooker and the air fryer you can make excellent crispy duck legs at home.
Tender, fall apart and flavour-packed meat and crispy skin… just grab some Chinese pancakes and Hoisin sauce and serve up a feast!
CRISPY DUCK GROCERY LIST
Here’s what you will need to make this recipe. I chose duck legs rather than breasts or a full duck as it is much easier to handle.
- Duck legs, skin on and bone in or a whole duck cut into quarters
- Rice wine (Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine) or alternatively you can use a dry sherry or Mirin
- Dark soy sauce
- Demerara or soft brown sugar
- Star anise and cinnamon sticks
- Fresh ginger
- Spring onions (scallions)
- Chinese Five Spice and ground cloves
- Salt
- Chicken broth (chicken stock)
- Chinese pancakes, Hoisin sauce, spring onions (scallions) and cucumber to serve
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY DUCK
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
MARINATE THE DUCK
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large pot or the slow cooker insert. Add the duck, turning over a few times to coat in the marinade. Cover and leave for two hours or even overnight in the fridge.
SLOW COOK OR SIMMER
Cook on the LOW setting in the slow cooker for 3 hours or simmer very gently in a pot for 90 minutes. If you are cooking on the stove top, check whether you need to top up the liquid.
DRY THE DUCK LEGS
Remove the duck from the slow cooker / pot and place on a wire rack, uncovered, to cool down and dry out. At this point you can store the duck in the fridge for a couple of days, if you like, until ready to serve.
MAKE IT CRISPY
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F for 5 minutes. Place the duck legs skin side up on a rack (or directly in the basket) and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and burnished. You can also crisp up the duck in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F for about 15 minutes.
SHRED THE DUCK AND SERVE
Cut two spring onions (scallions) into thin strips. Slice a cucumber into thin strips (use a julienne peeler for ease).
Rest the duck for five minutes or until cool enough to handle then use two forks to shred the meat from the bone.
Prep the pancakes by steaming for 6 minutes or microwaving (in the packet) for about 30 seconds.
Serve the duck, pancakes, sauce and vegetables immediately. Spread Hoisin sauce on a warm pancake, add the shredded duck, spring onion and cucumber, roll up and enjoy!
How To Get Crispy Skin On Peking Duck?
You can make beautifully crispy duck using only the air fryer. It cooks in about 30 minutes, looks and tastes delicious. BUT, and that’s a biggie for me, the meat won’t be tender enough to shred (you can slice it instead).
I got the best restaurant-worthy results by first marinating for flavor, then simmering to make the meat tender and finally air frying to create beautifully crispy skin.
STORING AND FREEZING
Leftovers will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes at 200°C/ 400°F to refresh before serving.
You can also freeze the duck, after simmering but before crisping up for up to two months, wrapped well. Thaw overnight in the fridge, pat dry and air fry or oven roast as per method.
HAVE YOU MADE MY CRISPY DUCK RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! I have also just launched my TikTok channel and would love to meet you there 🙂
Homemade Chinese Crispy Duck (Air Fryer or Oven)
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINADE
- 4 duck legs or whole duck cut into quarters
- 120 ml (½ cup) Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine substitute dry sherry or Mirin
- 120 ml (½ cup) dark soy sauce
- 100 g (½ cup) Demerara or soft brown sugar
- 2 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- small piece fresh ginger , sliced
- 4 spring onions (scallions), roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Chinese Five Spice seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cloves
TO SIMMER
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken broth or stock , to simmer
TO SERVE
- 1 0 Chinese pancakes (1 pack)
- 2 spring onions (scallions)
- 1 cucumber , seeds removed
- Hoisin sauce as needed
Instructions
MARINATE THE DUCK
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large pot or the slow cooker insert. Add the duck, turning over a few times to coat in the marinade. Cover and leave for two hours or even overnight in the fridge.4 duck legs, 120 ml (½ cup) Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine, 120 ml (½ cup) dark soy sauce, 100 g (½ cup) Demerara, 2 star anise, 2 cinnamon sticks, small piece fresh ginger, 4 spring onions, 2 tbsp Chinese Five Spice seasoning, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cloves
SLOW COOK OR SIMMER
- Add the chicken broth. Cook on the LOW setting in the slow cooker for 3 hours or simmer very gently in a pot for 90 minutes.500 ml (2 cups) chicken broth or stock
DRY THE DUCK LEGS
- Remove the duck from the slow cooker / pot and place on a wire rack, uncovered, to cool down and dry out. Discard the cooking liquid. At this point you can store the duck in the fridge for a couple of days, if you like, until ready to serve.
MAKE IT CRISPY
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F for 5 minutes. Place the duck legs skin side up on a rack (or directly in the basket) and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and burnished. You can also crisp up the duck in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F for about 15 minutes.
SHRED THE DUCK AND SERVE
- Cut two spring onions (scallions) into thin strips. Slice a cucumber into thin strips (use a julienne peeler for easy).2 spring onions, 1 cucumber
- Rest the duck for five minutes or until cool enough to handle then use two forks to shred the meat from the bone.
- Prep the pancakes by steaming for 6 minutes or microwaving (in the packet) for about 30 seconds.1 0 Chinese pancakes, Hoisin sauce
- Serve the duck, pancakes, sauce and vegetables immediately. Sread hoisin sauce on a warm pancake, add the sredded duck, spring onion and cucumber, roll up and enjoy.
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