Peking Duck Breast

Wife with the Knife

Get ready to make homemade Peking duck breast! With just a handful of ingredients and a few easy steps, you’ll get that perfectly crispy skin and tender, juicy meat. Slice it up and serve with scallions, onion, cucumber, and your choice of chive or Peking pancakes, it’s a restaurant-quality dish you can make right at home!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Marinating Time 12

Total Time 12 18

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6

Ingredients

For the Duck

4 duck breast
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Mirin
½ tsp Chinese five spice
¼ tsp salt

To Serve

1 cucumber 3″ julienned
⅓ daikon radish 3″ julienned
2-3 scallions / green onions 3″ julienned
½ vidalia or yellow onion thin slices
Hoisin sauce
Mandarin pancakes premade ones are usually found in the frozen section in an Asian market/store
Optional: Steamed Bao Buns or Chinese Chive Pancakes (see notes for links)

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, mirin, salt, and Chinese five spice.
Massage the mix into the duck breasts and refrigerate skin side up on a plate uncovered, overnight to allow the duck to marinate and the skin to dry out. (see note #1)
Remove duck breasts from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
While the duck breast is still cold trim and score the skin (see notes #2 and #3.)
Let duck rest for 30 minutes before cooking, to allow duck to come to room temperature. (see note #4.)
Place duck breast in a cold pan skin side down over low to medium-low heat
Sear the duck breast two at a time, skin side down for about 5-7 minutes. Let the duck breasts sit, undisturbed in the pan. (note #5.)
Flip the duck breast and cook the duck breast for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches around 130°F-135°F (55°C-57°C) for medium-rare (recommended)
Remove the duck breast from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for a 10 -15 minutes before slicing. (see note #6.)
Slice the Peking duck breast against the grain into thing slices and serve with toppings, hoisin sauce, warm pancakes or steamed bao buns.

Notes

Air Drying the Duck Breast: For best results, air dry the duck breasts in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking. This helps to achieve a crispy skin.
Trimming the Skin and Fat: Use a sharp knife or clean pair of scissors to trim any excess skin or fat hanging from the sides of the duck breasts. Keep the skin and fat on top and underneath the breasts for cooking.
Scoring the Skin: Use a sharp knife to make shallow cuts in the duck breast skin. Make five cuts across the width of the duck breast, ensuring even spacing. Rotate the breast 90 degrees and make five more cuts to create a crisscross pattern. Be sure to only score the skin and avoid cutting into the flesh, as this will prevent the meat from drying out. Scoring helps render the fat during cooking and crisps up the skin.
Room Temperature Before Cooking: Allow the duck breasts to come to room temperature before cooking. This ensures even cooking throughout the meat, resulting in a juicier, more tender outcome.
Undisturbed Cooking: Let the duck cook undisturbed in the pan to allow the skin to crisp up properly without sticking.
Resting the Duck: Let the duck breasts rest for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a tender and juicy result.