Duck in oven bag is a great alternative for your holiday feast. This juicy, flavorful, stuffed with apples and prunes duck will impress your guests and family. It's easy to prepare, and it's sure to be a centerpiece on your holiday table.
We usually enjoy this duck cooked in oven bag on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I buy a frozen bird and keep it in my freezer for a special occasion or a holiday. It takes only 2 days on average to thaw it in the fridge. A roasted whole duck is a perfect bird for a small family feast. Keep in mind, if you have over 5 guests, you may need to cook 2 birds.
You can also try our whole turkey in oven bag or a perfectly roasted chicken using an oven bag.
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Why you will love this easy duck recipe
- it's great for a small family holiday meal. You will not be tired of eating the leftovers for the next week (cause there will be no much), like when you make a whole turkey. A duck usually weighs between 4-6 pounds.
- this roast duck recipe is a perfect alternative main dish for Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving.
- this easy roast duck recipe does not require flipping the bird, changing temperatures, brining, or basting.
- your roast pan will remain mostly clean because the duck is cooked in a parchment oven bag.
Ingredients
Whole Duck: frozen duck is usually available in the United States. If you find fresh duck, it's even better.
Salt: you will need salt to rub the whole duck.
Spice Mix: I make my own by using garlic powder, coriander, paprika and black pepper. You can also use other spices of your choice.
Green Apple: cubed and cored for stuffing.
Prunes: these are optional, but they give a nice aroma and sweetness.
Fresh Sage: just a few whole twines for stuffing.
Soy Sauce and Honey: you will need both for glazing the duck. Glazing will make the skin crispy and golden.
Equipment
You will need glass deep dish, cutting board, knife, measuring spoon, small bowl for the spice mix.
Besides the above items that are easily found in almost every kitchen, you will need a few special items to make this baked whole duck:
Large Parchment Bags: I found mine at whole foods, but I am sure you can order those online. Of course, you can use more common plastic baking bags, but I try to avoid cooking in plastic or foil whenever possible.
Cooking Twine and Needle: you will need it to close the opening to prevent the stuffing from falling out.
How to cook a duck in oven bag
1. Take the thawed duck out of the fridge. Remove the neck and any giblets and save them for another use. Dry the duck as much as you can inside and out, using paper towels. Rub the duck all over with salt and some into the cavity. Mix the equal parts of the spices. Repeat the rubbing process with the spice mix. he duck aside on the counter to rest.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F Degrees. Cube and core the apple. Stuff the duck with apples, dates, and some fresh sage. Using twine and a needle saw the cavity so apples and dates are not falling out.
3. Lay the parchment bag in your baking dish. Make sure to follow the instructions on your parchment bags packaging. Mine instructed to keep the seam up. Place the duck inside the center of the parchment paper (breast up). Seal the open end by folding it tightly as many times as possible and tucking any hanging paper inside the pan.
4. Place the duck in the oven (center rack). Bake it for 2 hours or until the juices run clear and the temperature reaches 165 Degrees. The breast may remain slightly pink.
5. Take out the duck of the oven. Cut and open the parchment paper, so only the bottom of the duck remains in the bag. I used kitchen scissors to do so, since my bag was huge. Drain most of the fat in a separate container for later use. Ducks fat can be stored in the fridge, and it is great for cooking. In a separate bowl mix soy sauce and honey until combined. Rub the mix all over the skin. Do not forget about legs and wings.
6. Place the bird back in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the skin becomes beautiful and golden.
7. Let the duck stand for 10-15 minutes before carving. You can also save the fruit stuffing and serve it alongside meat.
Roasted duck serving suggestions
- serve the holiday roast duck with traditional bread stuffing and cranberry sauce.
- mashed potatoes, roasted fennel, roasted herb potatoes and green beans, potato wedges, duck fat fries, sweet potato rounds.
- grilled asparagus or steamed broccoli.
- carrot and raisin salad, grated raw beet and carrot salad, purple cabbage slaw.
Storing and reheating
Refrigeration: store the leftovers (if any left) in the fridge by placing the meat in an airtight container. The meat will remain fresh in the fridge for about 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Freezing: there are usually not so many leftovers. If you happen to have some duck meat left, that you know, will not be used within 3 days, it's better to freeze it. The easiest way is to place the meat (no bones) in a freezer-friendly zip-lock bag and keep it frozen for about 2 months.
Recipe variations
- you can experiment with different spices and herbs.
- stuff the duck with some fresh oranges instead of apples and dates.
- if you do not want to use baking bags, bake your duck on a regular roast pan, just cover the duck with foil tightly until it's time for the glaze.
Other family favorite holiday recipes
- Chicken liver pate
- Roasted turkey breast
- Roasted butterflied whole chicken
- Lamb shoulder chops
- Roasted green beans and carrots
- Ukrainian Christmas Kutia
- Ukrainian Olivier Salad
- Ukrainian Christmas Uzvar
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted turkey legs
- Easy caviar appetizer
Frequently asked questions
Can I bake frozen duck?
Yes, but I do not recommend baking duck straight from the freezer. The skin will be not as crispy and the baking time will much longer. But I used this recipe to bake still slightly frozen bird, just had to add extra 30-40 minutes and the duck was still delicious.
How to thaw a frozen duck?
Place the frozen duck in an unopened container on a tray or baking dish and thaw it in the fridge for 2-3 days depending on the size. Allow at least 24 hours for every 4 pounds of duck. Do not refreeze it and cook within 2-3 days after thawing.
Faster way to defrost a bird is on the counter, submerged in cold water, changing the water very 30 minutes.
Where can I buy a duck for roasting?
Our local Whole Foods usually sells whole frozen ducks in the frozen meats section. You can also purchase it online from a few farms such as Joyce Farms or Maple Leaf Farms.
How long does it take to cook a whole duck?
The rule of thumb is to bake the duck for 40-50 minutes per one kilogram of weight. The duck is cooked when the skin is golden and crisp, the juices run clear and the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
How does duck meat taste?
Duck meat is very flavorful, slightly sweet and fattier than other typed of poultry.
📖 Recipe
Duck in oven bag
Equipment
- Measuring spoon
- Deep baking dish
- Roasting parchment paper bag
- Cooking twine and needle
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck (5-6lb) thawed, giblets removed
- 1 cored and cubed granny smith apple
- 8 whole prunes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 twines of fresh sage
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat dry the thawed duck really well. In a small bowl, add paprika, garlic powder, coriander and black pepper. Rub the salt and spice mix all over the duck and inside the cavity.
- Fill the cavity with chopped apples, prunes and some sage. Using the cooking twine and needle, saw the cavity.
- Lay the parchment bag in the deep baking pan (seam side up). Place the duck in the middle of the bag. Roll up the end of the bag to seal it and tuck any hanging sides of the bag inside the pan.
- Bake for around 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the duck out of the oven (breast up). Cut to open the top of the bag. You can tuck the parchment paper under the bird to expose the skin or remove the bag completely. In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce and honey. Rub the glaze mix all over the duck skin.
- Bake the bird for another 30-40 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Let the duck rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
MJR says
Are you sure you (4) "dispose" the duck?
I think I'll give mine a quick expose..
Good recipe though! Thanks.
Sava's Kitchen says
Thank you for pointing out the mistype. I corrected it to "expose". Glad you liked the recipe.
Sylvia says
I'm super glad this recipe does not require me to "flip the bird" 🙂
Merry Christmas from Australia
Sava's Kitchen says
Thank you, Sylvia! Merry Christmas to you too! I agree, the easier the better, more time to spend with the family!
Mary says
I am looking for a way to roast ducks that are skinned. I think this could work because it will stay moist in the bag. I would still like to baste it towards the end. Should I cover it back up so it doesn’t dry out?
There are virtually NO recipes that I’ve found for roasting a whole skinless duck.
Btw…they are skinless because we butchered them ourselves (domestic) and didn’t want the job of dealing with all the feathers.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks!!
Nataliia says
Hi, Mary. Thank you for the question. I have not tried cooking a whole skinless duck. But I think, you can still make it juicy by baking the bird in an oven bag.
if you decide to baste the duck, you can do so by carefully opening the oven bag towards the end of the cooking time. Be cautious of the hot steam when you open the bag. After basting, you can leave the bag open to allow the outside of the duck to brown a bit. Just, keep a close eye on it to prevent drying.
You can also try a few thing to help it stay moist:
1. Marinade it first in a mix of oil, citrus, herbs, and spices to infuse it with moisture and taste.
2. Add extra fat by draping the duck with thinly sliced bacon or brushing it with a layer of melted butter before cooking.
You can also use skinless duck to make a soup next time. Shredded boiled duck meat can be also great for making tacos, quesadilla, casseroles.
Good luck. And Please, let me know how it turned out, I would love to know.
C Martin says
Your recipe says 8 prunes but in the instructions it says dates. I assume you mean dates which is what I will use! Hope it comes out good - I made one last year and my oven was a mess!!
Nataliia says
This recipe is made with prunes. But I have also made it with dates as well, that's probably why I typed dates in instructions by accident (all corrected now). So if you already got the dates, you can use them. And because the duck is baked in the oven bag, your oven should stay clean. Otherwise, the fat from duck often splatters all over the oven creating a mess. I hope you enjoy the final result.
Amy says
I followed this recipe exactly. The duck itself was delicious, and the prunes and apple compote that gets created in the process is yummy as well.
I made the mistake of not checking the temp of my 5 pound duck until 2 hours had passed - by then it was 208 degrees F. So after I opened the roasting bag, I was afraid to put the duck back in the oven to crisp up for more than 15 minutes lest it dry out. The skin didn't have time to crisp up, so while it was tasty, it wasn't at all crispy, which is half the reason why I wanted to try cooking it. So I would recommend starting to check the temp at around an hour and 20 minutes.
I used a plastic roasting bag since I had one on hand, and it worked fine. Once they're used up I'll get some paper ones - before reading this recipe, I never knew they existed!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Nataliia says
I am so happy that the duck turned out great.Thank you so much for the review and recommendations to start checking the temperature earlier. It is a great advice, since the ovens may work differently and the birds have different sizes. And you can always use oven safe plastic bags, but I prefer paper ones if I have them. I usually find paper bags at Whole Foods or online. Happy New Year!