How to Cook Frozen Duck

How to cook a frozen duck whole perfectly is here! Roasted in the oven with tender meat and crispy duck skin on the outside, it’s a treat served for dinner year round.

How to Cook Frozen Duck

Ok so your husband came home with one of these babies from Costco and assumed you’d know how to roast a duck. Maybe defrosted but is this possible?? Just nod, you can fake it until you make it…..I’m glad we could help from this point on. 😉 Don’t worry, he will think you are amazing once you serve this in a few hours when everyone is starving.

If you have ever tried cooking a whole frozen chicken in oven you probably aren’t freaking out because you know how well that turns out. Very similar for sure, but a bit quicker since you definitely don’t want to overcook or dry out duck.

Can you cook crispy duck from frozen

You might think okay I can see how you could get the meat nice and tender, covered, but what about the skin?? Don’t doubt the process, it is totally possible at the end to get the crispiest and most flavorful outside, just like the restaurants serve. I wouldn’t lead you astray. 😉

Seasonings are of course up to you, just like cooking any other whole bird. I use what I have on hand. If I do find some fresh herbs at the store I will grab those or else it is bottled all the way.

You will definitely want salt and pepper but beyond that use your favorite blend. You do want it to have a natural flavor and the meat taste itself is quite nice so don’t add a ton and overwhelm it. I will suggest what was used here below though.

Whole Frozen Duck

Of course at the very beginning nothing is going to stick. Don’t worry too much about that because in 2 hours it will soften enough where you can add some olive oil and your shakes of goodies. THEN it will adhere to the skin nicely and get it flavored as it roasts all the way done. We used;

• Olive oil
• Some garlic powder
• 1 tsp coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 2 springs of rosemary, or dried sprinkled on top

This was 4 pounds so timing will be accurate for that weight. If yours varies more than 1/2 lb one way or the other just adjust slightly accordingly. It is best to check more often as you don’t want to ever bake too long.

I just used a 9×13″ glass dish but use whatever you have that has higher sides to gather the juices. Use some aluminum foil over the top to trap the heat and essentially steam it until it is nicely thawed and ready to brown on the top.

How do you cook frozen duck from Costco

I mean you can find these at your local grocery store usually from Maple Leaf Farms but this big box store is a bit cheaper. This and our turkey crown are great alternatives to turkey during the holidays for sure. They are both a bit smaller, faster to roast to perfection and quite frankly I prefer them to that big ol’ bird.

• Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. Remove the package and transfer it to a baking dish. Cover it tightly with foil and place in the oven for 2 hours.
• After that timing, carefully remove the foil and rub the duck on all sides with olive oil, and then with a mixture of spices and salt.
  • Place rosemary if desired in baking dish and recover.
  • Bake for 1 more hour at 380 degrees F.
• After that time, remove the foil and continue roasting duck at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until you get a golden crisp on top and it’s fully cooked inside.
• The internal duck temperature inside the breast should be about 140 F.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes covered, then serve whole or cut into pieces. You will likely have some drippings in that dish that you can make into thicken with corn starch and make some Instant Pot gravy if you want. Served with our cranberry sauce with orange sauce is fantastic.

Can you reheat leftover duck

Of course! You know how I hate wasting food so please keep it. Always wait until it has cooled completely. Transfer into a freezer bag in your fridge.

Leftover duck can be stored for 2-3 days safely. To reheat alone put on a plate with a few tablespoons of gravy, broth or orange juice over the top and heat in a pan with lid for 5-8 minutes until warmed. Microwave brussel sprouts and there you have a second meal.

OR you can take the meat off of the bones and make any of our easy leftover chicken recipes. This meat works just as well in those, but adding even more flavor.

Frozen Duck Recipe