How To Reheat Peking Duck – I Test 5 Methods [Pics]

This article was updated on 8th August 2023 for clarity and freshness.

There’s no way I would ever let any Peking duck go to waste, but what’s the best way to reheat it? I experimented with five different ways to find out.

In a rush?

The best way to reheat Peking duck is in the oven. Arrange the duck in a baking pan and braise with melted butter. Place the skin on top of the meat and heat at 350°F (180°C) for 5 to 10 minutes. Then use the broiler to crisp the skin to taste – about 2-3 minutes.

How I tested reheating Peking duck

As Peking duck is a delicacy and time-consuming to make, I opted to order a couple of entrees from my favorite Chinese restaurant for this experiment. After nibbling a bit (okay, quite a lot), I let the food cool to room temperature before storing the duck in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, I started my experiment using several different reheating methods, including:

• Traditional oven: The best way.
• Microwave: Okay for the meat, leaves skin soggy.
• Air fryer: Quick and tasty.
• Skillet: Good, but a two-step process.
• Hot oil: Adds oil and clean-up time.

Now for the taste test! I evaluated each method based on how well it heated the duck meat and whether it left it juicy or dry. I also noted how crispy the skin was, as well as how easy each method was.

Reheating Peking duck in the oven (or toaster oven)

Time: 10-15 minutes
Rating: 9/10

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Spread melted butter or olive oil lightly on the duck pieces and skin.
3. Arrange the skin on top of the duck meat and place it in the oven.
4. Heat for 8-12 minutes until thoroughly warm.
5. Turn the broiler on to crisp skin to your preference for the last 2-3 minutes.

Note: in a toaster oven the duck will only need 5-7 minutes, and you won’t need to use the broiler.

The butter adds moisture to the dried-out meat and helps to crisp the skin. It also adds a beautiful flavor. If you don’t like butter, oil will also do the trick.

Layering the skin on top of the meat means any leftover fat can drip down onto the duck, adding to the juiciness. Not sure about adding butter or olive oil to your diet? 

An alternative heating method is to wrap the meat in foil, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of chicken stock or water to keep it moist, and then heating the uncovered skin separately to allow for crisping. 

Results: Reheating Peking duck in the oven was my favorite method. The oven kept the meat moist and the skin crisp, all in one tray! I also tested wrapping both the skin and the meat in foil, but this resulted in lackluster skin so I don’t recommend that method.

Note: the oven is the only option to reheat a whole Peking duck properly, but more on that later.

Reheating Peking duck in a skillet

Time: 7-10 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Separate the duck meat from the skin and set the stovetop to medium heat.
2. Add the duck meat only to a nonstick pan and sprinkle in 1-2 tablespoons of chicken stock or water.
3. As the liquid starts to steam, cover the pan with a lid.
4. Heat the meat for 4-5 minutes, or until piping hot. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
5. Increase the heat setting to high and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.
6. Gently arrange the skins in the pan with room around each and fry until crispy.
7. Serve the meat and duck skins together.

Make sure to add sufficient water to create steam because this moisturizes the meat, leaving it juicy and reinvigorating the spices.

I also tested frying the meat and skin together, but this left me with dried-out duck meat and meant there was less room to crisp the skin.

Results: This was a good method for reheating leftover Peking duck. It resulted in savory, moist meat and crispy skin. And it was easy to control how crisp the skin got. But because it was a two-step process, this method required more work and more clean-up.

Reheating Peking duck in the microwave

Time: 30-60 seconds
Rating: 9/10 for meat, 0/10 for skin

1. Arrange the duck meat (I don’t microwave the skin because it ruins it) in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Add about one tablespoon of chicken stock or water, or lightly drizzle melted butter or olive oil over the meat to keep it moist.
3. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a lid, leaving a small gap for steam to escape.
4. Microwave for 30-60 seconds, depending on portion size.
5. Optional: broil the skin for 2-3 minutes separately.

Broiling the skin is the quickest and easiest way to crisp it up, so it’s ready almost as quickly as the meat. Or, for a little culinary flair, use a blowtorch (if you have one) to crisp the skins. 

Use a slow sweeping motion, never staying in one spot for too long. The high heat re-crisps the skin for a perfect crunch.

Results: If you don’t care about the skin, or you don’t have any skin left, the microwave is great for reheating the meat. It was juicy and moist. But microwaved duck skin is soggy and pretty inedible. You can use the broiler as I suggested, but this makes the whole method a lot less convenient.

Reheating Peking duck in an air fryer

Time: 3-5 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Separate the duck meat from the skin.
2. Set the air fryer to 350°F (180°C) and lightly sprinkle chicken stock and water on the meat.
3. Wrap the meat in foil and put the foil packet in the air fryer.
4. Spray the skin with some oil to help it crisp up (optional) and place the uncovered skin into the air fryer next to the foil packet.
5. Heat for 3-5 minutes.

Wrapping the duck meat in foil is essential as air fryers tend to dry out food, and you don’t want dry duck meat. The same drying effect is great for the skin, but check on it often to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Results: The air fryer was a fast and reliable method for reheating Peking duck. I also tried reheating without the foil, but the duck came out chewy, so I don’t recommend that. Sadly this method is only useful if you own an air fryer!

Reheating Peking duck using hot oil

Time: 5-10 minutes (including set up)
Rating: 6/10

1. Place enough oil in your fryer (or a deep pan) to completely cover the duck when dipped.
2. Heat oil up to 350°F (180°C).
3. Place the sliced Peking duck pieces (with skin) in a frying strainer.
4. Dip the duck in and out of the hot oil 3-4 times.
5. Place the duck on a paper towel or wire rack to cool and drain the excess fat for about 30 seconds.

Caution: hot oil may splash and burn.

This is a traditional method of reheating Peking duck, but it requires quite a lot of effort and is hard to get right. 

Ideally, you should use a thermometer to test the temperature of the oil. But if you don’t have a suitable thermometer, you can use the wooden spoon trick. Gently place a wooden spoon in the hot oil. If bubbles start rising to the surface right away, the oil is hot enough.

However, I would caution against this because the duck will absorb lots of oil and taste horrible if the oil is even a bit below temperature. 

Results: I wouldn’t recommend using this method to reheat your Peking duck. It crisped the skin really well, but the meat was a total letdown for me. It tasted like it had been dipped in oil – not to mention the extra calories! Also, the setup was a lot of work for not a lot of reward.

How to store Peking duck

To store Peking duck, first let it cool to room temperature to prevent condensation from building up. Then tightly wrap the pieces in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store the duck in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze Peking duck?

Yes, you can freeze Peking duck. After cooling to room temperature, portion the pieces for easy handling and reheating. Tightly wrap the duck pieces in plastic wrap, then again in foil, or put them in a freezer bag. The duck will last 4-6 months in the freezer before the quality starts to deteriorate. 

If you have a home vacuum sealing system, use this. Vacuum sealed meat will last much longer than duck kept in a freezer bag. 

Note: the duck meat will fare much better than the skin. The skin will never be the same, but you should be able to get some crisp back into it by reheating it in a dry oven.

How to thaw Peking duck

The best way to thaw Peking duck is in the fridge. Depending on the amount, it can take 2-4 hours for a few pieces or up to 24 hours for a whole duck. You can speed up the thawing process for sliced duck by holding it under cold running water. 

Don’t let the duck thaw at room temperature because it may end up being in the ‘danger zone’ for bacteria for too long. 

I like to thaw my meat completely before reheating because the heating times are more predictable. With frozen duck, the heating times needed can vary widely, and the last thing you want is to bite into half-frozen meat!

How to store and reheat Mandarin pancakes

To store mandarin pancakes, let them cool to room temperature, and then place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. For longer-term storage, freeze them. Separate the pancakes with a piece of parchment paper and put them in a freezer bag. They’ll last 1-2 months in the freezer.

To reheat mandarin pancakes, let them come to room temperature while boiling about 1 inch of water in a medium-sized pot. Then balance several chopsticks across the pot rim. Hang and steam the pancakes on the chopsticks for 1 to 2 minutes. 

That’s it – perfectly reheated Mandarin pancakes!

You can also use the microwave. Cover the pancakes with a damp paper towel and microwave them in 15-second intervals until warmed through.

How To Reheat Peking Duck [Tested Methods]

There's no way I would ever let any Peking duck go to waste, but what's the best way to reheat it? I experimented with five different ways to find out.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: how to reheat peking duck, peking duck

Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 340kcal

Ingredients

• 1 portion Peking duck
• 1 teaspoon Butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Spread melted butter or olive oil lightly on the duck pieces and skin.
• Arrange the skin on top of the duck meat and place it in the oven.
• Heat for 5-10 minutes until thoroughly warm.
• Turn the broiler on to crisp skin to your preference for the last 2-3 minutes.

Notes

The butter adds moisture to the dried-out meat and helps to crisp the skin. It also adds a beautiful flavor. If you don’t like butter, oil will also do the trick.

Layering the skin on top of the meat means any leftover fat can drip down onto the duck, adding to the juiciness.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 340kcal