Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck

Introduction

If you’re looking to create a standout, restaurant-worthy meal at home that will impress friends and family, Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck is your answer. This recipe packs all the rich, aromatic flavors you love about Peking duck—crispy skin, succulent meat, and a beautiful medley of sweet and savory spices—without the usual hours of intricate prep. The slow cooker’s gentle heat ensures tender meat and transforms a special-occasion dish into a simple, set-and-forget weeknight option.

Deliciously Unique Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck

What makes this dish a true crowd-pleaser is its irresistible combination of juicy duck, crackling skin, and the signature Peking-style glaze. The slow cooker’s steady simmer infuses each bite with star anise, ginger, soy, and hoisin, resulting in an authentic flavor profile and melt-in-your-mouth texture, all with minimal hands-on time in the kitchen.

Preparing the Perfect Peking Glaze

The heart of Peking duck is its iconic glaze, striking a balance between sweet, savory, and umami. By mixing hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and spices, then brushing this mixture on the duck before and after cooking, you achieve a glossy, flavorful crust. For extra depth, a splash of rice wine or dry sherry can easily be added. Let the glaze cool slightly before using for easier handling and bolder flavor.

Assembling Your Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck

After hours in the slow cooker, the duck should be succulent and tender. For signature crisp skin, carefully transfer the cooked duck to a hot oven or under the broiler just before serving. Brush on a final layer of glaze and broil for a few minutes until golden and bubbling. Shred or slice the duck, then serve with warm pancakes, scallions, and julienned cucumbers for a fun assembly-at-the-table experience.

Serving Suggestions for a Show Stopping Peking Style Duck

Serve your slow-cooked Peking duck with steamed Chinese pancakes or soft bao buns, a side of fresh greens, and extra hoisin sauce for dipping. A sharp cucumber salad or light pickled vegetables create a refreshing counterpoint to the duck’s rich flavors. For a full spread, try adding fragrant jasmine rice and chilled green tea.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 4-6 generous servings. Each serving contains roughly 400-500 calories, depending on your choice of sides and toppings. Duck is naturally rich—enjoy as a centerpiece meal you can savor and share.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and meal planning.

Instructions

1. Pat duck dry with paper towels. Prick the skin all over with a skewer or sharp knife to help render the fat, but avoid piercing the flesh.
2. Season the duck inside and out with five-spice powder, salt, and pepper.
3. In a bowl, combine honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Mix well to form a glaze.
4. Stuff the duck cavity with the scallion pieces and star anise. Rub half the glaze all over the exterior of the duck.
5. Place the duck breast-side up in your slow cooker. Pour any remaining glaze over the top.
6. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until meat is tender and the duck is cooked through.
7. Carefully transfer the cooked duck to a baking tray lined with foil. Brush with the remaining glaze.
8. Place under a preheated broiler for 4-6 minutes, watching closely, until the skin crisps and browns. Alternatively, roast in a very hot (450°F) oven for 10 minutes.
9. Rest for 10 minutes, then carve or shred. Serve with pancakes or bao, cucumbers, scallions, and extra hoisin sauce.

Weekly Meal Planning

Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck is the perfect addition to any meal plan—set it up before work, and return home to an impressive dinner that needs only minimal finishing touches. Save and schedule this recipe to your meal plan for easy prep, shopping, and plating.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically calculates total ingredient quantities across all planned recipes
• Organizes everything by grocery store section for streamlined shopping
• Helps prevent duplicate purchases and forgotten ingredients
• Streamlines weekly meal prep for busy home cooks

Pro tip: Schedule your recipes on CookifyAI to see how staples (like ginger, scallions, or soy sauce) overlap, minimizing waste and saving you both money and time at the store.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours (slow cooker, low)
Total Time: 6½-8½ hours

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With this easy, flavor-packed recipe, you can confidently serve an inspired classic that will impress any crowd—no restaurant required!