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Cooking times

Duck Cooking Time Calculator

Enter the weight of your duck for the roasting time, temperature and resting time.

kg

Use the weight as it goes in the oven, including any stuffing you have added.

Your oven

Answer

3 hr at 180°C

Plus 15 min resting, ready 3 hr 15 min after it goes in. Gas mark 4.

What to do

  1. 1Prepare the whole duckTake the meat out of the fridge, season it and get the tin ready.
  2. 2Preheat the ovenHeat the oven to 200°C.
  3. 3High heat start at 200°CCook at 200°C for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C.
  4. 4Cook at 180°CCook for 160 minutes.
  5. 5Check whether it is doneCheck the thickest part reads 75°C or more.
  6. 6Rest the meatCover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Resting is part of cooking, not dead time.
  7. 7Carve10 minutes.

The high-heat start of 200°C is included in the total time above.

How to check it is done

Target temperature in the thickest part75°C
Start checking after2 hr 35 min
Resting time15 min
  • Based on 45 minutes per 1kg at 180°C after 20 minutes at 200°C.
  • Prick the skin, sit the duck on a rack and pour off the fat two or three times during cooking. That fat is worth keeping for roast potatoes.

Next step

Plan the whole meal

Food safety

  • Poultry must be cooked all the way through. Cut into the thickest part and check it is steaming hot, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. With a food thermometer, the middle should reach 70°C for two minutes, or an equivalent combination such as 75°C for 30 seconds.
  • Cooking times are a guide only. Ovens, joints and starting temperatures vary, so always check the food is cooked before serving rather than relying on the clock.

Source: Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food: cooking poultry and pork (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0

Source: Standard UK roasting guidance (Food Standards Agency doneness advice, common UK joint timings) · Reviewed 2026-09-10 · Guidance version 1.1.0

Reference and detail

Getting the skin crisp

Duck skin needs its fat rendered out before it can crisp. Prick the skin all over with a skewer, keeping to the fat and avoiding the meat, and rub it generously with salt. Pour the fat out of the tin two or three times during cooking. It is the best roasting fat there is, so keep it in a jar in the fridge for your potatoes.

How many does a duck feed?

Far fewer than a chicken of the same weight. A duck carries much more fat and bone, so a 2kg duck feeds three people comfortably and four at a push. If you are feeding more than four, cook two smaller ducks rather than one large one.

Pink or cooked through?

Duck breast is often served pink, but that applies to a pan-cooked breast from a trusted source. For a whole roast duck, cook it through: the juices should run clear and the leg should feel loose in its joint. Rest it for 15 minutes before carving.

Questions and answers

Questions about roasting a whole duck

How do I get duck skin properly crisp?

Prick the skin all over with a skewer, keeping to the fat layer and avoiding the meat, then salt it generously. Pour the fat out of the roasting tin two or three times during cooking so the bird roasts rather than fries.

How many people does a whole duck feed?

Far fewer than a chicken of the same weight, because duck carries much more fat and bone. A 2kg duck feeds three comfortably and four at a push, for more than four, cook two smaller ducks rather than one large one.

Meat Per Person Calculator

Should a whole roast duck be served pink?

No. That applies to a pan-cooked duck breast fillet from a trusted source, not a whole roast bird. Cook a whole duck through: the juices should run clear and the leg should feel loose in its joint.

Food safety

Poultry must be cooked all the way through. Cut into the thickest part and check it is steaming hot, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. With a food thermometer, the middle should reach 70°C for two minutes, or an equivalent combination such as 75°C for 30 seconds.

Source: Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food: cooking poultry and pork (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0

What do I do with all the fat that comes off a roasting duck?

Pour it off during cooking and keep it. Strained into a jar in the fridge it is one of the best fats for roast potatoes.

Roast Potatoes

How long should a roast duck rest before carving?

About 15 minutes, loosely covered, before carving.

Safety guidance reviewed against Food Standards Agency sources on 11 September 2026. How we calculate cooking times and safety guidance.