Have you ever wanted to make your own Peking Style Duck at home? This easy Slow Cooker Duck recipe is a delicious fakeaway option, giving you tender, flavour-packed duck with very little effort.
Made with simple store cupboard ingredients, a rich Chinese-style sauce and classic fresh sides, this Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck is perfect for a homemade takeaway night, a relaxed weekend dinner or as part of a larger Chinese-inspired banquet.
After a quick coating in sauce and a few hours in the slow cooker, the duck becomes beautifully tender and easy to shred. The cooking juices are then reduced into a glossy sauce, ready to serve with Chinese pancakes, cucumber and spring onion.
It is simple, satisfying and feels like a real treat without complicated preparation.
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Duck recipe
⭐️ A flavour-packed fakeaway treat you can make at home
⭐️ Tender, pull-apart duck with a rich and savoury sauce
⭐️ A fun dinner idea that feels a little different
What is Peking Duck?
Peking Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing, China. Traditional versions involve a very specific process for preparing, flavouring, drying and cooking the duck, and authentic recipes can take a long time to complete.
This slow cooker recipe is not an authentic Peking Duck method. Instead, it is a simple home-cooking version inspired by the flavours and serving style of Peking Duck.
In the UK, a similar takeaway-style dish is often known as Crispy Aromatic Duck, usually served shredded with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and sauce.
Sarah’s Notes
Homemade fakeaway recipes are a brilliant way to enjoy the flavours of a takeaway while keeping food costs under control. This slow cooker duck is easy to prepare, uses familiar ingredients and is ideal when you want something special without spending hours in the kitchen.
It is worth noting that this recipe is not intended to replace a fully crispy duck dish. Because the duck is cooked slowly, the skin will not crisp in the same way as deep-fried or restaurant-style duck. However, the meat becomes incredibly succulent, soft and full of flavour, which makes it a very worthwhile compromise.
If you would like some crispier pieces, you can finish the cooked duck in an air fryer, under a hot grill or in the oven. These methods help brown the skin and add texture, while still keeping the recipe practical and easy.
Slow Cooker Duck Ingredient Notes
- Whole duck – You can usually buy whole duck from supermarkets or butchers, and frozen duck is also suitable. If using frozen, make sure it is fully defrosted before cooking. Choose a plain duck that has not already been flavoured, marinated or coated.
- For the sauce – You will need hoisin sauce, Chinese 5 spice, honey, ginger paste, white wine vinegar and soy sauce. These ingredients create a sweet, savoury and aromatic sauce that works beautifully with rich duck meat.
How to Make Slow Cooker Peking Duck
1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, then coat the duck evenly with the mixture.
2. Place the duck into the slow cooker with the breast side facing down. Cook on HIGH until the meat is very tender.
3. Once cooked, remove the duck carefully and choose one of the finishing options if you would like to brown or crisp some of the skin.
4. Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a small pan and simmer until thickened and reduced by half. Shred the duck and serve with the sauce.
Leftovers
In the fridge: Store leftover duck in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving, or enjoy it cold if preferred.
In the freezer: The duck and sauce can be frozen separately for another day. Defrost fully and reheat thoroughly before eating.
The reheated meat may be slightly drier than when freshly cooked, but it will still be tasty, especially when served with the reduced sauce.
More Chinese Inspired Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Beef
Chinese Style Beef and Broccoli
Slow Cooker Chicken
Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken
Slow Cooker Chicken Satay
Slow Cooker Beef
Honey Garlic Beef Noodles
Recipe Tip
Place the duck in the slow cooker with the breast facing downwards. This helps the meat stay extra tender and juicy as it cooks.
FAQs
This recipe focuses on tender shredded duck rather than fully crispy skin. It is difficult to achieve very crisp duck skin in a slow cooker, but finishing the meat in an air fryer, under a grill or in the oven can help create some tasty browned pieces.
In the UK, small thin Chinese-style pancakes are often available from M&S or Chinese supermarkets.
You can shred the duck in the oven dish or transfer it to a chopping board. Use two forks to gently pull the meat apart, removing any bones as you go. The duck should be very tender, so this should be quick and easy. Transfer the shredded meat to a serving plate or platter.
Cut the cucumber into very thin batons, about 4–6 cm long. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways, scoop out the watery seeds with a spoon, then cut the flesh into fine strips.
If you make this slow cooker Peking style duck, leave a rating and let others know how it turned out.
This recipe is ideal for sharing, so serve it with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and plenty of sauce for a relaxed homemade fakeaway.
Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck
For the sauce:
- 200 ml hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tsp ginger paste
- 1.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
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Mix the sauce ingredients together, then coat the duck all over. Place the duck in the slow cooker breast side down. Cook on HIGH for 3–3.5 hours, until the meat is very tender and pulls apart easily when pressed with a fork.
To crisp up options:
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Option 1: Remove the meat and skin you want to serve from the whole duck. Place the boneless cooked meat in an air fryer for 5–6 minutes at 200C/400F to brown some of the skin pieces. Watch carefully so the meat does not burn.
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Option 2: Place the boneless cooked meat on a grill-safe baking sheet and cook under a hot grill for 5–6 minutes, until some of the skin pieces crisp. Keep a close eye on it.
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Option 3: Once the duck is cooked and tender, transfer it to a preheated oven at 220C/425F for 30–40 minutes to help crisp the outside.
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Option 4: Skip the crisping step. Remove and discard the skin and bones, then serve the soft shredded duck meat with the sauce.
To serve:
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Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a small pan. Simmer on the hob for 5–10 minutes, until thickened and reduced by half.
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Shred the duck and serve with the reduced sauce, Chinese pancakes, cucumber and spring onion.
Did you make this recipe? Click here to let us know how it went and give it a rating.
Notes
Skin texture: This slow cooker duck recipe is designed for tender shredded meat. Finishing the duck in the air fryer, grill or oven can help add browned, crispier pieces.
How to shred the duck: Use two forks to pull the meat apart, removing bones as you go. The duck should fall apart easily once cooked.
Nutritional values: The calculations are based on 4 people sharing the duck and may vary depending on portion size.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 31g
Protein: 25g
Fat: 77g
Saturated Fat: 26g
Sodium: 1567mg
Sugar: 20g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.