Peking duck is a dish originally from Beijing and is best characterized by its crispy skin. Due to the crispy skin getting a bit soft during the refrigeration process, you may be worried about your leftovers. However, there are ways to re-crisp the duck so that you can enjoy your meal for a second time.
When you go to reheat your Peking duck, you can use the oven or the air fryer for the best results. However, if you’re in a rush and willing to sacrifice the texture, you can use the microwave. You can also use the stovetop and fry the skin separately to ensure it’s crispy and crunchy.
Choose the option that best suits your skill level and time frame. You’ll find step-by-step instructions for all of the above methods, so you can follow along. Peking duck is a dish best enjoyed fresh — but you’ll learn how to make the best of your leftovers.
How to Reheat Peking Duck in the Oven
If you’re looking to reheat your Peking duck efficiently, then the oven is a great option. The oven evenly reheats the duck and also allows the skin the chance to crisp up again. You can even throw the broiler on for a minute or two at the end to ensure crunchy skin.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place your leftover Peking duck into an oven-safe dish.
- Heat the duck for up to 12 minutes (longer if you’re reheating a large portion of duck).
- Turn on the broiler for 60-90 seconds to ensure the skin gets crispy.
- Remove the duck from the oven and allow it a moment to rest before you eat it.
Overall, this is a fairly quick and easy method for reheating your Peking duck. The meat will stay tender and juicy and the skin will crisp up from the high heat of the broiler.
How to Reheat Peking Duck in the Air Fryer
If you happen to own an air fryer, then this is a great method for reheating Peking duck. You can keep your duck meat tender and moist while allowing the skin to crisp up. You’ll want to wrap your duck in some aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out while it’s reheating.
- Heat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wrap your duck meat in foil and place it into the air fryer basket.
- Heat the duck for 5-7 minutes, depending on the portion size.
- Remove the foil and place the duck back into the air fryer.
- Continue air frying for another 1-2 minutes or until the skin has regained its crispiness.
- Remove the duck from the basket and allow it to cool on a plate before digging in.
The additional step of wrapping the duck in foil keeps the meat from becoming dry and unsavory. In the end, you want to give the skin access to the heat so it can become fried and crispy again.
How to Reheat Peking Duck in the Microwave
This is not the ideal way to reheat your Peking duck but it is the quickest method for doing so. Unfortunately, you’ll have to sacrifice the crispy skin but your duck meat should remain very moist and delicious.
- Place your leftover Peking duck into a microwave-safe dish.
- Heat the duck for 2-3 minutes, longer if you have a large portion.
- Remove the duck from the microwave and give it a moment to cool before consuming.
You may find that the skin takes on a different texture, perhaps a bit rubbery. This is normal and to be expected from this method. You can simply remove the skin and discard and enjoy the meat by itself.
However, you want to keep the skin on during the reheating process. This provides a barrier to the duck meat itself and keeps it moist.
How to Reheat Peking Duck on the Stove
If you want to ensure the duck skin regains the maximum amount of crispiness, you can fry it. You can either remove the skin from the duck meat and fry it separately or you can pan fry everything together.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a pan (preferably cast-iron) and heat on low-medium.
- Add your duck into the pan and reheat it for a few minutes on both sides.
- Once the meat is warm, turn up the heat and add a touch of butter or more oil.
- Place the duck skin-side down into the hot pan and fry in this manner for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the duck and allow it to cool on a baking rack before serving.
This is the best option for you to get the skin as crispy as it was originally. If you find that your duck meat is drying out a bit, you can add a touch of broth. This will ensure the meat stays moist, while also adding more flavor to the dish.
How Many Times Should You Reheat Peking Duck?
Ideally, you only want to reheat this type of dish once. The more you reheat the duck, the more likely it is to become dry and unpleasant. Likewise, the skin will begin to lose its texture as well.
If you bring home leftover Peking duck from a restaurant, you’ll want to portion it out before you refrigerate it. This way, you can grab a serving of it to reheat without needing to reheat the entire duck.
For best results, you’ll want to reheat the duck one time only and enjoy it immediately. You can choose to freeze portions of the Peking duck if you won’t eat it in time. However, this may change the texture of the crispy skin.
In Conclusion
Peking duck is a delicious and flavorful dish originating from China. Many people enjoy ordering this meal at a local Chinese restaurant and may find themselves with leftovers. No worries because now you know how to properly reheat your duck.
Whether you choose to use the oven method or the air fryer method, you’re sure to end up with crispy skin. You can choose the microwave if you’re in a pinch, but your results may vary. If you want to fry the skin, you can choose the stovetop method.
