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A cooked duck leg with crispy, seasoned skin sits on a plate next to a small glass bowl of dark dipping sauce. Both are sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds.

Sesame Glazed Duck

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Duck legs get the full spa treatment—first steamed with spices for fall-apart tenderness, then roasted to a crisp and glazed with a bold, umami-packed sauce that hits sweet, salty, and spicy all at once.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Californian, Chinese
Calories: 1028
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Duck Legs
  • 2 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • 3 tablespoon Flaky salt
  • 2 Duck legs preferably moulard, excess fat trimmed and reserved
  • 2 Cinnamon sticks lightly crushed
  • 4 Star anise pods lightly crushed
  • 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds toasted (for garnish)
For the Glaze
  • 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese spicy fermented bean paste douban jiang
  • 3 tablespoon Brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Orange juice freshly squeezed

Equipment

  • Steamer basket or bamboo steamer
  • Baking Sheet
  • Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
  • Brush for glazing

Method
 

Marinate & Steam
  1. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns and flaky salt in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then grind coarsely using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
  2. Season the duck legs liberally with the Sichuan pepper salt. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  3. Fill a large pot halfway with water and place a steamer basket so it sits about 2 inches above the water.
  4. Place the crushed cinnamon and star anise in the bottom of the basket. Set the duck legs on top.
  5. Cover and bring water to a boil, then reduce to a brisk simmer. Steam for 1 hour 15 minutes, checking after 1 hour. Duck should be tender when pierced. Set aside to cool slightly.
Roast & Glaze
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place duck legs on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast uncovered for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, fermented bean paste, brown sugar, and orange juice to make the glaze.
  3. After 30 minutes of roasting, begin glazing the duck every 10 minutes for another 30 minutes (total of 1 hour roast time).
  4. Remove from oven, rest for 5 minutes, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 1028kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 99gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 393mgSodium: 2407mgPotassium: 291mgFiber: 5gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 167mgIron: 10mg

Notes

Storage: leftover duck keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven until warmed through and the skin crisps back up, the microwave will leave it soft. It also freezes well after roasting, wrap tightly and thaw in the fridge before reheating.

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