How to Make Easy "Peking Duck" Lettuce Cups - A Step-by-Step Guide

If you're a fan of Chinese cuisine, then you're probably familiar with the delicious and iconic dish known as Peking duck. Traditionally, this dish involves roasting a whole duck until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender and succulent. However, recreating this dish at home can be a daunting task for many home cooks. That's why we've come up with an easy and delicious alternative that captures all the flavors of traditional Peking duck in a simple and approachable recipe: Easy "Peking D...

Read more

Ingredients

  • 6 whole duck legs
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 green onions, cut into large pieces
  • 5 cloves garlic, halved
  • 1 tablespoon chopped green onion
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 18 whole butter or Bibb lettuce leaves
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 5 green onions, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Information

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hrs 10 mins
  • Additional Time: 9 hrs
  • Total Time: 12 hrs 30 mins
  • Servings: 6

  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
  • Prepare duck: Place duck legs into a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt, five-spice powder, and black pepper; mix to evenly coat.
  • Sprinkle large green onion pieces into a baking dish large enough to hold duck legs in a single layer. Place duck legs, skin-side up, on top of green onions. Scatter garlic over duck. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of duck to help retain moisture. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door, and let duck rest in the oven for 1 hour; do not uncover the dish during this time.
  • Remove the dish from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Baste duck with rendered fat in the dish. Place the parchment paper back over duck and re-wrap the dish in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
  • Make sauce: Mix together hoisin sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Remove duck meat from bones; leave skin on. Cut meat into 1/2-inch cubes.
  • Remove 1 tablespoon rendered fat from the dish to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir 1/2 of the cubed meat in hot fat until pieces are brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add remaining meat; cook and stir until duck is just heated through, about 1 minute more. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped green onion.
  • Spoon duck mixture into lettuce leaves. Drizzle with sauce; garnish with cucumber, green onions, and sesame seeds.
  • Nutrition

    280 cal.

    • Total Fat: 15g
    • Saturated Fat: 3g
    • Cholesterol: 99mg
    • Sodium: 1257mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 12g
    • Dietary Fiber: 2g
    • Total Sugars: 4g
    • Protein: 25g
    • Vitamin C: 17mg
    • Calcium: 83mg
    • Iron: 4mg
    • Potassium: 267mg