Cranberry-Orange Roast Ducklings

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 3 hours + standing

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Sep. 10, 2022
I came up with this recipe few years ago. The first time I served it, there wasn't a speck of food left on the platter and I knew I had a winning recipe. —Gloria Warczak, Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Cranberry-Orange Roast Ducklings Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 2 domestic ducklings (4 to 5 pounds each)
  • 2 medium navel oranges, quartered
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, divided
  • 4 cups orange juice
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
  • 2/3 cup orange marmalade

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Pierce duckling skin all over with a fork. Place 4 orange quarters, 1 sprig of rosemary and 1/4 cup cranberries in each duckling cavity; tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up.
  2. In a bowl, mix orange juice, broth, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger. Refrigerate 1/2 cup for glaze. Pour 1 cup over ducklings; sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Cover and bake 1 hour. Uncover and bake 1-1/2 hours longer, basting frequently with remaining orange juice mixture. (Drain fat from pan as it accumulates.)
  3. Mix marmalade and reserved orange juice mixture; spread over ducklings. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180°, 30-40 minutes. Discard oranges, rosemary and cranberries from cavities. Let ducklings stand 10 minutes before carving.

Nutrition Facts

8 ounces cooked duck: 373 calories, 21g fat (7g saturated fat), 61mg cholesterol, 517mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (27g sugars, 1g fiber), 16g protein.