Tea Smoked Rotisserie Duck Recipe

Name: Tea Smoked Rotisserie Duck Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 205 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 quarts ice-cold water; 2 cups soy sauce; 3 tablespoons salt; 1/4 cup honey; 6 clove garlic, smashed; 1 1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced; 1 medium orange, quartered; 1 whole duck; 2 quarts boiling water; 1/4 cup tea leaves; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup rice; 2 whole star anise pods; One 3-inch long cinnamon sticks; 2 teaspoons orange zest

This duck was full of flavor. The meat was tender and juicy, having a slight saltiness from the soy sauce and just a kiss of smokiness—making it absolutely fine on its own, but add some duck sauce or hoisin, and now we're talking.

Tea Smoked Rotisserie Duck | Grilling

Tea Smoked Rotisserie Duck Recipe

Prep 15 mins

Cook 70 mins

Active 20 mins

Brining Time 2 hrs

Total 3 hrs 25 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

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For the Brine

2 quarts ice-cold water
2 cups soy sauce
3 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup honey
6 cloves garlic, smashed
One 1-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
1 medium orange, quartered
1 whole duck
2 quarts boiling water

For the Tea Packet

1/4 cup tea
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice
2 whole star anise pods
One 3-inch long cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons orange zest

To make the brine, place water, soy sauce, salt, honey, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Squeeze orange quarters into bowl, then drop in peel. Stir to combine. Place duck in brine, breast side down, and weight down with plate to keep fully submerged. Place in refrigerator and brine for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
Remove duck from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Using the point of a skewer or paring knife, prick holes all over duck breasts, being careful not to pierce the meat.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
Place duck on a wire rack in the sink. Pour 1 quart of boiling water over duck. Flip and pour remaining quart of water over other side. Allow duck to dry while preparing the grill.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
To make the tea packet, place tea leaves, brown sugar, rice, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and orange zest in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold into a packet. Cut slits at top of foil packet.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on either side of the charcoal grate and place a foil pan between the two piles of coals. Cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Place tea packet directly on top of the coals. Run spit of the rotisserie through middle of duck and secure ends with rotisserie forks. Place on the grill, cover, and cook at medium-high heat until duck registers 160°F (71°C) when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Remove from grill, let rest for 15 minutes, then remove spit and serve.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Special Equipment

Grill, rotisserie

This Recipe Appears In

Grilling: Tea Smoked Rotisserie Duck

Duck
Smoking

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
598	Calories
50g	Fat
2g	Carbs
33g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	598
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g	64%
Saturated Fat 17g	85%
Cholesterol 147mg	49%
Sodium 1026mg	45%
Total Carbohydrate 2g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 21mg	2%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 370mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.