Grilled asian duck legs (Char Siu)
- Preparation 10 min
- Refrigeration 3 h
- Cooking 1 h 10 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🥢 Char siu is traditionally pork
Char siu is a Cantonese classic: pork marinated and roasted or grilled until the outside turns that signature sticky red. Here, it’s duck instead. Sam tasted something close to this dish at a restaurant in Montreal and knew right away he needed his own take at home. He first made it with pork, then decided to try duck instead, because, in his words, it’s just that good.
🔥 A summer BBQ dish
This is a warm-weather recipe, the kind you make when the grill is already fired up and you’re in the mood for something a little richer than the usual burgers. It works for a backyard get-together or a dinner party, but really, it’s a summer BBQ dish through and through.
🍁 Maple syrup that has no business being here, and yet
A traditional char siu never sees maple syrup. Sam knows that better than anyone, he’s about as far from Chinese cuisine as you can get, but the marinade gets a good dose of it anyway. That’s the part that makes this recipe his: the deep sweetness of maple building into the glaze as the duck grills.
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🚿 Keep a water spray bottle nearby
Duck fat will drip onto the burners during the indirect cooking stage, and it will flare up. A basic spray bottle, the kind used for watering plants, puts the flame out in a couple of squirts without having to pull the legs off the grill.
🌡️ The thermometer is the real judge
Nicely charred skin and a fork that slides in easily are decent secondary signs, but nothing replaces a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg to know for sure it’s done.
🔴 The food coloring is purely for the wow factor
Sam never uses food coloring in his own cooking. Here, a small amount goes into the marinade only for the visual effect of a classic char siu, that deep red everyone recognizes on sight.
🌙 A full night beats three hours
The recipe calls for a minimum of three hours in the fridge, but letting it sit overnight gives an even better result. The extra time lets the ginger, garlic and five-spice work their way deeper into the meat.
⚠️ Set marinade aside BEFORE it touches raw duck
This is the detail that matters most in the whole recipe. Half the marinade is meant for basting on the grill, and that portion needs to be set aside before the raw duck ever touches the rest. Basting with marinade that’s already touched raw poultry is the easiest way to contaminate a dish you’re about to serve.
🏠 No BBQ? Head to the oven
Baking at 350°F works too, on a rack set over a baking sheet so the fat can drip away. Just finish under the broiler for a few minutes, in the center of the oven, to get that caramelized skin that makes the dish.
✅ What to serve with my grilled asian duck legs?
This dish pairs naturally with rice and noodles. My chicken and vegetables fried rice soaks up the glaze that pools on the plate, while my asian noodles with vegetables bring a different texture for switching things up during the week. For something cooler on the table, my asian soba noodle salad cuts nicely through the richness of the duck.
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Ingredients
- 4 duck legs without back (about 225g each)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) blond beer
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tamari soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) grilled sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sriracha
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (7.5 ml) Chinese five-spices
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) red food coloring
- Chopped fresh chives to serve
- Salt and pepper from the mill
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Preparation
- In a large bowl, pour all the ingredients for the marinade then season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Place the duck legs in a large, airtight container and pour half of the marinade over them. Massage to coat and close the dish. Reserve in the fridge for 3 hours minimum, or even better, all night. Shake from times to time. Reserve the rest of the marinade in the fridge as well.
- Preheat the BBQ to medium temperature, about 300 °F (150 °C).
- Close a fire and place the duck legs on the closed fire for indirect cooking. Cook for 1 hour, basting occasionally.
- Increase the fire at maximum and cook for about 10 minutes, basting constantly, until the thighs are well roasted. Flip mid-cooking. Serve immediately and garnish with fresh chives!
Char siu is a Cantonese dish traditionally made with pork that’s marinated then roasted or grilled until glazed, which gives it that signature red crust. This recipe keeps the technique and the marinade but swaps the pork for duck.
A long enough marinade, ideally overnight, helps tenderize the meat before it hits the grill. Cooking most of the time over indirect heat at a moderate temperature also keeps the meat from drying out, saving the high heat only for the last few minutes to color the skin.
Every layer of marinade that cooks onto the skin adds flavor and slowly builds the sticky glaze that defines char siu. Basting just once leaves you with dry skin instead of a lacquered one.
Yes, baking works well for this recipe. Just plan on a final pass under the broiler to caramelize the skin, since that direct heat is what mimics the charred effect of the grill.
Rice and noodles are the natural companions here. My chicken and vegetables fried rice, my asian noodles with vegetables or my asian soba noodle salad round out the table well.
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