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A pair of duck legs on a red plate with green onions in the background

Instant Pot Duck Legs Peking Style


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Mike Vrobel
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 duck legs 1x

Description

Instant Pot Duck Legs Peking Style. Chinese restaurant style duck legs, silky and tender thanks to pressure cooking, with a hoisin glaze.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 duck legs
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
  • ½ cup water (plus enough to make 1 cup of liquid)
  • Glaze
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Season the duck legs: Measure ½ cup of soy sauce into a 1 cup or larger measuring cup. Brush the duck legs with a coating of the soy sauce - don’t use all of it, just enough to cover the legs. Sprinkle the duck with the salt and five spice powder. Add water to the measuring cup with the remaining soy sauce to bring it to 1 cup of liquid total, then pour the water and soy sauce mix into an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Put a cooking rack into the pot, then set the duck legs on the rack in a loose pile.
  2. Pressure cook the duck legs for 35 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (“manual” or “pressure cook” mode in an Instant Pot) or for 30 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes. Unlock the lid and open the pot, tilting the lid away from you to avoid the hot steam.
  3. Glaze the duck legs: Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Gently move the duck legs from the pressure cooker to rimmed baking sheet, skin side up. (They’re very tender, and will want to fall apart.) Brush the skin side of the duck legs with the glaze. If you want to brown the glaze, put the legs under a broiler set to high, about 6 inches away, and broil the pan of duck legs until the sauce starts to thicken and bubble, about 5 minutes. (This depends a lot on the heat of your broiler, and the distance from the pan of legs - keep an eye on them). Brush the legs with another layer of glaze after broiling, serve and enjoy!

Notes

Cook from frozen: This recipe works if you cook the legs from frozen, as long as you add five minutes to the cooking time. Brush the frozen legs with soy sauce, season with the salt and five spice powder, and continue with the recipe as written, but cook for 35 minutes at high pressure in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 30 minutes in a stovetop PC.

Tools

6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)

Rack (this silicone bakeware sling with handles is my favorite)

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Sunday Dinner
  • Method: Pressure Cooker
  • Cuisine: Chinese