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When it comes to roasting poultry, there is no better way than a rotisserie BBQ version of it. One of my favourites is BBQ duck on the rotisserie so wanted to write up my method of how I cook a duck on the BBQ.
This is a recipe and how to guide for roasting a duck on a BBQ rotisserie unit. From start to finish it can be ready in around 2 hours.
The duck is a great centre piece for a Christmas dinner or can be made as an alternative to a chicken recipe.
I have roasted chicken on the Weber Smokey Mountain and this recipe can be done in a similar way if you don't have a rotisserie unit. However if you do, or are interested in doing so, read on...
Contents
Ingredients for BBQ Duck
The ingredients are very simple for this recipe. There are actually only 3 ingredients to use to prepare the duck.
- Whole duck - I opted for a Gressingham duck from Sainsbury's. There are plenty of options and I always advise you try to support British farming where possible.
- English mustard - This is used to coat the duck and give something for the BBQ rub to stick to. My go to is Colman's English Mustard but you can switch this out to your preferred brand.
- BBQ rub - The rub is the protection from the flame which will crisp up and give the flavour to the duck meat. In this recipe I have opted for a spicy Jerk Bezerk style from Dust Bros. Their BBQ rubs are really flavoursome and offer a good variety of choice. You can of course use a simple salt and pepper rub or similar. The overnight refrigeration of the duck will mean the rub flavour penetrates the meat so the stringer the flavour, the more will enter the meat depending on how long it is sat on there.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions to rotisserie a duck
It goes without saying that there is a need for a rotisserie facility on your BBQ. I use the OnlyFire BBQ Rotisserie for the Weber MasterTouch 57. OnlyFire do a few different units and sizes, but this one is perfect for my needs.
If you want to rotisserie on a gas BBQ, this is possible too. Just set the BBQ for indirect cooking (usually the 2 outer burners) and use the rotisserie unit that works for your BBQ model. Take a look at my BBQ intro guide for details on direct and indirect cooking.
- Lay out the butchers twine across a plate.
- Lay the duck on the twine.
- Truss the duck to contain the wings, legs and neck to keep everything together. (If you know how, truss it properly, I'm not a master of this at all!)
- Smear the entire duck in English mustard. This will give something for the rub to adhere to.
- Sprinkle your BBQ rub of choice all over the duck and pat in.
- Wrap the duck on a plate in cling film. Place this in the fridge for at least two hours bur ideally overnight.
- Lift out the duck from the fridge two hours before you want to cook it (if it's been in the fridge overnight). Otherwise, lift out to acclimatise to ambient temperature. Score some diamond shape lines with a knife into the duck skin. This will allow the fat to drip out when cooking.
- Set up the BBQ for indirect cooking. This means placing the coals either side of the BBQ and then place a drip pan to catch the fat in the middle. Leave the BBQ too get to a steady 200C.
- When the BBQ is at temperature (normally around 10 to 15 minutes) place the duck centrally on the spit and then put this on the BBQ.
- Use the vents on the BBQ to control the temperature. Start with the top and bottom vents half open. Remember, more open = more air = hotter BBQ.
- Keep cooking until the duck has an internal temperature of at least 74C at the thickest point. This normally is deep within the duck breast and also in the thighs. Check a few areas to get readings.
The duck will be normally at temperature about 1 hour 30 mins to 1 hour 45 mins depending on the size. I'd recommend to start testing internal temperatures about 1 hour 15 mins in.
- Once cooked, take off the spit and allow to rest for at least 15/20 minutes before carving.
Important!
The duck will take longer to cook if it is a bigger bird. The best thing to do is to test the internal temperatures a few times from about 1 hour 15 minutes into the cook. It may be at 70C at 1hr 20min but then need another 20 minutes before it reaches the minimum temperature of 74C. Always check food is at the correct recommended temperature (advised by your local Food Standards Agency) before serving.
Substitutions for this duck dish
There is only really the rub that can be swapped out to make this duck a different flavour. You could try:
- Salt and Pepper - this is a simple covering to protect the skin and get a crispy crunch to the duck skin. The salt will dry out the skin and the heat will make it form a crispy outer.
- Herbs - a good selection of garden herbs slices and finely chopped will provide a great base and herby taste to a duck dish.
- Chinese 5 Spice - get the ultimate Chinese style flavour by coating in five spice rub.
You can also try some various sauces instead of the mustard to give the base a twist.
Equipment needed for Duck BBQ Rotisserie
The coals I use are Big K Charcoal. I mix these (sometimes) with the Weber Briquettes to get a longer burn. The charcoal offers a hot burn and is great for a rotisserie set up as this brand stay hot for a good while.
Obviously the big piece of equipment in this recipe is the BBQ rotisserie unit for the Weber MasterTouch 57. The OnlyFire BRK-6025 is my rotisserie of choice. It comes with a long power cable and is a strong and durable unit. The main chassis sits between the bottom half and the lid of your existing BBQ.
Lastly, the temperatures are important so I recommend using a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of your duck. I recommend the Inkbird IBT-4XS Thermometer. This is the one I am using in the pictures.
Do I really need a rotisserie?
Well for this recipe the rotisserie is the main star of the show. However you can do a duck using a beer can recipe similar to this beer can chicken recipe shown here. The duck can be cooked using this method and will stay moist as the beer or juice from the can will keep the meat succulent.
Storage of BBQ duck
When the duck is cooked, it will be fine to keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend to keep it air tight where possible.
You can also freeze the duck once it is cooked. Make sure to thaw out before reheating. Always reheat fully before eating.
FAQ for this BBQ duck recipe
Fine-tune your BBQ setup for a faster cook and crispier skin by spatch-cocking instead of trussing. Spatch-cocking speeds up cooking and gives great skin crispage but you may need to tweak balance on the spit and shorten your cooking time by around 15-20 minutes depending on size.
Lots of duck fat dripping = potentially fiery drama. Some cooks use drip pans, indirect heat setups, or even shields to tame the flames. It's always good to have a fire extinguisher on hand with your BBQ set up too. Check online to see what is available.
Definitely. Think citrus-herb (orange-thyme), Asian-style (hoisin-garlic), or sweet-spiced (honey-mustard or maple-five-spice). Just finish glazing near the end to avoid burnt sugars.
Save sugary glazes for the last 10–15 minutes of cooking. Open vents slightly to avoid flare-ups, apply carefully, and close for a gentle finish.
Yes it can. Smoke from apple or pecan can add about 10–15 minutes to hit 74 °C, and you may need to top up coals more often so keep an eye on the ambient BBQ temperature. It brings lovely aroma, but demands a bit of extra effort.
Related BBQ recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these BBQ recipes
Pairing BBQ duck
The duck can be sliced and paired with plenty of meats and sides for a BBQ platter.
The Recipe
Roast BBQ Duck Rotisserie
Equipment
- 1 Charcoal BBQ Can be cooked on gas too
- 1 Butchers string/twine Must be butchers twine - nylon will melt in the BBQ.
Ingredients
- 1 Duck
- 3 tablespoon English mustard
- 50 g BBQ rub I used Dust Bros Jerk Bezerk
Instructions
Prepare the duck
- Truss the duck with string to tie in the legs and wings. Use butchers string for this.
- Rub the mustard all over the duck
- Sprinkle and pat in the BBQ rub all over the duck
- Cover in cling film and place the wrapped duck in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Ideally this should be left over night.
Cook the duck
- Take the duck out of the fridge 2 hours before you want to start cooking it. This will allow it to acclimatise to the ambient temperature for even cooking.
- Unwrap the cling film and then score a diamond pattern along the duck breasts. This will allow the fat to drip away from the duck and crisp the skin. Now prepare the spit and skewer into the duck. Ensure the duck is central on the spit.
- Prepare the BBQ for indirect cooking. Use a full chimney of coal and then when the coals are ready, split them between the two coal baskets in your BBQ. Place the baskets either side of the BBQ and then place a drip tray in the bottom which will catch the fat which drips off the duck.
- On the BBQ, set the vents to half open on the bottom and top vents to begin. We're aiming for an internal BBQ temperature of 200℃.
- Place the duck on the BBQ rotisserie and let it start to cook. Check on it every 30 minutes to make sure it is turning properly and evenly cooking.
- Cook the duck until the internal temperature reaches 74℃ at the thickest parts of the duck. This will be in the thigh and also in the breast. Test a few areas of the duck to ensure it is cooked fully.
- Take off the rotisserie and sit the duck on a plate covered lightly in foil to rest for around 15 to 30 minutes. Slice and serve.
Notes
Cleaning the BBQ
After cooking, you can use this BBQ foam spray to clean up the grill and the splashes of fats. I use this HQ Oven spray on my BBQ's and it works really well.Nutrition
weather Forecast for your BBQ
BBQ Weather Check
3-day forecast for outdoor cooking
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7 responses to “BBQ Rotisserie Duck”
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This turned out superb. I used a basic salt and pepper rub and it was epic. -
Yesssss finally a post going step by step on the basics of barbecue-ing. True dad touch. Need to master this basic, eventually.
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Thank you! Hope you find it useful.
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Just to clarify. Is the mustard you use mustard powder or prepared mustard? I have both.
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Hi Griff,
I use Colmans English Mustard from a jar (so the wet stuff).
The idea of it is to give the rub something more substantial to stick to.
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Another question. About the BBQ Rub you use. I like to make my condiments and spice mixes myself rather than buy them. Could you point me to a recipe for an equivalent rub?
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Yes sure,
I have a Mexican rub in my site which is as follows:
https://www.dadwhatcooks.com/mexican-dry-rub/
This works well instead of the Dust Bros rub.
If you want less heat, a simple rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper works well.
1tsp rosemary
1tsp thyme
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepperEnjoy!
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