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Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken




My sticky lemon chicken is so simple to make that you'll be surprised.

This is my ultimate Chinese lemon chicken. It’s fresher, it’s lighter. With this recipe, you are going to serve it on your dinner table without that stodgy Chinese takeout.

The lemon chicken is crispy yet juicy which is marinated in soy sauce, egg white, and Shaoxing wine. The chicken pieces are coated in a glossy sauce that is tangy from the lemon zest and juice. Perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness.

When it comes to lemon chicken at Chinese restaurants, some make a light batter, while others use a crispier dry coating. My personal preference is dry coating.

For the lemon juice, I suggest using fresh lemon, it will give a maximum lemon flavour. Double fly the chicken will help in producing an extremely crispy golden outside. Make sure you wait at least 5 minutes after the first fry, wait until the oil reaches the right temperature once more before placing the fried pork back in for an additional one to two minutes of double frying.

If you're preparing this Chinese lemon chicken recipe in advance, you can prepare the sauce, fry the chicken, and store them separately. You can reheat the sauce and refry the chicken when it's done, then mix it one last time before serving. Air fryers do not work well for frying chicken the first time, but they are excellent for reheating it for the first time.

 

INGREDIENTS

600g chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

½ cup chicken broth

1½ tbsp light soy sauce

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

vegetable oil for frying

1 tsp sesame seeds

sliced spring onion (scallions) to serve

lemon slices to serve (optional)

 

MARINADE

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine

1 tsp white pepper

COATING

1 egg white

Some tapioca starch

CORNSTARCH SOLUTION

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tbsp water



METHODS

1.Finely chop the garlic and ginger. And cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces.

2. Grate the lemon zest and squeeze lemon juice from one lemon, mix together.

3. Meanwhile, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce and sugar in one bowl.

4. In a large bowl, place chicken and marinade ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Let it marinate for 20 minutes. 

5. Break in the egg white to the marinade chicken, mix it well. Place the tapioca starch in one bowl. Coat the chicken piece by piece. Shake excess flour from the chicken pieces.

6. Heat enough cooking oil in a wok. Cook the chicken pieces in 2 to 3 batches for about 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Increase to high heat and return the fried chicken pieces into the wok, let it double fried for another one or two minutes for extra crunchy texture. Remove and drain oil.

7. In the same wok, cook the minced garlic and ginger with one tablespoon of cooking oil until fragrant. Add the chicken broth mixture and lemon juice, bring it to a boil and simmer for like 30 seconds before adding the cornstarch solution to thicken the sauce. Add the fried chicken pieces and toss until well evenly coated with the sauce.

8. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle some sesame seeds and spring onion. And garnish with some sliced chilies and lemon sliced. Serve it warm.

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