Crispy Lemon Chicken Recipe

Introduction:

Hi everyone, welcome today we're cooking crispy lemon chicken. I'll show you how to make the perfect lemon sauce that can pair with any meat. Plus, I’ll share some prepping tips for larger batches that you can save for future meals. Deep frying requires a lot of oil, but in this video, I’ll give you a trick to shallow fry with less oil while still achieving the same crispy result. Let’s start cooking!

Ingredients:
For the Chicken:

1 lb boneless chicken breast (or thigh), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1.5 tsp soy sauce
1.5 tsp Chinese cooking wine
Black pepper to taste
2/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
2/3 cup oil for frying

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp brown sugar
3.5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Sambal chili sauce (optional)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch
3.5 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 tbsp finely diced lemon zest
1.5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:
Prepare the Chicken:

Cut the boneless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.
Marinate with minced garlic, minced ginger, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Make the Lemon Sauce:

Combine honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, Sambal chili sauce (optional), water, and cornstarch in a bowl.
Peel the lemon to get the zest, avoiding the bitter white layer. Finely dice the zest to get about 1 tbsp.
Juice the lemon to get about 3.5 tbsp of juice, ensuring to remove the seeds.
Mix the zest and juice into the sauce mixture. This sauce is versatile and can be made in larger batches and stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Bread the Chicken:

In a large Ziploc bag, combine cornstarch and all-purpose flour. Shake well.
Add the marinated chicken, spread it lightly, then shake again to coat.
Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking off excess flour with a sieve.
Crack an egg into the chicken and mix thoroughly.
Put the chicken back into the bag for a second coating. Shake off excess flour again with a sieve.
Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes.

Shallow Fry the Chicken:

Heat 2/3 cup of oil in a wok to 400℉.
Fry the chicken in two batches over medium-high heat, cooking each side for a couple of minutes until crispy.
Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel. Remove any starch clumps from the oil before frying the next batch.

Prepare the Sauce:

Clean the wok and pour in the lemon sauce mixture.
Stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens.

Combine Chicken and Sauce:

Add the fried chicken back into the wok along with toasted sesame seeds.
Toss everything until the chicken is well-coated.

Conclusion :

For best results, combine the chicken with the sauce right before serving to maintain its crispiness.
Serve hot with rice and enjoy.
This recipe delivers crispy chicken bites covered in a glossy, tangy, and savory lemon sauce. It's perfect for a quick and delicious dinner. I hope you give this a try soon!