Chinese Lemon Chicken

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Howdy folks! 😊

Just because we are staying home more during this pandemic 😷, and not going out as much – doesn’t mean we can’t get to eat some of our favorite Take-away dishes. 🥡

And as a Chinese-food lover, Lemon Chicken is one of my favorites! 👌🏾 Ate this dish for the first time, probably 10 years ago now – and I’ve loved it since. It’s so delicious! 😋 That wonderful combination of sweetness, fresh lemony citrus, with a slight tang – converging on a tender piece of fried chicken? 🤤 * sigh * Need I say more?

I promise, this will soon be a family favorite for you! 💕

For those days when you want to eat something different, give this a go. Don’t be intimidated, the dish is easy to make. 💪🏾 And I’ve documented the detailed recipe below for your cooking pleasure.

Let me know how it goes!

Chinese Lemon Chicken
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Chinese Lemon Chicken

Recipe by LubayaCourse: MainCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

35

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 600g Chicken, cubed

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 large Egg (use only the white)

  • 2 Tablespoons White wine Vinegar

  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

  • 1 Cup Vegetable oil

  • 1 Cup Cornstarch

  • Salt, to taste

  • Black Pepper, to taste

  • Sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup Chicken broth

  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons Honey

  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar

  • 1/4 cup Soy Sauce

  • 1 Teaspoon grated Ginger

  • 2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil

  • Lemon juice (of 2 lemons)

  • Garnish

  • 1/2 cup Spring Onion leaves

  • 1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds

Directions

  • Start by cutting the chicken into medium sized cubes, and lightly season them with salt and Pepper. Set aside. 😊
  • Next, in a bowl, whisk together the Soy sauce, egg white (only), and Vinegar until combined and then pour that mixture into the bowl with the chicken. 😊
  • To that bowl, add the Zest of 1 lemon, for extra lemon flavor. Mix all the ingredients together, and allow this marinate for 30 minutes. 😊
  • While the Chicken marinates, add the cup of cornstarch to a deep tray or bowl and spread evenly.
  • After the chicken is done marinating, pour the chicken and marinade mixture into the flour. Use your hands to pat and press the liquid and flour together around the chicken pieces so that they are well coated. 😊
  • Next, heat the vegetable oil and fry the chicken pieces in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. 5 minutes max until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. 👌🏾
  • Remove from the pan and set aside, while you prepare the sauce. Drain off any excess oil. 😊
  • These are some of the ingredients that will go into the sauce, so have them handy because this will be a quick process. 😉

    Start by mincing the Garlic and Ginger as they go in first.
  • *Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of oil to a clean pan and sauté the garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, at medium heat.
    *After that, add the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar and honey, and stir for 2 minutes or so, until fully dissolved.
    *Next, mix the cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of cold water to form a slurry. Pour this into the sauce and stir.
    *The final stage is adding in the lemon juice and zest of the remaining lemon. Simmer for 1 minute and taste for seasoning.
    The sauce should have thickened slightly, and should look shiny. 😋
  • Add the fried chicken pieces back to the pan, and toss in the sauce until evenly coated. 😊
  • Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and spring onion.
  • Serve with Steamed Rice, or your preferred starch and Veg.
    Enjoy! 😋

After reading to the end...what do you think? :-)