Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken

This lemon chicken recipe is all about crispy golden chicken tossed through a glossy, sweet and tangy lemon sauce. It has that classic takeaway-style feel, but with the brightness of fresh lemon juice and the comfort of a homemade dinner.

The chicken is lightly marinated with soy sauce and egg white, then coated in cornflour and plain flour for a crisp, craggy texture. Once fried, it gets tossed through a quick lemon sauce made with garlic, honey, chicken stock and fresh lemon juice. Serve it with steamed jasmine rice and sliced spring onion for an easy weeknight meal that feels fun, fresh and full of flavour.

PREP TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

20 minutes

SERVES

2-3

Ingredients

For the chicken
500g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg white
¼ cup cornflour
2 tbsp plain flour
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the lemon sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
½ cup chicken stock
2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp water

Sliced spring onion, to serve
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

METHOD

1. Marinate the chicken

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add the soy sauce and egg white, then mix well until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside for 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Coat the chicken

Add the cornflour and plain flour to the chicken. Toss until every piece is well coated. The coating should look slightly sticky and a little clumpy, which will help create those crispy edges when fried.

3. Heat the oil

Fill a wok or deep frying pan with vegetable oil to about one-third full. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 170°C, or until a small piece of coating sizzles immediately when dropped into the oil.

4. Fry the chicken

Carefully add the chicken pieces to the hot oil in batches. Fry for 3–4 minutes, or until golden, crisp and cooked through. Avoid overcrowding the pan, as this can lower the oil temperature and make the chicken less crispy. Transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel.

5. Make the lemon sauce

Place a clean wok over medium heat. Add a small drizzle of oil, then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the lemon juice, sugar, honey and chicken stock. Stir to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer.

6. Thicken the sauce

Give the cornflour and water mixture a quick stir, then pour it into the simmering sauce. Stir for 1–2 minutes, or until the sauce turns glossy and thickens slightly.

7. Toss the chicken through the sauce

Add the crispy chicken to the pan and toss quickly until each piece is coated in the lemon sauce. Try not to cook it for too long at this stage, as you want the chicken to stay crisp.

8. Serve

Transfer the lemon chicken to a serving plate. Scatter over sliced spring onion and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Tips

For extra crispy chicken, fry it in batches and make sure the oil is hot before adding each batch.

Fresh lemon juice gives the sauce the best bright, citrusy flavour. Bottled lemon juice can taste sharper and less fresh.

For a stronger lemon flavour, add a little finely grated lemon zest to the sauce.
Serve straight away for the best texture, as the chicken will soften once it sits in the sauce.