Sweet and full of citrus flavour, lemon chicken is a very popular Chinese takeaway dish which has undergone something of a face lift in recent years, many restaurants now opting to combine the dish with sweet & sour sauce. This recipe uses lemon cordial to create a glaze bursting with flavour, perfect for topping slices of golden, crispy chicken.
Lemon Chicken
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Chinese, Takeaway
Servings: 2 portions
Ingredients
- 150 ml lemon cordial
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 200 ml water
- 1 tablespoon mild honey
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon potato flour or corn flour
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 chicken breast fillets each around 113g weight
- 1 teaspoon rice wine
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 1 egg whisked
- 8 tablespoons potato flour or corn flour
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
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In a pot, add lemon cordial, lemon juice, water, mild honey and white sugar. Mix well over a medium heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is reduced.
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In a small bowl, add 1 teaspoon of potato flour or corn flour and 1 tablespoon of water. Mix well. Add the mix to the simmering lemon sauce and stir well. Simmer the sauce for a further 1-2 minutes until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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Trim any excess fat from the chicken breast fillets. Butterfly the chicken or use a meat mallet to flatten each chicken breast. Add the rice wine, sea salt and white pepper. Mix well. Add a touch of whisked egg, just enough to coat the chicken breast fillets. Pour the potato flour or corn flour into a large bowl.
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Heat oil for deep frying to around 180c. When the oil is hot, press each chicken breast fillet into the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Place the breaded chicken fillets carefully into the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until golden, crispy and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, drain off any excess oil and set aside to rest.
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Reheat the prepared lemon sauce gently whilst the chicken rests. Slice each chicken breast into 5-6 pieces, arrange on a serving plate and finish with the lemon sauce. Serve with egg fried rice and sweet & sour sauce.
If you like this recipe, you might be interested in buying my book: The Takeaway Secret (2nd Edition) is packed full of over 160 takeaway and fast-food recipes from around the world and is available to buy in paperback or kindle form here.
Hi Kenny, what kind of sweet and sour sauce is added with the lemon chicken? Any generic pack? (like Lee Kum Kee) or a specific recipe?
Hi Daniel – I made my own sweet & sour sauce with a recipe from The Takeaway Secret – I’m working on a new recipe too which I’ll post here soon!