Lemon Chicken

Savory and sweet with a refreshing tang, this lemon chicken uses a one-two punch of lemon juice and lemon zest combined with honey to create a glorious lemony glaze around each bite of mouth-watering chicken.

Course Entree

Cuisine Chinese-American

Level Beginner

Main Ingredient Poultry

Diet Dairy-Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 417kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

for chicken

350 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs (cut into 1 ½-inch pieces)
1 tablespoon sake
¼ teaspoon salt
ground black pepper (to taste)
⅓ cup potato starch
vegetable oil (for frying)

for sauce

1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons sake (or water)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon potato starch
¼ teaspoon salt

for garnish

sesame seeds
scallions

Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

Put the 350 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs in a bowl with the 1 tablespoon sake, ¼ teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, or up to overnight.
350 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon sake, ¼ teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
When you're ready to make the lemon chicken, add 2-inches of vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot, and heat the oil to 340 degrees F (170 C). Prepare a paper towel lined rack.
vegetable oil
Whisk the 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons sake, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon potato starch together in a separate pan and set aside.
1 tablespoon lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons sake, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon potato starch, ¼ teaspoon salt
Add the ⅓ cup potato starch to a bowl and drop the chicken pieces in the potato starch. Roll the chicken around to coat each piece evenly with starch, tapping the excess off on the side of the bowl.
⅓ cup potato starch
When the oil is ready, fry the chicken in batches until a light golden brown and cooked through (to test, remove a piece from the pan and use an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160 degrees F). Drain the chicken on the paper towel lined rack.
When you've finished frying all the chicken, bring the lemon sauce to a boil. Add the chicken and toss until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is coated in a thick, shiny glaze.
Plate the lemon chicken and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
sesame seeds, scallions

Nutrition