Description
This Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken is made old-school style with juicy battered chicken thigh fillets that are twice-fried for extra crunch, then sliced and served with a tangy, bright lemon sauce. It’s less greasy than traditional takeout and delivers bold flavor with every bite.
Ingredients
- 4 x 125g/3oz chicken thigh fillets, skinless and boneless (or 2 breasts)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 – 1 1/2 litres (4 – 6 cups) vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- Stay-Crisp Fry Batter:
- 1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup COLD soda water
- Lemon Sauce:
- 6 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/2 cup chicken stock / broth, low sodium
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp ginger, finely grated
- Garnish (optional):
- Lemon slices
- 1 green onion, finely sliced on the diagonal
Instructions
- Whisk together cornflour, flour, baking powder, and salt for the batter. Refrigerate while prepping other ingredients.
- Pound chicken to 0.7cm (1/3″) thickness. Season both sides with 1/2 tsp salt.
- Dust chicken pieces in 1/4 cup cornflour, shaking off excess. Set aside.
- Heat oil to 160°C/320°F in a deep, heavy-based pot (at least 4cm depth).
- Remove batter mix from fridge, add cold soda water, and whisk just until combined (small lumps are fine).
- Dip chicken in batter, let excess drip off, and fry for 3 minutes until pale golden. Fry 1–2 pieces at a time. Drain on paper towel.
- Cool fried chicken for 20 minutes before second fry.
- To make lemon sauce, whisk cornflour with a splash of chicken stock in a saucepan, then add remaining stock, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Simmer for 3 minutes until it thickens to a thin honey consistency. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Heat oil to 200°C/390°F and fry chicken a second time for 3 minutes until deep golden and super crispy. Drain on paper towel.
- Slice chicken into 2cm thick pieces. Arrange on a plate, drizzle with lemon sauce, and garnish with green onion and lemon slices.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice or your choice of sides.
Notes
- The lemon sauce is best served immediately as it softens the crispy coating over time.
- Use cold soda water, not sparkling mineral water, for the best batter texture.
- This fry batter method stays crisper and is less greasy than traditional batters.
- Use a thermometer to ensure accurate oil temperatures for optimal crispiness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
