Crispy Lemon Chicken
Crispy battered chicken in a glossy lemon sauce - a lighter, homemade version of your favourite Chinese takeaway. Sweet, sour, sticky and delicious, and ready in about 40 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the lemon sauce
- 2 lemons juice only
- 30 grams caster sugar
- 150 ml water
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
For the chicken
- 50 grams plain flour
- 50 grams cornflour
- 2 eggs
- 400 grams diced chicken breast
- Vegetable oil
For the rice
- 300 grams white rice
- 200 grams frozen peas
To serve
- Sliced spring onions
Instructions
- For the sauce, put the lemon juice, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Put over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. In a small cup, mix the cornflour with one tablespoon of water. Stir until combined, then tip into the saucepan, stirring the lemon mix constantly. It should thicken immediately. Add a pinch of salt and turn off the heat.
- Put the rice in a large pan of boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes, or until cooked. Add the peas for the last 30 seconds. Drain.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, whisk.
- Put the plain flour and cornflour onto a large plate. Use your fingers to gently mix the two together.
- Line up the egg bowl, flour plate and another empty plate. One by one, dunk the pieces of chicken in the egg mix then cover with flour on the flour plate. Put onto the empty plate.
- When all of the chicken is coated, get a large saucepan and fill it with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Put on a medium heat.
- When hot, add the chicken - starting with any bigger pieces - about 6 pieces at a time. Fry for five minutes, turning regularly, then drain on kitchen roll. Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a baking tray and keep in the oven to stay warm while you cook the rest. Continue with the rest of the chicken.
- When you are ready to serve, pile the rice and peas into bowls. Reheat the lemon sauce, then tip the chicken pieces into it, toss and add to the bowls. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Crispy Lemon Chicken
Amount per Serving
Calories
602
% Daily Value*
Fat
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Cholesterol
146
mg
49
%
Sodium
157
mg
7
%
Potassium
734
mg
21
%
Carbohydrates
100
g
33
%
Fiber
7
g
29
%
Sugar
12
g
13
%
Protein
35
g
70
%
Vitamin A
544
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
50
mg
61
%
Calcium
87
mg
9
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
Storage & Leftovers
This dish is best fresh, but if you have leftovers, keep the chicken and sauce separate.- Fridge: Up to 2 days. Reheat the chicken in the oven or air fryer to crisp it up, and warm the sauce gently on the hob.
- Freezer: Not ideal — the coating softens — but if you do freeze it, re-crisp in the oven at 200°C for 10 minutes before serving.
