Craving something delicious and crunchy? Try my Crispy Honey Lemon Chicken! It’s a perfect blend of sweet and tangy flavours with a crunchy coating that everybody loves! With simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps, you’ll have this dish served up in no time. Whether you’re cooking for family or friends, this recipe is a guaranteed hit!
Looking for a tasty dinner idea that reminds you of your local Chinese restaurant? My Crispy Lemon Honey Chicken is just the thing! This dish combines sweet honey with zesty lemon in a lovely sauce that is drizzled over chicken in a crispy coating.
You don’t need to be a pro in the kitchen to make this recipe. With simple steps and common ingredients, this dish is really easy to prepare, you just need a little time to do the deep-frying steps in batches.
Imagine biting into tender chicken with a crunchy outside, covered in a sweet and tangy sauce. It’s a dish that both kids and adults always enjoy! It may not be the healthiest of dishes but for a special occasion or a family night fake away – its perfect! Everything in moderation right…
~ Crispy Lemon Honey Chicken ~
❄️ Storage
FRIDGE:
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and use within 2-3 days. For the best outcome, keep the chicken SEPARATE from the sauce otherwise the batter on the chicken does go soggy overtime. Reheat the chicken in the air fryer at 180C until piping hot and reheat the sauce over low heat on the stove top. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. Although it won’t be quite as crispy as when first made, this is the best outcome for leftovers.
FREEZE:
You can freeze the chicken after the first deep-fry if you want to freeze for another night but be slightly ahead of time. Allow to cool completely before arranging the chicken on a lined baking tray (without touching). Cover and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight freeze safe bag, label, date and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight then continue deep-frying for the 2nd Deep-Fry as in the recipe card below.
Crispy Lemon Honey Chicken
Ingredients
CHICKEN MARINADE
- 600g chicken breast fillets, cut into bite size cubes
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
- ¾ teapsoon bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
- Good pinch of ground white pepper
LEMON SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- ½ teapsoon salt
BATTER
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- ½ cup cornflour
- 1 ⅓ cups chilled soda water (or regular chilled water)
- Vegetable or neutral oil, to deep-fry
TO SERVE
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Steamed broccoli
- Spring/green onion curls
- Toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
MARINATE CHICKEN
- Place chicken into a bowl. Add the Shaoxing wine, chicken stock powder, bi-carb soda and pepper. Mix to throughly combine. Cover and chill for at least 10 minutes or longer if time permits.
LEMON SAUCE
- Place cornflour into a small saucepan. Add a good splash of the chicken stock and mix to combine. Add the remaining chicken stock and the remainder of the sauce ingredients. Mix well to combine and set aside.
BATTER
- Place self-raising flour and cornflour into a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the chilled soda water and mix until JUST combined. Do not over-mix. Some lumps are fine (this step is best done just prior to deep-frying).
1ST DEEP-FRY
- Heat enough oil in a wok or saucepan to come one-third up the side, over medium high heat until it reaches 160℃. (alternately use an electric deep fryer according to manufactures instructions).
- Add all the chicken to the batter, then drop pieces in one-by-one into the hot oil in batches (don't overcrowd the wok). Fry for 4-5 minutes or until light golden in colour. Remove with a metal slotted spoon or spider and drain on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining chicken making sure to bring the oil back to temperature before frying the next batch. (TIP: I use food safe gloves here to help reduce with messy hands)
2ND DEEP-FRY
- Reheat oil to 200℃. Working in batches, deep-fry the chicken again for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown and really crisp. Drain and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
TO SERVE
- Place the Lemon Sauce over a medium-high heat, stirring often until it comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from heat.
- Serve the chicken piled up over steamed rice with broccoli and drizzle over the Lemon Sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and spring/green onion curls. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - COLD BATTER & DOUBLE FRY
To get a really crispy batter, which isn’t greasy, you need a really chilled batter and also use the double fry method. This will ensure your chicken is crisp and stays crisp for a longer period. To help get a cold batter there is few things you can do:
1. Chill the flour mixture for the batter prior to mixing
2. Pop the soda water in the freezer for a period before adding to the batter (just make sure it doesn’t freeze)
3. Once the batter is made, place the bowl over another bowl filled with ice whilst deep-frying the chicken to keep it super cold. - LEMON HONEY SAUCE
- If the sauce seems a little runny, simply add a little cornflour slurry to thicken it. Combine 1-2 teaspoons cornflour with a touch of water and stir until combined. Add to the sauce and ensure it comes to the boil. This is when the magic happens.
You may also enjoy
- Sweet and Sour Pork (Just like a restaurant!)
- Chinese Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce
- Quick Cantonese Style Soy Sauce Noodles
- Satay Chicken Curry
Makes this last night and it was so yummy. My husband and kids loved it. The kids are still talking about how good it was this morning!
Thank you Emily! Im so glad to hear the hubby and kids loved it and for the kids to be talking about it the next morning – well that’s a win win!! It’s definitely a family favourite… Thank you
K xx