Crispy Lemon Honey Chicken
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!
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.