Batter Fried Lemon Chicken is a ‘double fry’ method recipe. The sauce can be made ahead of time and warmed up before coating the chicken to serve. Reading through this recipe and doing your mise en place before beginning to cook ensures a higher chance of success as this recipe comes together quickly and good organization makes it easy.
Marinating not only imparts flavor, but it helps keep the meat juicy. Cornstarch is used here to “velvet” the meat as it gives a better mouth feel in finished dishes than other starches. Velveting is a technique where one can quickly improve the texture of any protein, even cheap cuts of meat.
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- •7.5 ml (1.5 teaspoons) Shaoxing rice cooking wine
- •7.5 ml (1.5 teaspoons) soy sauce
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) garlic powder
- •1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) onion powder
- •1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) white pepper
- •454 grams (1 pound) skinless chicken, breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) cornstarch
- •15-30 ml (1 - 2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
To fry the chicken:
- •Vegetable oil, as needed
For the batter and garnish:
- •83 grams (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) cornstarch
- •1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) baking powder
- •1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) salt
- •Pinch (1/8 teaspoon) garlic powder
- •Pinch (1/8 teaspoon) turmeric
- •Pinch (1/8 teaspoon) white pepper
- •1.3 ml (1/4 teaspoon) toasted sesame oil
- •120 ml (1/2 cup) club soda, seltzer, beer, or water
- •Sesame seeds, for garnish
- •Finely chopped scallions or cilantro, for garnish
For the lemon sauce:
- •22.5 ml (1.5 tablespoons) cornstarch
- •120 ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice plus thin slices of lemon cut into wedges
- •60-80 ml (1/4 - 1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- •Small pinch of MSG, optional
Preparation
- For the chicken marinade: In a mixing bowl stir together the wine, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion, powder, and white pepper. Add 7.5 ml (1.5 teaspoons) water and the chicken. Stir until the chicken is coated. Add the cornstarch and mix well until there is very little moisture left in the bowl. Add the oil, mix again, and set aside for 20 minutes.
To fry the chicken: Have a metal rack set up in a cookie sheet to cool the chicken after deep frying; this is a two step deep frying process. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Heat 5-8 cm (2 – 3 inches) of vegetable oil in a pot to 177°C (350°F). This will be your “first fry” and its purpose is to cook the chicken thru, not to crisp. If you have the oil at the correct temperature when frying, the food will not be greasy. As the oil heats, prepare the batter.
For the batter: Combine 78 ml (1/3 cup) of the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, turmeric, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix well, reserving the club soda, seltzer, beer, or water for adding just before dipping the chicken.
To begin the frying process, lightly dust the marinated chicken pieces in the remaining 78 ml (1/3 cup) of the all-purpose flour. Knock off the excess flour. Add reserved liquid to the batter and mix gently. Pop the floured pieces into the batter to coat. Once coated, carefully place the wet battered chicken pieces in to the hot oil to fry for 4+ minutes, turning the chicken pieces often to cook evenly. Remove the cooked chicken from the heat and place on a metal rack to cool for at least 5 – 10 minutes. This rest period is an important step in making juicy chicken with a crunchy coating.
For the lemon sauce: In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 30 ml (2 tablespoons) water to make a loose slurry; set aside. In skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat, combine the lemon juice, 60-80 ml (1/4 – 1/3 cup) water, cut up lemon pieces, sugar, and MSG (if using). Mix well and bring to a simmer, making sure the sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust the flavor if required, then mix and add the cornstarch slurry, a little bit at a time, to thicken to your preference. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Bring the vegetable or canola oil up to 190°C (375°F) for the “second fry,” which is to crisp the chicken pieces. Fry the chicken for 3 – 4 minutes, turning often, it should be golden in color. Remove the chicken from the oil and immediately place in the pan with the warm lemon sauce. Mix quickly with a scooping motion. Garnish with scallions or cilantro. If desired, serve with noodles or rice.