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Crispy Lemon Chicken

Name: Crispy Lemon Chicken
Prep time: 18 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients: boneless chicken — 680 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; cornstarch — 177 g; all-purpose flour — 30 g; eggs — 200 g; vegetable oil — 871 g; lemon juice — 177 g; granulated sugar — 101 g; low-salt chicken broth — 118 g; soybean soy sauce — 30 g; lemon zest — 15 g; water — 30 g; scallions — 200 g

Crispy Lemon Chicken reads citrus 6.7, sourness 5.3 and umami 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 23 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.9 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 8.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 2.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.7 · Sourness 5.3 · Umami 5.2 · Salinity 5.0 · Sweetness 5.0 · Richness 4.0 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Floral 1.8 · Allium 1.7 · Fruity 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.3 · Bitterness 0.9 · Nutty 0.8 · Heat 0.8 · Earthy 0.6

What's in it (14)

boneless chicken — 680 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
cornstarch — 177 g
all-purpose flour — 30 g
eggs — 200 g
vegetable oil — 871 g
lemon juice — 177 g
granulated sugar — 101 g
low-salt chicken broth — 118 g
soybean soy sauce — 30 g
lemon zest — 15 g
water — 30 g
scallions — 200 g

Time & effort: about 23 min (18 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 187.7 kcal, 13 g protein, 7.9 g fat, 16.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

Pat the chicken dry, halve each breast horizontally into two thin fillets, and pound between sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
In a shallow dish, whisk together 10 tablespoons of the cornstarch (reserve the remaining 2 tablespoons) with the flour. In a second shallow dish, beat the eggs until smooth.
Dredge each cutlet in the cornstarch-flour mixture, dip in the beaten egg, then dredge again in the cornstarch-flour mixture, pressing gently to build an even, shaggy crust. Set the coated cutlets on a wire rack and let rest 5 minutes so the crust sets.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or wok to 350°F. Fry the cutlets in two batches so the oil temperature doesn't drop, 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp and the chicken reaches 165°F at the center. Transfer to a clean wire rack to drain.
In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, sugar, chicken broth, soy sauce, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
Whisk the reserved 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the water to make a slurry, then stir it into the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes; remove from the heat.
Slice the fried cutlets on the bias into strips and arrange on a platter. Spoon the hot lemon sauce over the chicken right before serving so the crust stays crisp, and scatter the scallions on top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Chicken Fajitas — Tex-Mex
Crispy Tofu Banh Mi Bowls — Vietnamese
Kubba Hamuth (Sour Beetroot Soup with Bulgur Dumplings) — Kurdish
Sheet-Pan Greek Chicken with Potatoes — Greek
Sheet-Pan Vegetable and Halloumi Bake — Mediterranean

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.