True Lemon Chicken
I wanted to make Lemon Chicken like the Chinese restaurants have. After trying many recipes, I found one that was OK. I played with the recipe and tweaked it to my liking...a Lemon Sauce that is lemony with a good balance of sweet. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
I wanted to make Lemon Chicken like the Chinese restaurants have. After trying many recipes, I found one that was OK. I played with the recipe and tweaked it to my liking...a Lemon Sauce that is lemony with a good balance of sweet. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 lemon, juice of or 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
- 1/8 cup lime juice
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 2 drops yellow food coloring
- cornstarch mixed with
- water to thicken
- Carbohydrate 234.768295002106 g
- Cholesterol 136.88 mg
- Fat 4.7930075 g
- Fiber 2.77349989982024 g
- Protein 55.3417250000927 g
- Saturated Fat 1.03604 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (629g)
- Sodium 235.057750000244 mg
- Sugar 231.994795102286 g
- Trans Fat 0.916406249999999 g
- Calories 1168 calories
Step-by-step
- CHICKEN: Saute cubed chicken in olive oil until done.
- Set aside.
- SAUCE: In a small sauce pan, combine first 7 ingredients and bring to a low boil.
- Slowly stir in cornstarch solution.
- Depending on how thick you want the sauce determines how much cornstarch solution you use.
- Careful- sauce tends to boil up when cornstarch solution is added.
- Serve chicken over a bed of rice.
- Pour sauce over chicken& rice.
- Enjoy!
A sharp aroma of citrus cuts through the sweet sugar profile, coating a tender piece of sauteed poultry in a glossy yellow glaze. Achieving this distinct regional restaurant style relies entirely on chemical reactions between acid, heat, and starch.
- Acid breaks down protein structures in meat if left to marinate too long, so keep the chicken raw until the moment of cooking to maintain a firm bite.
- Citric acid in lemon and lime juice tempers the perception of sweetness from the substantial sugar quantity, requiring both juices to achieve proper pH balance.
- Starch granules must reach 203 degrees Fahrenheit to fully gelatinize and trap free liquid, transforming cloudy water into a transparent sauce.
- Fresh citrus yields volatile aromatic oils from the peel that bottled juice lacks completely, altering the final aromatic complexity of the glaze.
Whisk the cornstarch slurry thoroughly before adding it to the boiling liquid to prevent raw lumps from forming in the pan. Watch the mixture closely during thickening because starches can rapidly transition from glossy to overly pasty if overheated.
