Lemon Chicken Recipe
One of the proteins I like best to cook with is chicken breast – I use it in stir fries and salads and so many other dishes. I can pull one out in the morning and there is a world of opportunity open to me for dinner. And so it was the other night. I made a dessert pizza for a party at our friend’s house so I had some leftover lemon juice so I thought that perhaps lemon chicken would be tasty. My cookbooks were perused and I and found a different way to make it. This recipe is adapted from one of my go-to Chinese cookbooks – The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. (affiliate link)
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Lemon Chicken
Serves 2 – 3
1 chicken breast, cut into slices
2 TBS rice wine
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS honey
1 lemon
1 TBS canola oil
3 slices fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cooked rice
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- Add the rice wine, soy sauce, honey and salt into a large bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add the chicken and mix until the chicken is coated. Let marinate for half an hour, stirring a couple of times.
- Cut the lemon into eighths and remove the seeds.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or other fry pan until hot.
- Add the lemon and ginger – IT WILL SPIT. BE CAREFUL
- After the lemon browns a bit remove it and set aside. Add the chicken. Let the chicken sit, undisturbed for one minute to brown.
- Stir the chicken and add the marinade and the lemon and ginger. Let the the mixture simmer for 3 – 4 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve the chicken over the cooked rice with some sauce.
How Was the Lemon Chicken?
This was a really different take on this classic Chinese meal. It’s usually a breaded, fried chicken breast with a thick lemon sauce. In this version the chicken takes on the salty/sweet flavors from the soy sauce and honey and the lemon and ginger enhance the sauce. It’s also easier and I would think healthier than the traditional fried version. I served it with some steamed, fresh from the garden green beans.
The cookbook where I found this recipe also gave me one of my favorite recipes of all time, tomato beef. I don’t make it that often these days as we just don’t eat that much beef but it is one red meat recipe I do really enjoy.
