Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Glazed Lemon Chicken


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There is a logical progression that's led to lemon chicken being featured here tonight. Briefly, we've decided to postpone our trip to Egypt, and while discussing other destinations the topic of airports, carriers and comfort came up. We travel a lot and have become fairly expert in identifying airport restaurants that offer consistently passable meals to travelers. I'm sure you have a list of your own, but at the top of mine is the Panda Express, mainly because I like their orange chicken. I've found that no matter where I am, its taste and heat never vary, and while that might be off putting when you're home, it's a blessing when you're traveling. I was able to find a copycat version of their recipe for the chicken I like, but I couldn't use it because the Silver Fox doesn't share my love of orange entrées. I decided to do a flavor swap and came up with a slightly Asian lemon chicken that we both enjoy. This is not like the cloyingly sweet lemon chicken that you're served in Chinese restaurants. There is a hint of sweet, but that is more than balanced by the tart, slightly acidic flavor of the lemons in this recipe. I'll be featuring more lemon desserts this week, but I thought a real meal might be nice, too. I think you'll enjoy this. Here's the recipe for Lemon Chicken.

Glazed Lemon Chicken...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Panda Express

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use + vegetable oil for deep frying
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided use
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, mix together egg, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well. Stir in chicken pieces.
2) In medium bowl, stir together flour and 1/2 cup cornstarch. Add chicken pieces, tossing to coat.
3) Heat oil for deep frying in a wok or deep fryer to 375 degrees F.
4) Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden crisp (but avoid overcooking the chicken). When done remove chicken from oil with tongs and drain on paper towels.
5) Clean wok and heat for 15 seconds over high heat. Lower to medium high and add reserved 1 tablespoon oil.
6) Add ginger and garlic and stir try until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
7) Add red pepper flakes and green onions, then the rice wine, stirring for a few seconds.
8) Add lemon sauce and bring to a boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well incorporated.
9) Stir reserved 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1/4 cup water and add to chicken. Heat until sauce has thickened.
10) Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mixed Noodle Stir-Fry with Crispy Pork - Adora's Box
Vegetable Lo Mein - Chef In You
Easy Orange Peel Chicken with Sticky Rice - $10 Buck Dinners
Chow Fun - One Perfect Bite
Orange Chicken - Carrie's Sweet Life
Easy Chinese Pork and Leek Dumplings - Comfort Bites
Chinese Pork Ribs with Black Bean Garlic Sauce - Very Culinary


80 comments :

Umm Mymoonah said...

Hmmm, the glaze looks so shiny and lovely, love the flavours of the chicken.

Priya Suresh said...

Yumm, inviting lemon glazed chicken, makes me hungry..

Asteri (Maria) said...

I love your dish!!!
Cheers

Three-Cookies said...

This looks good, the really sweet ones from the restaurants are a tad too sweet sometimes

Ana Rita Marreiros said...

I'm suspetting that i would like this one!
It looks so shiny and tasty...

Kiss,
Rita

Jan said...

Oooh yum this does look good!

BonjourRomance said...

This sounds good, I'm definitely trying it this week!
Thanks for sharing.
Mimi

Martha said...

It looks wonderful and I will have to try this sometime. You're recipes are always sooo good --

Clint said...

First of all, good decision to postpone the Egypt thingie.

I like my glazed lemon chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and a nice dry, white wine. This looks great!

Kim said...

WOW! This chicken would certainly please us! I like it! Love lemon a lot!

Ma What's 4 dinner said...

Mmmm, look so good! I'd love a big bowl of that right this second.

Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner
www.mawhats4dinner.com

Unknown said...

Mary, the chicken looks fantastic. Love the glow from the lemon glaze.
Have a great day.

Blog is the New Black said...

Love lemon chicken- looks awesome!

Barbara said...

Ah yes, Mary, I think postponing your trip to Egypt might be a advisable.

I'm on a lemon kick right now too. Actually, am almost always on a lemon kick. This dish looks marvelous.

Diana's Cocina said...

Your Glazed Lemon Chicken sounds delish. It could easily become one of my favorites! It looks so flavorful.

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Mary,
I should always eat before coming to your delicious site! You make me hungry! This recipe is a must make.
Look for this in an upcoming StoneGable menu! Wow~ I can't wait to make this! Thanks.
xo Yvonne

Diane said...

I love anything with lemons in it so this has to be good. Diane

Stephanie said...

That looks and sounds amazing, Mary! I actually just had Trader Joe's mandarin orange chicken, which is tasty in its' own right, but your lemon glazed chicken is looking better and better with every passing second! :-p There is, of course, nothing better than the homemade stuff!

Unknown said...

I love Panda Express for exactly the same reason!! I love this idea! Though I do like the sweet lemon chicken you can get at restaurants, I LOVE tart lemon flavor. I bet this is amazing!!

Carol said...

I've never had Panda Express, but I would order your Lemon Chicken any time, it looks fantastic!

Unknown said...

I don't even know what to say about this photo and recipe! I feel like I must have this right now!

The technique is spot on w/the "velveting" and love that you mention the dish is not overly sweet! Good to know! Thanks Mary!

Karina said...

Wow does that look amazing..better'n Panda Express for sure!

Karen said...

Mmmm, this looks WAY better than anything from Panda Express! Just looking at the picture makes my stomach growl... Sorry your trip to Egypt didn't work out. We had a trip to Turkey planned last year that had to be canceled when the unpronounceable Icelandic volcano wouldn't stop erupting.

lena said...

although i love eating this dish, i've not tried cooking this. I'm sure yours taste as good as the ones in chinese rest, maybe even better!

Deana Sidney said...

I do make orange chicken quite a bit but lemon is my favorite flavor... thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to try it... who would have thought airport food could inspire!

Cathy said...

Perfect timing, Mary. I took chicken thighs out of the freezer yesterday for another recipe and will use them today for this wonderful recipe. I would choose lemon over orange as well. Panda Express can be a bit too sweet for me so making this lovely dish at home will solve that problem.

Claudia said...

I do like orange-chicken, lemon-chicken - who knows - maybe I would love grapefruit chicken? The flavors are grand and it is oh so pretty!

Sunanda said...

OMG! what a wonderful chicken dish..nice presentation

Elaine said...

I get the orange chicken every single time I go to Panda Express and you are right it always tastes the same no matter what Panda Express you order from. I have tried lemon chicken at Chinese restaurants and haven't cared for it because it usually is way too sweet. This recipe looks and sounds so good.

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

I've been looking for a good, not too sweet recipe for lemon chicken for a long time. So thank you for posting this, it sounds and looks heavenly :o)

Sushma Mallya said...

love the glaze on it,perfect one

Receitas para a Felicidade said...

Looks delicious this chicken Mary, like always,

kisses...

Priyanka said...

A killer dish again....Loved it Mary...

daphne said...

yum yum yum! I love how lemon chicken has so many ways of making them. Usually I prefer mine lightly pan fried but your version is just so tempting!

Eliana said...

This chicken could not look more delicious Mary. Wish I could have some right now and I just barely finished breakfast :)

Mateja ^_^ said...

This is something I would enjoy very much and so would my family too! Thank you for sharing :)

Jenn @ Peas and Crayons said...

mmmm you had me at lemon! <3 my addiction as of lately!

xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

From the Kitchen said...

Delicious looking and sounding! You've not only inspired me to put it on our table--I think I'll try Panda Express!

Yes, a delay in a visit to Egypt might be in order. When you go, will you be "crawling" into the pyramids?

Best,
Bonnie

Suman Singh said...

Its looks wonderful and delicious..would love to try this sometime...thanks for sharing the recipe...have a nice day!

Kath said...

I've never eaten at Panda Express, but I think I would prefer your Lemon Chicken to an orange-flavored chicken, too! It looks so tempting.

I would have to try the sauce with honey, instead of the sugar, to suit my, Honey. (Sugar makes his knees hurt; honey doesn't.) Since it's only 1/3 cup that would probably work.

Faith said...

I love Panda Express too, and you're so right about their orange chicken! I'm happy you shared this, Mary, I've been looking for a recipe like it...and it looks amazing!

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

When I grow up, I want to be you... I think traveling to Egypt right now would be amazing... That is history. Can't wait to hear where you are off to next

Delishhh said...

Too bad about Egypt, they will loose a lot of turism for along time. Have you been to Thailand yet. That is my favorite destination. I know it is a long trip but worth it. Been there 10 times and never get tired of it. Love your orange chicken, but i don;t trust airport food i usually bring my own food :)

Katerina said...

Sorry about the trip to Egypt. Perhaps you could visit Greece. The chicken looks very appetizing!

VegeCooking Club said...

This does look completely fabulous! I love all the lemon recipes.

Maria said...

Sounds great!

That Girl said...

I'm not a huge Panda Express fan, but then again, I tend to spend my airport time looking for TCBY and Dunkin Doughnuts

Rita said...

Looks like a fantastic lemon chicken recipe; so I will keep this one too. Glad to hear you have postponed your trip to Egypt; pretty scary right now.
Rita

Joanne said...

I have a deep and intense love of Panda Express. Which is why I am so glad there really aren't any in NYC. But I do miss their orange chicken! Good stuff. I love this lemony twist you've put on it!

Lori said...

I will come over and have orange glazed chicken with you. I adore it. I sure would not say no to this lemon chicken either. Delicious.

The Blonde Duck said...

Yum yum yum!

Chele said...

Perfect comfort food this. Looks great. Its sucha shame to hear about your Egypt trip, its such a wonderful place to experience.

Amy said...

Sounds and looks delicious. Lemon Chicken is one of my favorite dish to make. Will definitely try out your recipe next time.

Amy
http://utry.it

Ginny Hartzler said...

This looks really good! I'm sorry about your trip, but glad you are not going to Egypt! I'm just really glad you weren't there when all this happened! Have you narrowed it down yet?

teresa said...

i love how shiny it is, and the flavors sound so bright and delicious!

Ana Powell said...

Not just delicious but outstanding.
Lemon has a sour tangy and really good flavour that makes this dish so special ♥

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious! I'll have to make this the next time I have a craving for take-out Chinese!

Maria Dolores said...

Una verdadera delicia me gustan estos platos las albóndigas siempre quedan buenísimas y estas no hay mas que verlas para saber cómo están.
Saludos

Unknown said...

just printed your recipe and stick on my fridge for my tomorrow dinner.
I will let you know!:))
So exciting to try!
barbara

Helia Roberto said...

I love chicken anyway!!
Ando your's looks delicious.

kiss

Hélia

Anonymous said...

I am making this chicken soon! My niece who is in the Peace Corps in Moldova (very poor country between Russia & Romania) went on a cruise over Xmas with a stop in Egypt. She enjoyed seeing the pyramids and riding a camel, but it was her least favorite stop. My speculations is that she was sensitive to the pervasive male dominance. That's my girl! Hope you get to go when things calm down, but after the assault on the beautiful tv reporter, I have no desire to visit there.

Martha in KS

Anonymous said...

All of your food looks so amazing but I wonder why do you photoshop your pictures? You can tell because its been done badly and it does not look good. I think the picture would look better without all that.

Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen said...

This looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
And postponing your trip to Egypt now may be a good idea, but do visit it soon! :)

Jen_from_NJ said...

Your photo is just gorgeous! I love lemon with chicken - perfect flavor combination! I'm sorry about your trip...

sophia said...

As an Asian, I really cannot admit that Panda Express is passable food...heh heh. But my go-to travel food is Subways, for the $5 -foot-long subs.

I'm really, really digging this chicken, esp because I have my own lemon tree!

Angela said...

I love lemon week!

Kankana said...

This is making me very hungry .. looks so delicious !

Clint said...

Great, impassioned answer on my blog, Mary, which I appreciate---but how do you REALLY feel? Ha.

Melissa @IWasBornToCook said...

This looks delicious Mary! I'm definitely going to have to try this!

Angela said...

I just wanted to stop in and thank you for your kind words, and then I was drawn in by your beautiful recipes--the lemon pie, the cookies!

cocoa and coconut said...

It's great to hear you've achieved a balanced sweet-tang in this recipe. I can't stand cloyingly sweet chicken from Chinese stores..

Chef E said...

Lemon is my all time favorite- orange chicken however is second, and I know what you mean about passable restaurants in airport. Hubby and i always make sure we take something from home for the ride...sorry about the trip, Egypt is also on our list, but not yet...

Love all the lemon post! I am drooling citrus! LOL

Sharon @ Fun and Life said...

I LOVE lemon chicken! I'm so glad I have a bad habit of going through blogger archives lol. I've always wanted to make this but never really knew how. So I buy the ready-made sauces and just pour it over chicken. Which is of course never as good as the real thing! Will love to give this a try :D

My Little Space said...

This is definitley one of my favourite dish. Loving the lemon flavour on this. Salivating!
Kristy

The Chef In My Head said...

This will be a dish both my husband and I love!! Perfect! Thank you Mary ~ Leslie

JR/Mike said...

Hi Mary, I just wanted to let you know that I made this dish last night and it was delicious. My girlfriend wants me to make it again!
Thanks!

heleneb said...

heleneb says...I add slice of lemons instead of grated rind...delish...

tammy said...

do you think the lemon chicken could be made with whole thighs and breasts with bone in? Thank you. Tammy

Mary Bergfeld said...

Tammy, anything is possible.You'll have to play with cooking time and make more sauce, but it certainly could be done. Hope all is well. Blessings...Mary

Joanne T Ferguson said...

G'day and YUM Mary, true!
I have shared and now this is on my list to do! Thank you!
Cheers! Joanne

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