Crispy Lemon Chicken
Our recipe for crispy, beer-battered chicken thighs, perfectly golden and crunchy, topped with a zesty lemon and hot honey drizzle for the ultimate sweet and tangy kick. Served on a bed of aromatic sesame sticky rice and finished with fresh spring onions and black sesame seeds, this recipe is a mouthwatering fusion of textures and bold flavours.
Servings
2
Per portion
£6.10
Cooking time
50 mins
Shopped at
Lidl
ingredients
4 Chicken thighs
2 tsp Cornstarch
Salt
250ml Frying oil
60g Cornstarch
120g Plain flour
Salt & pepper
2 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 Eggs
100ml Beer
300g Sticky rice
1 tbsp Frying oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp Chilli powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp Hot honey
100g Brown sugar
100ml Water
2 tbsp Plain flour
1 Green onion
Black sesame seeds
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Method
1
Tenderise your chicken thighs (to do this, put them in a plastic bag with air removed and bash them on a chopping board or work surface with a rolling pin, bottom of a bowl, or similar)
2
Season the chicken within the bag generously with salt, to taste, and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, then mix and set aside whilst you prepare the batter.
3
In a large bowl, combine 60g cornstarch, 120g plain flour, salt, pepper, chilli powder, garlic powder, and baking powder. Mix well. Separate the mixture into a 1:2 wet dredge to dry dredge ratio (in two separate bowls / trays) .
4
The smaller portion will form the wet dredge; add 2 eggs and 100ml of beer, then mix to combine until the batter is smooth and runs off the spoon with a bit of hold. Set both dredge mixtures aside whilst you cook the rice.
5
Heat a pan or wok over medium heat, then add a tablespoon of oil and wait until it starts to sizzle. Add your rice (we used pre-cooked sticky rice, which took 5–10 minutes to heat through on medium-low heat). Season as it cooks with salt, pepper, chilli powder, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Stir thoroughly to combine, and once the rice is heated to your liking, remove it from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.
6
To cook the chicken, place a deep pan on a high heat and add enough oil for the chicken to fry in.
7
Use tongs to submerge the chicken in the wet dredge, make sure it’s all covered, drip away the excess and then transfer to the dry dredge, repeating to coat all sides. Transfer straight to the sizzling hot oil, and fry for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove and place on a chopping board and repeat this step for all the chicken thighs.
8
With the chicken set aside, make your sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, hot honey, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat to reduce until glistening. If you want to thicken the sauce, make a slurry of plain flour and water and gently whisk into the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency.
9
Chop up a spring onion, then serve the crispy chicken thighs on a bed of sticky rice. Drizzle generously with the hot honey lemon sauce, and garnish with finely sliced green onion and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Enjoy!
ingredients
4 Chicken thighs
2 tsp Cornstarch
Salt
250ml Frying oil
60g Cornstarch
120g Plain flour
Salt & pepper
2 tsp Chilli powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 Eggs
100ml Beer
300g Sticky rice
1 tbsp Frying oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp Chilli powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp Hot honey
100g Brown sugar
100ml Water
2 tbsp Plain flour
1 Green onion
Black sesame seeds
Crispy Lemon Chicken
Method
1
Tenderise your chicken thighs (to do this, put them in a plastic bag with air removed and bash them on a chopping board or work surface with a rolling pin, bottom of a bowl, or similar)
2
Season the chicken within the bag generously with salt, to taste, and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, then mix and set aside whilst you prepare the batter.
3
In a large bowl, combine 60g cornstarch, 120g plain flour, salt, pepper, chilli powder, garlic powder, and baking powder. Mix well. Separate the mixture into a 1:2 wet dredge to dry dredge ratio (in two separate bowls / trays) .
4
The smaller portion will form the wet dredge; add 2 eggs and 100ml of beer, then mix to combine until the batter is smooth and runs off the spoon with a bit of hold. Set both dredge mixtures aside whilst you cook the rice.
5
Heat a pan or wok over medium heat, then add a tablespoon of oil and wait until it starts to sizzle. Add your rice (we used pre-cooked sticky rice, which took 5–10 minutes to heat through on medium-low heat). Season as it cooks with salt, pepper, chilli powder, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Stir thoroughly to combine, and once the rice is heated to your liking, remove it from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.
6
To cook the chicken, place a deep pan on a high heat and add enough oil for the chicken to fry in.
7
Use tongs to submerge the chicken in the wet dredge, make sure it’s all covered, drip away the excess and then transfer to the dry dredge, repeating to coat all sides. Transfer straight to the sizzling hot oil, and fry for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove and place on a chopping board and repeat this step for all the chicken thighs.
8
With the chicken set aside, make your sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, hot honey, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat to reduce until glistening. If you want to thicken the sauce, make a slurry of plain flour and water and gently whisk into the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency.
9
Chop up a spring onion, then serve the crispy chicken thighs on a bed of sticky rice. Drizzle generously with the hot honey lemon sauce, and garnish with finely sliced green onion and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Enjoy!