Lemon chicken is a family favourite in our family and over the years I have made various versions of this delectable dish. Obviously my version has always been gluten-free but tasty none the less and asked for by guests, family and friends quite often.
Evolution of my Lemon Chicken
My earliest versions were quite simple with pounded out chicken breasts, coated with white rice flour, salt & pepper and fried on the stove with a little olive oil. I would sear both sides, put the lid on the frying pan to cook through and then squeeze fresh lemon on the breasts in the last few minutes of cooking. Simple and yummy.
I discovered that less tenderizing was needed over the years and I changed my stand by rice flour (for many years my only gluten-free option) and started to explore other spices, crumbs and flours. I made the dish using crushed GF crackers that gave it a little more texture and crunch. We liked it for awhile but found that sometimes the lemon soaked into the crust and made it a little too tart.
Enter Epicure. Some of their meal solutions, General Tao and Sweet & Sour Stir-Fry, suggest that you cut your chicken into pieces and coat with cornstarch. I loved the texture adding a little starch to the chicken and soon tried a better blend of flour with potato starch, tapioca flour, quinoa flour and coconut flour. The last part was to add a little extra oomph to the spicing. I found that kick with the Sweet & Sour Stir-Fry seasoning and fresh squeezed lemons. Wow, that is a lemon chicken.
It’s now a regularly requested dish in my house and soon from friends I hope when we can have guests and dinner parties again. You have to try it! The chicken bursts with a lemony flavour and it’s an incredibly healthier version of the traditional restaurant version.
Recipe – Lemon Chicken
- Start with the Sweet & Sour Stir-Fry Meal Solution seasoning and pour into a measuring cup.
- Squeeze the juice from 2 large lemons using your citrus press.
- Add 1 tbsp of vinegar & 2 tbsp of soya sauce. Stir and set aside.
- Add a 1/4 cup of corn starch or a GF flour blend to a large plastic bag
- Chop 4 chicken breasts, add to the bag and squish it around coating all pieces of chicken.
- Add oil to a fry pan and cook the chicken. Add your sauce at the end and let simmer another 4 minutes. Enjoy!
(watch the video under the video menu for making this recipe)