Marion’s Best Lemon Chicken recipe | Marion's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What does Ina Garten serve with her lemon chicken? ›

The sauce has garlic, thyme and lemon, and has so much flavor," Garten says. "And the whole thing takes like 5 minutes to put together... The best thing about this is that it makes the chicken and the sauce at the same time." Serve it over rice or quinoa, and the grains can absorb all of the sauce, Garten recommends.

Chinese Lemon Chicken: Recipe Instructions

Mix well with your hands and let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Next, mix the sauce by combining chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, honey, distilled white vinegar, and cornstarch.

Use chicken thighs (or legs, but thighs are easier to eat), bone-in and skin-on. Lemon is acidic and helps balance the stronger flavor of the dark meat in thighs and legs, and the fat from the chicken skin.

How Many Calories Are in Chinese Lemon Chicken? One cup of lemon chicken contains approximately 657 calories. This dish is high in fat and protein, with 85 percent coming from saturated fat. It contains zero carbohydrates.

Like pickling, smoking, and curing, the practice of rinsing chicken with lemon juice probably started out as a way to neutralize any off-aromas in the meat and cut down on bacteria.

Not just any old oatmeal will do when it comes to the Barefoot Contessa. "I've had the same thing for breakfast every single day for ten years: coffee and McCann's quick-cooking Irish oatmeal," Garten told Bon Appétit in a 2017 article. And her love of the stuff is well-documented.

To marinate chicken for stir fries, we use a simple mixture of water, oil, cornstarch, and a flavor agent like soy sauce or oyster sauce. Other ingredients, like Shaoxing wine or sesame oil, may also be layered in.

“It might seem counterintuitive to marinate before boiling, but the velveting marinade tenderizes the meat, keeps it moist, and adds flavor. The meat ends up juicy and flavorful, a result you don't get with a standard blanching process.”

Chicken can get both mushy and tough when it's been left to marinate too long. If it's been more than 48 hours, the USDA recommends throwing it out.

If you season your poultry before cooking, the flesh itself will be imbued with the fresh lemon flavor. Applying lemon juice after cooking won't affect the flavor of the meat as much, and will have a harsher and more sour taste because you haven't allowed the acid to permeate through the chicken.

How long can you leave chicken in lemon juice? ›

The reason you do not want to marinate chicken for longer than 4 hours is that the acidic ingredients in the marinade (like vinegar, wine, or lemon juice) will begin to break down the structure of the meat too much and it will start to “cook” before ever touching a heat source.

Low in Fat

If you're watching your fat intake, lemon chicken is a great option. It is typically prepared using lean chicken breast and minimal added fats, making it a low-fat protein choice. This can be beneficial for those looking to maintain a healthy weight or reduce their overall fat consumption.

Chinese Restaurant Lemon Chicken Without Rice (1 order) contains 128.4g total carbs, 122.2g net carbs, 84.4g fat, 74g protein, and 1570 calories.

Lemon: Pairs especially well with almond, apricot, basil, berries, black pepper, cardamom, cherry, citrus, coconut, hazelnut, ginger, mint, nectarine, peach, plum, prickly pear, rosemary, thyme, tropical fruit, and vanilla. For spirits, it mixes best with rum, vodka, and nut and orange liqueurs.

Mix and match the best Chicken Marbella side dishes and be the Ina Garten of your dinner party. Easy, healthy ideas that complement the famous Silver Palate recipe. From couscous and mashed potatoes to broccolini and sauteed carrots, you'll find complementary dishes that are special-occasion worthy.

It's utterly delicious and served with a mixed leaf salad dressed with Ina's simple lemon vinaigrette with shavings of Parmesan it was perfection.