Lemon chicken reminds me of my childhood. Back in those days, my parents will always go to Johor Bahru, Malaysia to shop for our household necessities and no matter what, we will always drop by my favourite restaurant Singgah Selalu. Boy, it has been years since I returned to that place.
Lemon chicken is also one popular side dish served here in Singapore. One thing I find it ironic though, it’s always really really expensive. A small dish would set you back at least $10. Not forgetting how we can’t control what we put into the dish.
So guess what? I’ve made a healthier version of it of course. In my attempt to recreate my childhood, I’ve eliminated a few things from this dish to make it healthier.
- Instead of deep-frying, I’ve pan fried it with extra virgin coconut oil
- I portioned out the amount of flour and potato starch I used for this recipe to make it just enough
- I didn’t add in any added salt and substitute sugar with honey to make it natural
- When I portioned out my 3 meals, I served it with stir-fry veggies. You can of course have it with rice but please don’t forget your veggies?
So without further adieu, here’s the full recipe of the Healthy Lemon Chicken. Do watch the video on my YouTube channel and subscribe. Appreciate it loads. 🙂
Chinese-styled Healthy Lemon Chicken
Serves – 3
Time needed – 20 mins
Cost – $2.60
Here’s what you need:
- 400g chicken breast
- 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup potato starch, sifted
- 1/4 cup wholegrain flour, sifted
- 1/2 tbsp liquid aminos (soy sauce substitute)
- White sesame
For the sauce
- 2 lemons
- 1 tbsp honey
- 5 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp potato starch
Here’s how you do it:
- Marinate chicken with potato starch and wholegrain flour, adding the liquid aminos. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the sauce.
- Heat a non-stick skillet with coconut oil and pan-fry chicken for 6-8 mins, change sides halfway through. Once cooked, set aside.
- Boil the sauce over low heat in a separate saucepan until it thickens. This will take about 5 mins.
- Serve hot with brown rice and veggies, or if storing for meal prep, let it cool for an hour and separate into 3 containers. Let it cool completely before covering the container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy!
How much this costs:
*Keep in mind that this numbers are a rough guide. It depends on where you buy it and when. At the end of the day it’s possible to eat healthy without breaking the bank. Also, ~ denotes the items that should already be in your pantry for a long time or it’s a very small amount.
- 400g chicken breast $4.00
- 2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil $0.80
- 1/4 cup potato starch, sifted $0.60
- 1/4 cup wholegrain flour, sifted $0.60
- 1/2 tbsp liquid aminos (soy sauce substitute) $0.10
- White sesame ~
For the sauce
- 2 lemons $1.20
- 1 tbsp honey $0.20
- 5 tbsp water ~
- 1 tbsp potato starch $0.40
Total price = ~ $7.90
Price per serve = ~ $2.60
How much calories and macros:
For 3 meals: Calories: 379, Protein: 42g, Carbohydrates: 20g, Fats: 14g
For 4 meals: Calories: 284, Protein: 32g, Carbohydrates: 15g, Fats: 11g
