Tired and exhausted from a long work day? This lemon shredded chicken recipe would be just what you need! Simply steam the chicken with a few pieces of ginger, make the seasoning sauce, and pour it over the shredded chicken, you’ll be able to enjoy a simple delicious meal in no time.
Using minced garlic, soy sauce, chilli peppers, lemon juice, and chicken essence to make the seasoning sauce, this dish is savoury and slightly spicy, with the addition of a refreshing note. The chicken is cooked by steaming, so you can enjoy a healthy meal with tender and juicy chicken!
Table of contents
Ingredients for lemon shredded chicken
- Chicken drumsticks: This recipe uses 3 chicken drumsticks.
- Ginger: This helps remove the poultry smell.
- Garlic: This adds a distinct taste and aroma that enhances the overall flavours of the dish.
- Hot chilli peppers: Adding a touch of spiciness makes the dish more flavourful! Depending on your heat tolerance, add in an amount that suits you best.
- Soy sauce: The key ingredient that gives you a savoury goodness.
- Salt and sugar: For seasoning the dish.
- Chicken essence: Extracted from steaming the chicken, chicken essence is packed with nutritional benefits, and hence is often treated as a health remedy in Asian countries. It also adds richness to the sauce and enhances the overall flavour profile of the dish!
- Lemon juice and fresh coriander: These enhance the refreshing taste of the dish.
How to make lemon shredded chicken
- Boil water in a pot over high heat.
- On a deep plate bowl, place a small bowl upside down in the centre, then place the chicken drumsticks around the inverted bowl. Place a few slices of ginger on top of the chicken drumsticks.
- Steam the chicken drumsticks for 16-18 minutes over medium heat.
- When the chicken is cooked, let cool in a bowl of ice water.
- Remove the small bowl from the deep plate bowl to get the chicken essence.
- Prepare the seasoning sauce by mixing minced garlic, hot chilli peppers, salt, sugar, freshly chopped coriander, lemon juice, soy sauce, and the chicken essence.
- To make shredded chicken, you can either use your hands to pull the chicken meat out or use two forks.
- Pour the seasoning sauce over the shredded chicken and mix well.
Success tips for making lemon shredded chicken
Steam the chicken drumsticks with an inverted bowl in the centre.
This allows you to extract the essence from the chicken, which contains the juice and flavours of the chicken, making the dish incredibly flavourful! Once you turn off the heat and remove the lid, the chicken essence will be sucked into the inverted bowl due to the difference in air pressure, yielding a concentrated pure chicken essence.
Do not overcook the chicken drumsticks.
To ensure the chicken drumsticks are cooked till tender and juicy, be sure not to overcook them. Steaming the chicken drumsticks should take about 16-18 minutes depending on their sizes. You can check if they are cooked by poking a chopstick through the thickest area. If the chopstick goes through the chicken flesh easily and smoothly, it means they are cooked.
Cool down the cooked chicken drumsticks in ice water.
By cooling the cooked chicken in ice water, this stops the cooking immediately, maintaining the moisture of the chicken, so that it remains tender and juicy.
Health benefits of chicken essence
Chicken essence is often treated as a health remedy in Asian countries (especially amongst the Chinese). It is the extracted juice from the chicken which is full of nutrients like protein and antioxidant, helping you relieve fatigue, improve immune system, and promote metabolism.
How to store lemon shredded chicken?
Store the lemon shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long can you keep this side dish?
Stored in an airtight container, this lemon shredded chicken will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
This lemon shredded chicken is full of flavours and easy to make! You can serve it warm or cold as a side dish with a bowl of rice or noodles. Using staple ingredients to make the seasoning sauce along with the chicken essence, this dish is healthy and refreshing, along with a burst of savoury goodness.
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Simple Lemon Shredded Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Wok
- 1 Steam rack
Ingredients
- 3 chicken drumsticks
- 3 slices of ginger
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 hot chilli pepper chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ lemon squeezed to juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- chicken essence
- fresh coriander or spring onion chopped
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water over high heat.
- On a deep plate bowl, place a small bowl upside down in the centre, then place the chicken drumsticks around the inverted bowl. Place a few slices of ginger on top of the chicken drumsticks.
- Steam for 16-18 minutes. Check if the chicken drumsticks are cooked by poking through the flesh with a chopstick.
- Let cool the chicken drumsticks in a bowl of ice water.
- Remove the inverted bowl from the deep plate bowl to get the chicken essence.
- Prepare the seasoning sauce by mixing minced garlic, hot chilli peppers, salt, sugar, freshly chopped coriander, lemon juice, soy sauce, and the chicken essence.
- Use your hands to tear apart the chicken meat to make shredded chicken. Alternatively, you can use two forks.
- Pour the seasoning sauce over the shredded chicken and mix well.