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Lemongrass fried chicken

Two things make this recipe stand out. First, the crust that stays crispy after the chicken meat has cooled and, second, the dipping sauce that’s surprisingly so easy to make.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Chicken fillet, Fried chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 22 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 leg quarter fillets
  • 3 stalks lemongrass
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 two-inch knob ginger peeled and sliced
  • 1 finger chili sliced
  • ¼ cup fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Dipping sauce

  • 4 tablespoons marinade
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Frying

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • cooking oil for deep frying

To serve

  • cooked rice
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • cilantro

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  • Rinse the chicken and wipe the surface with paper towels. Place the fillets in a shallow bowl.
  • With a mortar and pestle, pound the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and chili. Add the fish sauce and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Pour the marinade into the bowl with the chicken. Mix well.
    Lemongrass fried chicken marinade
  • Cover the bowl and leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Make the dipping sauce

  • Remove the chicken fillets from the marinade. Scrape off any solids sticking to them.
  • Strain the marinade and pour into a microwave-safe bowl or cup.
  • Add the peanut butter, hoisin sauce and oyster sauce.
    Lemongrass fried chicken dipping sauce
  • Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or until bubbly (see notes).
  • Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Fry the chicken

  • Spread one-fourth cup of flour on a plate. Dredge each chicken fillet until the surface is completely dusted.
  • Place the remaining flour in a shallow bowl, slowly pour in water, stirring as you pour, to make a pourable batter (see notes).
  • Whisk in the baking powder.
  • Heat enough cooking oil in a pan to reach a depth of two to three inches.
  • Drip each floured fillet in the batter, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl, then slide the battered fillet into the hot oil.
    Dipping floured chicken fillet in batter
  • Fry the chicken (in batches if your frying pan is not too large) for six minutes per side.
    Deep frying chicken thigh fillets

Serve the lemongrass fried chicken

  • Ladle rice into bowls and arrange a lemongrass fried chicken on the side.
    Lemongrass fried chicken garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro, and served over rice
  • Ladle some sauce over the chicken (optional) and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
  • Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.