Asian Style Chicken Nuggets with Lemon Glaze
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
Bite-sized chicken nuggets with a lemon glaze that is out of this world! Seriously. This sauce is EPIC.
Why does bite-sized food always taste so much better?
I think maybe it’s because your mind doesn’t process it as a large amount of food since you can simply pop a bite here and there – hence, you can eat more of it.
It’s crazy, I know.
But that’s why these little nuggets are super dangerous. And when you glaze it off with the lemon goodness, you’ll be hooked forever.
Sorry, I’m not sorry.
Asian Style Chicken Nuggets with Lemon Glaze
Bite-sized chicken nuggets with a lemon glaze that is out of this world! Seriously. This sauce is EPIC.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch chunks*
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the lemon glaze
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and green onions.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine rice vinegar mixture and chicken; marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the bag occasionally. Drain chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- To make the glaze, combine rice vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water over medium low heat. Bring to a boil, simmering until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve chicken immediately, tossed or drizzled with the lemon glaze, garnished with lemon zest, if desired.
Notes
*Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be substituted.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Kind of random, but where did you get the gold spoon in your photo? Love it and your blog! 🙂
West Elm.
These look delicious. I find normal chicken nuggets can get a but boring sometime, so to put an Asian twist on it is great (:
This looks amazing. Do you think it would work with boneless skinless chicken breast?
Yes, absolutely.
Dying to try this – but not a fan of chicken thighs. Thoughts on using Chicken breast instead?
Yes, that would be a suitable substitute.
Is there any way to make this in an oven baked version?
I try not to fry my meat so much
Sounds so good can’t wait to try!
You can certainly try a baked version but unfortunately you just won’t get that amazing crispness as the fried version!
I made this today for dinner, and it was Damn Delicious! I added some of the same ingredients for the marinade to the lemon glaze and served with rice. I will definitely make again.
Have you ever baked these? The flavor sounds great but I’m avoiding fried foods.
Kristin, you can certainly bake these but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish as further recipe testing is needed. It is always best to follow the instructions as listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Is there a way to replace the mirin with something else?
Vanessa, you can certainly try to substitute something else for the mirin but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish as further recipe testing is needed. It is always best to use the ingredients listed in the recipe to obtain the best results possible.
Do you have an alternative for the vinegar? I can’t stand the taste of any kind of vinegar. Thanks!
It is best to use the ingredients listed here to obtain the best results possible. You can certainly substitute something else for the vinegar but I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. That being said, the vinegar taste here is very minimal!
Wow, this was so easy and so delicious! It was a big hit with the family. I’m going to double the recipe next time. Could I change lemon juice and zest with orange to achieve an orange chicken version?
Yes, absolutely!
Could you use regular skinless bone in chicken thighs if you didnt have the boneless ones?
Yes, that should work just fine!
Thank you for the recipe! I ended up using less Sesame Oil because it can be overpowering, in my opinion. And I didn’t fry it in Peanut oil, mainly because I didn’t have any, but I was also trying to make it a little healthier. I put some olive oil in my wok and let the chicken fry for a while.
Then I stir fried some veggies, added the lemon sauce and let the veggies simmer.
Added some rice, and it was great! Thanks so much!
Can I stir fry instead of deep fry? I’ll try, after marinating, I’ll stir fry to chicken!!!
I was going to try that tonight too! I love the idea of chicken nuggets, but trying to cut back on fats. I’ll let you know how it turned out.
They look amazing,
This is really looks damm delicious ! pinned on my boards. Love your blog.
Is there a gluten free flour that can be the replacement for the AP flour?
Yes, there are many gluten-free all purpose flours available that you can use.
Many gluten free flours will work. Trader Joe’s has an inexpensive one that I have had great luck with. Don’t forget to sub tamari for the soy sauce.
I can’t wait to try this recipe for my kids. Thanks Chung-Ah for sharing.