Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
I've adored Eva Longoria since her debut on Desperate Housewives. She's always stunning and so put together. Who would have thought she's also a whiz in the kitchen? She actually released a cookbook back in 2011 titled, Eva's Kitchen. While I haven't purchased the cookbook, I did run across one of the recipes she included in it on the The Recipe Club and decided to try it because it looked and sounded divine.
It's a chicken dish she calls Lemon Fried Chicken. If I were to name it, I would call it Lemon Panko Chicken. The recipe calls for thin, tenderized pieces of chicken dredged in egg and panko, then pan-fried, sprinkled with salt and then soaked with lemon juice. The juice soaks through the crispy coating and adds excellent flavor to the chicken.
The first time I made this, my husband and I took our first bites and just looked at one another in amazement. This was definitely a winning dish. We've made it several times since then and it has definitely become a staple recipe at our house. I do the pan-frying of the chicken and he does the salting and lemon squeezing. We have a nice little assembly line for this dish. It's so simple with only a few ingredients and I promise you, it tastes amazing!
Here's what you'll need to make your own:
Lemon Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. thinly sliced chicken breasts
- 4 large eggs
- 4 cups Panko crumbs
- Vegetable oil as needed for pan frying
- Kosher salt to taste
- 3 lemons halved
Instructions
- Put the chicken breasts on a cookie sheet between two layers of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat tenderizer until the breasts are about ⅛ inch thick,
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Pour the Panko into another large, shallow dish ( I used a pie pan).
- Coat the chicken on both sides with egg and then dredge both sides in the Panko. Place the chicken on a large baking sheet and continue with the remaining chicken.
- Line a large baking sheet with paper toweling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and place as many pieces of chicken in the pan as you can without over-crowding. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Transfer the pieces of chicken to the large baking sheet with paper toweling and immediately sprinkle with some salt and squeeze over a generous amount of lemon juice from a halved lemon.
- Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
Notes
- Consistent Chicken Thickness: Aim for uniform thickness when pounding the chicken breasts to ensure even cooking. Thicker parts may take longer to cook, leading to unevenly cooked chicken. Additionally, pounding the chicken to ⅛ inch thickness helps create a tender texture and allows for quicker frying.
- Oil Temperature Control: Maintain the oil at the correct temperature throughout the frying process. The oil should be hot enough to create a crisp, golden crust on the chicken without burning. Use a deep-fry thermometer to monitor the oil temperature, aiming for around 350–375°F. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the temperature stable.
- Lemon Infusion: Enhance the flavor of the fried chicken by generously squeezing lemon juice over the hot chicken immediately after frying. The heat from the chicken helps the lemon juice penetrate the meat, infusing it with a tangy citrus flavor. For additional lemony freshness, consider adding lemon zest to the Panko crumbs or serving the chicken with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over before eating.
Victoria
Have you tried frying your chicken pieces in your air fryer???? If you haven't, do you think it would work? I just got my af yesterday and d I saw your recipe for cooking a whole chicken - now I've got to try this recipe but I'd like to make it healthier by using the af!!
Sara
Victoria, I use my air fryer for this lemon fried chicken recipe ALL THE TIME. It's one of our go-to favorites. It will definitely work for your air fryer. I can't wait for you to try it!
Regina
Just made this! Absolutely delicious and super easy to make! Thanks!
Sara
So glad you enjoyed it, Regina! It's one of our favorites too!
Vicky
The recipe sounds like schnitzle. I may have to try this. Thanks.
Jess
I am making the chicken with lemon zucchini spaghetti... =)
Sara
Oooh, that sounds good, Jess! Hope you enjoy the chicken!
Ashley Coker
Side suggestions?
Sara
Ashley, I often serve the chicken with steamed asparagus and baby red potatoes. I've also served it with green beans and rice!