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Lemon Scallion Chicken Recipe

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4.5 from 618 reviews

A flavorful and comforting Lemon Scallion Chicken featuring crispy skin chicken thighs served with a homemade chicken broth-infused scallion and miso sauce, caramelized lemon, and fresh scallion greens. This recipe includes making a rich chicken stock from the reserved bones, dry-brining the chicken for maximum juiciness, and pan-cooking to achieve perfectly browned skin.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Main Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs (skin-on & bone-in)
  • Kosher salt (for dry brine)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon (half whole, half sliced into thin half moons)
  • 1 pinch cane sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 5 scallions (separate greens from whites)
  • 1 tbsp miso
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp crushed red peppers
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)

For Homemade Chicken Stock

  • Chicken bones (from the 6 chicken thighs)
  • 4 green onions (sliced)
  • 2 celery ribs (sliced)
  • ¼ onion (chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 kombu strip
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • Water (to cover)

Instructions

  1. Dry-Brine Preparation: Place chicken thighs skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut down both sides of the bone and slide the knife underneath to detach the bone. Remove bones and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for later. Pound the deboned chicken thighs thin using a meat mallet between parchment or plastic wrap. Place on a cooling rack over a baking sheet, dry well, sprinkle both sides with kosher salt, and refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 8 hours.
  2. Make Homemade Chicken Stock: Add the reserved chicken bones to a pot along with green onions, celery ribs, chopped onion, garlic cloves, and black peppercorns. Drizzle olive oil and sauté until browned. Add enough water to cover, then stir in kombu strip, a pinch of salt, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Simmer gently for 45-60 minutes, topping up water as needed. Strain and set the broth aside.
  3. Cook the Chicken: Remove chicken from fridge and pat dry. Rub olive oil on the skin. In a cold pan, place chicken skin-side down and turn heat to medium-high for 2 minutes, then reduce to medium-low. Cook for about 20-25 minutes to brown skin and render fat. Carefully loosen skin with a spatula, flip the chicken, then cook on medium-high for another 5-7 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 175°F-180°F.
  4. Caramelize Lemon: Slice half the lemon into thin half moons. Remove chicken from pan and lower heat to medium. Add lemon slices to the pan, sprinkle with cane sugar and salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until soft and caramelized. Remove and finely mince the caramelized lemon.
  5. Prepare Sauce: In the same pan on medium heat, add scallion whites and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in miso, allspice, crushed red peppers, and white pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and add 1½ to 2 cups of the homemade chicken broth and honey. Reduce liquid by one-third. Turn off heat, add cold butter, and whisk until emulsified. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Return chicken to pan and warm it briefly to absorb sauce without losing skin crispness.
  6. Serve: Spoon some sauce onto plates, set chicken on top, and garnish with scallion greens. Enjoy the balanced flavors of crispy chicken with tangy, savory sauce and caramelized lemon.

Notes

  • Dry-brining greatly enhances chicken flavor and skin crispness, so allow at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours for best results.
  • Use a meat mallet to ensure even thickness for even cooking.
  • Rendering the chicken skin slowly over medium to low heat yields the crispiest skin.
  • The homemade chicken stock adds deep umami flavor to the sauce; do not skip it if possible.
  • Handle the sauce gently over the chicken to keep the skin crispy and prevent it from becoming soggy.
  • Adjust crushed red peppers amount for desired heat level.

Keywords: lemon scallion chicken, pan-fried chicken thighs, homemade chicken stock, crispy chicken skin, miso sauce, caramelized lemon, scallions

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/lemon-scallion-chicken-recipe/