Crispy Lemon Chicken Nuggets with Asian Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Well for today we have this delicious fusion of Eastern and Western flavors, a bit of Japanese soba noodles meeting more Western style fried chicken nuggets. The nutty buckwheat noodles get tossed with soy sauce, teriyaki, ginger, and garlic, while the chicken nuggets come out crispy and golden with a lovely hint of lemon. It’s one of those unexpected combinations that just works!

Of course you can make both things separately. These are pretty standard chicken nuggets with a touch of lemon, you can always add lemon later to cut the fat but i think adding before not only makes the chicken a bit more soft but gives a different flavouring that is not that common.

And of course the egg noodles after a fast boil were quickly fried with a bit of soy sauce, teriyaki, ginger and garlic and served with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped scallions, simple and classic. And yes you can ditch the nuggest and just add the chicken to the noodles and stir fry everything hehehhe, but thats not todays recipe!!!! 😀 Let’s get to the recipe!

Crispy Lemon Chicken Nuggets with Asian Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Servings: 2
Time: 50mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Whoa I don't know if this combo is common but it's one of those dishes that started as one thing and ended up another, quite tasty even if maybe it was better served in two separate bowls, but for the photo everything goes on top ;D

Ingredients

Soba Noodles – 125g
Soy Sauce – 1 Teaspoon
Teriyaki Sauce – 2 Tablespoons
Ginger – 1 Chopped Slice (or 1 Teaspoon Dried Ginger)
Garlic – 2 Cloves
Chives – A Pinch
Sesame Seeds – A Pinch
Sesame Oil – A Dash (for frying the noodles)
Chicken – 1 Breast
Egg – 1
Breadcrumbs – As Needed
Lemon – 1/2 Juice
Sunflower Oil – As needed for Frying (or any other Oil)
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Chicken nuggets take a little longer to make, so it’s best to start with the chicken. Cut it into strips or chuncks (against the grain, so it’s more tender), just make sure all of them are about the same size so they will cook evenly and place it in a bowl with the juice of half a lemon, salt, and pepper. Leave it to marinate for about 15 minutes.
Then prepare two bowls, one with whisked egg and a pinch of salt, the other with breadcrumbs.
Heat a frying pan with sunflower oil (or other frying oil), you only need about 2 fingers’ worth.

Dip the chicken in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing down firmly so that the breadcrumbs stick well to the chicken pieces.
When the oil is hot, the ideal temperature is 175ºC if you have a thermometer. If not, drop a piece of bread into the oil. When the bread starts to bubble, it is close to that point.

Then add the chicken. If you have too much chicken nuggets dont overcrowd the frying pan, do it in 2 batches, fry half, then fry the rest. Fry until golden brown. The good thing about nuggets is that, as they are small pieces of chicken, you don’t have to worry about whether the chicken is cooked, you just have to worry about the outside being golden brown, which takes about 4 or 5 minutes.
Remove to kitchen paper or a drying rack and set aside to drain of excess oil.
For the noodles, boil them in hot water, read the instructions on the package, different brands and types of noodles (there are at least 3 types of thickness) have different cooking times, in this case it was 3 to 5 minutes, so I cooked them for about 4 minutes, remove from the water and drain.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare a large frying pan with a drizzle of sesame oil, then two finely chopped garlic cloves, and chopped ginger, and fry for about 2 minutes.
Then add the drained pasta, fry for another 2 minutes over high heat, then add the soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, mix, cook for another minute, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of chopped chives and sesame seeds, and serve with the chicken nuggets on top. Bon appétit!

Notes & Tips: Cutting the chicken against the grain is key, this shortens the muscle fibers and makes each bite more tender. The lemon marinade not only adds flavor but also helps tenderize the meat, just be sure not to leave it for too long or it will “cook” the chicken and instead of soft and flavorful it will be mushy and pasty, 10 to 15 minutes is more than enough for small pieces.

Getting the oil to the right temperature is crucial. Too hot and the coating burns before the chicken cooks, too cool and you get greasy, soggy nuggets. The bread test is foolproof if you don’t have a thermometer.

Really press those breadcrumbs onto the chicken. This creates a proper coating that won’t fall off during frying and gives you that satisfying crunch.

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the noodles if you like some heat, or drizzle with a bit of chili oil when serving.

You can absolutely serve these components separately if you prefer. The nuggets are great as a snack on their own, and the noodles make a delicious side dish or light meal, add a leftover already cooked protein and got yourself a fast quick meal.

Pairing Suggestions: I also served this with a garlic dipping sauce for the chicken nuggets (search for the recipe, i’ll publish it later on).

This recipe for Crispy Lemon Chicken Nuggets with Asian Soba Noodle Stir-Fry was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Nuggets de Frango com Noodles foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.