Lebanese Lemon Garlic Hen – Al Aseel

April 5, 2025

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This Lemon Garlic Hen is a copycat of a signature dish at Al Aseel, a well-liked Lebanese restaurant in Sydney. Tender marinated hen smothered in a particular lemon garlic sauce, it’s outrageously good and making it at dwelling is straightforward!

Al Aseel’s Lemon Garlic Hen

Al Aseel proudly declares itself to be “Sydney’s greatest Lebanese restaurant” – a daring declare, however who am I to argue? I haven’t personally tried each Lebanese spot in Sydney (although that seems like a problem I’d fortunately settle for!).

What I do know is that their signature Lemon Garlic Hen has a little bit of a cult following, and when a reader requested me to recreate it, I used to be blissful to oblige.

Plus, it turned out to be surprisingly simple to recreate. A pleasant reprieve after the 48 variations it took to create final weeks’ Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Yogurt marinade and yogurt sauce

The important thing ingredient on this Al Aseel copycat recipe is yogurt. It’s used within the garlicky marinade (yogurt is a wonderful flavour service, as Greek Gyros followers can attest) , it makes the flavour stick with the hen because it sears, and it’s the bottom of the creamy garlic lemon sauce that smothers the hen.

By the way in which, the Lemon Garlic Yogurt Sauce is served heat, which could sound a bit uncommon (heat yogurt??), however please belief. I assumed the identical the primary time I attempted this dish at Al Aseel, and blissful to search out I used to be utterly fallacious – it’s fabulous!

Lebanese Lemon Garlic Chicken - Al Aseel copycat — Garlic yogurt marinade tenderises hen

Elements in Lebanese Lemon Garlic Hen

Right here’s what you’ll want to make this.

For the marinade

I don’t know if Al Aseel makes use of a yogurt marinade, however it’s a wonderful flavour service and tenderiser. The hen is so juicy inside, you may be amazed. (Juicier than on the restaurant).

Hen tenderloin – fast and straightforward to chop into the fitting form so that they sit flat on the pan, and the completed dish appears to be like like Al Aseel’s. It’s additionally extra tender than hen breast, although you should use breast in a pinch (the marinade does wonders with tenderising). Thighs additionally work, although they aren’t as uniform in form as tenderloin or breast.
Yogurt – Greek or plain yogurt, unsweetened, is a wonderful flavour service for marinades to get the garlic infused all over every bit. It additionally creates a pleasant coating so the tasty flavours sticks to the floor of the hen.
Lemon – The acid within the marinade that helps tenderise, in addition to including tangy lemon flavour.
Olive oil – So as to add a little bit of richness and dilute the acidity of the lemon a bit so it doesn’t “prepare dinner” the hen.
Salt and pepper – for seasoning the hen.

The lemon garlic sauce

Make this whilst you’ve received the whole lot out for the marinade as a result of it makes use of the identical substances! Actually, the flavour within the sauce wants time to meld so must be made not less than 1 hour forward.

Yogurt – Utilizing full fats is important right here. Low fats has a “watery” mouthfeel to it.
Tahini – I don’t assume Al Aseel makes use of tahini, I believe they combine yogurt with toum which is a Lebanese garlic dip made with lots of oil. A small quantity of tahini as a substitute supplies mouthfeel richness with out overtaking the sauce with sesame flavour.
Olive oil – To offer the sauce a little bit of richness.
Garlic – Unusually, I’m going to ask you to measured the garlic utilizing teaspoons as a result of uncooked garlic in a sauce like this may be fairly harsh. I exploit 3/4 teaspoons of finely grated or garlic minced utilizing a garlic press. If utilizing a knife, finely chop then smear the garlic on the board utilizing the facet of the knife to make a paste, then measure.
Water – To skinny the sauce barely, to make it drizzle-able (is {that a} phrase?).
Salt and pepper – For seasoning.

Salt be aware: the recipe requires 1 teaspoon of salt in every the marinade and sauce. I began with much less however felt it was underneath salted for each, then saved dialling it up and landed on a teaspoon for every. It’s not salty, I promise.

Easy methods to make Lebanese Lemon Garlic Hen

Marinating time apart, it’s really very fast as a result of there’s not that many substances!

Marinade hen for 12 to 24 hours. Past 24 hours, there’s diminishing returns (ie additional time doesn’t make it extra tender or extra flavourful) so whereas alright to maintain it for two days within the fridge, past that I’d freeze it as a substitute.
Cook dinner – Drain off the surplus marinade out of the bowl then prepare dinner the hen items for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on either side till golden. I do it in 2 batches as a result of in case you litter the pan, the hen will go watery and braise as a substitute of sear. We wish the golden color!

PS The recipe requires the items to be reduce pretty massive as a result of every bit is turned one by one. It’s a ache individually turning a great deal of tiny items!

Relaxation – Switch the cooked hen onto a plate and after the second batch is cooked, let it relaxation for two minutes. This resting time permits the juices to settle again into the hen fibres so that you get actually juicy hen flesh inside. You can be shocked. I used to be!
Lemon garlic sauce – That is as simple as mixing the substances collectively, setting apart for not less than an hour to let the garlic flavour meld, then heating the sauce gently solely to heat within the microwave.

Nevertheless, as a result of the substances within the sauce are the identical because the hen marinade, it’s fairly useful to only combine it up similtaneously the marinade then simply refrigerate it till required.

Plating up – Al Aseel model! Pour half the yogurt sauce right into a shallow bowl or a plate. Then switch the hen onto the sauce utilizing a spatula or spoon – don’t pour it them off the plate because the resting juices on the plate tarnish your glowing white sauce.
Garnish – Prime with remaining yogurt sauce, drizzle with olive oil and end with a pinch of parsley. Then serve!

Easy methods to serve Al Aseel’s Lebanese Lemon Garlic Hen

For me, Lebanese bread for sauce mopping is a should, plus you then even have the choice to make wraps filled with the tasty hen items smothered within the lemon garlic sauce. Rice can also be a very good possibility. Basmati could be my decide although any plain rice would work (there’s definitely loads of sauce for rice soaking).

If you happen to’re after one thing extra adventurous on the rice entrance, attempt Mejadra (Center Jap spiced lentil rice), Garlic rice or Rice Pilaf with Nuts and Dried Fruit.

Add a perky recent salad on the facet (attempt Lebanese Fattoush or this Ottolenghi one, typically I skip the chickpeas), and a wonderful Lebanese feast at dwelling is completely inside attain even on a midweek! And if there are any die-hard Al Aseel followers studying this, I’d like to know the way you assume my model stacks up. – Nagi x

PS I omitted dessert – as a result of I don’t have any strictly conventional Lebanese dessert recipes – although Baklava, Persian Love Cake or Pistachio Cake could be my picks if I have been seeking to impress.

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