Chinese lemon chicken is a takeaway dish that can be easily recreated at home and in under 30 minutes! Each bite of chicken is perfectly crispy with a burst of citrusy flavor in every bite!
I used to order a similar recipe from a Chinese restaurant in my town and knew I had to recreate the dish at home! This easy lemon chicken recipe takes no time to make and has a tangy sauce that has the perfect balance of lemon flavors and a touch of sweetness to balance it out! This will easily become one of your new easy weeknight dinners that you make on rotation every week!
This main course pairs well with white rice and snap peas but feel free to check out the substitution list below for more side ideas! This can also be a healthier version of Chinese lemon chicken if you bake or air fry the chicken instead of frying! However, frying the chicken will give you the best crispiness out of the 3 options!
Ingredients for Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Chicken thighs: For the best juicy chicken, I prefer thighs but you can use breasts also
- Cornstarch: To give the chicken that crispy coating
- Soy sauce: I use reduced sodium so I can better control the saltiness of the dish. If you use regular just don’t add any additional salt
- Sesame oil: To give this dish an authentic taste but you can use olive or vegetable oil as well
- Lemon juice and zest: To give the dish that vibrant and tangy flavor
- Garlic and pepper: To enhance the flavor of this dish
- Sugar: To balance out the lemon flavor for a sweet and savory component and you can also use honey
How to make Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Prepare your chicken
- Cut chicken thighs into cubes and add the soy sauce, pepper, garlic, cornstarch, oil, and lemon zest and set aside to marinate for 10-30 min. You can add salt here depending on what type of soy sauce you use, you may not want to add additional sodium. If the mixture isn’t wet enough, add 1-2 tbsp of water.
- Heat up your oil in a large non-stick skillet on high heat. In a separate plate, add 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Coat chicken pieces fully in the cornstarch mixture. This extra step will allow for an extra crispy coating!
- Cook the chicken
- Once you have hot oil, fry the chicken in small batches so they have enough room to cook and get extra crispy! They should only take 3-4 minutes per side or be 165 degrees F for the internal temperature. Place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel when finished to drain the excess oil.
- Make the sauce
- To make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, corn starch slurry (just mix the water and corn starch in a separate bowl), garlic, pepper, lemon juice, zest, butter and sugar in a pan until combined. Cook on medium heat until bubbly and when the sauce has thickened, put the heat on low.
- Coat the chicken and enjoy
- Then add in your crispy chicken and toss them until fully coated in the tangy lemon sauce! Top with sesame seeds and green onions and enjoy!
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Serve with brown rice, chow mien noodles, broccoli, or cauliflower rice instead of plain white rice
- Swap the lemon juice and zest for orange to make an orange chicken version of this dish
- You can use chicken breast instead of thigh, just reduce the cooking time!
- Swap soy sauce for coconut aminos
- You can swap the white sugar for brown sugar
- Instead of deep frying, try cooking the chicken in the air fryer before adding the sauce
HOW TO STORE
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days after! For best results, reheat on the stove or oven instead of the microwave! Please leave a five star rating below if you loved this recipe, and as always, poftă bună!
Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thigh (boneless, skinless)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tbsp soy sauce reduced sodium
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil can also do olive oil or vegetable oil
Sauce
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup sugar or honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce reduced sodium
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs into cubes and add the soy sauce, pepper, garlic, cornstarch, oil, and lemon zest and set aside to marinate for 10-30 min. If the mixture isn’t wet enough, add 1-2 tbsp of water.
- Heat up your oil in a large non-stick skillet on high heat. You will need about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of any frying oil and make sure it gets to about 325 degrees F before you add your chicken. To test this, drop a small piece of chicken in and if it starts sizzling then its ready. In a separate plate, add 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Coat chicken pieces fully in the cornstarch mixture. This extra step will allow for an extra crispy coating!
- Once you have hot oil, fry the chicken in small batches so they have enough room to cook and get extra crispy! They should only take 3-4 minutes per side or be 165 degrees F for the internal temperature. Place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel when finished to drain the excess oil.
- To make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, corn starch slurry (just mix the water and corn starch in a separate bowl), garlic, pepper, lemon juice, zest, butter and sugar in a pan until combined. Cook on medium heat until bubbly and when the sauce has thickened, put the heat on low.
- Then add in your crispy chicken and toss them until fully coated in the tangy lemon sauce! Top with sesame seeds and green onions and enjoy!
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