This Chinese Lemon Chicken is my go to recipe when I want take out quality chinese but do not want to leave home. My recipe is seriously delicious with homemade lemon chicken that’s going make you family a fan and it only takes around 30 minutes.
I just love the brightness of lemon in dishes. Two of m favorites are my lemony pasta with asparagus and my lemony orzo pasta.
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Why this Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe is a Keeper
The Chinese lemon chicken recipe, takes only a few ingredients and very little time to produce. This recipe will be one that you can use in so many different ways.
- Crispy Perfection: It delivers that sought-after crispy chicken texture, a hallmark of great lemon chicken.
- Tangy and Sweet Balance: The simple lemon sauce strikes a perfect balance between tangy and sweet, creating a delightful flavor profile.
- Homemade Satisfaction: It allows you to recreate a beloved takeout dish at home, offering a sense of accomplishment and control over ingredients.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the sweetness, sourness, or thickness of the sauce to your preferences.
- Crowd-Pleasing Appeal: It’s a dish that’s generally loved by both adults and children.
- Versatility: Switch up the sides to serve chinese lemon chicken with, such as rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables.
- Economical: Making this delicious chinese lemon chicken at home is often more cost-effective than ordering takeout.
- Healthier Options: You can control the oil and sugar content, making it a potentially healthier alternative to restaurant versions of this lemony sauce.
Can I use Chicken Thighs instead of Chicken Breasts to Make Chinese Lemon Chicken?
Of course you can use thighs. Chicken thighs have a higher fat content than chicken breast, which keeps them incredibly moist and tender during cooking. This is particularly important in stir-fries and other Chinese dishes where chicken can easily dry out
Pro Tip for Crispy Coating
Double Fry for Extra Crispiness: Fry the chicken twice—first at a lower temperature to cook it through, and then again at a higher temperature to get a crispy, golden exterior.
Ingredient Notes and Variation Suggestions for Chicken in Lemon Sauce
If you love lemon chicken at chinese restaurants, then you will love making this chinese food at home. No need to wait for delivery. It is perfect with steamed rice.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Breast: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe.
- VARIATION: As stated above you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Lemon: This being lemon chicken, fresh lemon juice and zest are an important part of this dish.
- VARIATION: Orange chicken is a great alternative. So use orange juice and orange zest for this recipe.
- VARIATION: Add some spice: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for some heat. Try some white pepper for a chinese chef’s secret.
- Make the Lemon Chicken Sauce gluten-free: Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and soy sauce.
How to Make Asian Lemon Chicken
This chinese lemon chicken recipe is universally loved. It is tender, juicy and the lemon kick is superb. It is a quick, easy, versatile chicken dish as good as your favorite chinese restaurant.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prepare Chicken Breast Pieces: First, cut and prepare the chicken. Then beat the eggs and dredge the chicken to soak. Meanwhile, heat the oil in the skillet.
- Coat the Chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch and then coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and then place in hot oil to fry your chicken until golden brown and crispy.
- Tangy Lemon Sauce: Next, in a saucepan, mix lemon juice, water, sugar and lemon zest from one lemon. Bring to a boil while stirring and then remove from heat. Pour sauce over the chicken.
Prep Ahead Recipe Instructions and Suggestions
There are several ways to prep ahead this easy copycat chinese takeout crispy asian chicken. You don’t need a wok to cook this flavorful asian lemon chicken.
- Chicken Prep: Cut your chicken.
- Cook: You can cook the chicken for this dish and make the sauce and store apart until ready to reheat.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Lemon Chicken Chinese Food
You can store this sweet and sour lemon chicken and have it ready for a quick and easy meal.
- Storing: Airtight Containers: Store the lemon chicken in airtight containers in the refrigerator. If you anticipate the sauce making the chicken too soggy, you can store the chicken and sauce separately. It will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chicken and sauce. Gently reheat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water or chicken broth.
- Using Leftovers: The leftover crispy lemon chicken can be used to top a salad, used in soup or is perfect for a sandwich.
Common Questions About This Recipe
That is the best part about making this dish yourself. You can adjust the amount of sugar and lemon flavor to make it perfect for your family.
Yes, you can definitely bake the chicken for your Chinese Lemon Chicken instead of frying! While frying provides that classic crispy texture, baking is a healthier and often easier alternative. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden brown. Flip the chicken pieces halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. You can use an air fryer too.
Italian Lemon Chicken often involves pan-roasting or sautéing chicken (sometimes whole or bone-in pieces) with white wine, lemon juice, and herbs. The sauce is typically lighter and less sweet than chinese lemon chicken recipe.
Expert Tips for Making Lemon Chicken Chinese Food Recipe
Here are a few tips to make this tasty recipe that is so easy to make at home. this classic chinese chicken is super crispy and delicious.
- Fresh: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Cook: Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken. Cook chicken in batches if necessary.
- Sauce: Make sure the sauce is thickened properly before you toss the chicken back in.
- Serve this Lemon Chicken with: Lo Mein noodles, fried rice or Asian Coleslaw or easy Cold Sesame Noodles.
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Chinese Lemon Chicken
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts , cut into 2” cubes
- 3 Eggs
- ½ cup Flour
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- ¼ Green onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds
- Sauce
- ⅓ cup Lemon juice
- ⅓ cup Water
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- Lemon zest , to taste
Instructions
- Beat the eggs and pour over chicken to soak.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch.
- In a frying pan. Pour about 1” of oil and bring to medium high heat.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture and then place in hot oil to fry. Repeat for all chicken
- Once chicken pieces are golden brown, remove form oil and place on paper towels to dry.
- In a saucepan, mix lemon juice, water, sugar and zest from one lemon. Bring to a boil while stirring and then remove from heat.
- Pour sauce over chicken pieces until all are coated.
- Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
Christina’s Notes
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- Fresh: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Cook: Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying the chicken. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Sauce: Make sure the sauce is thickened properly before adding the chicken back in.
- Serve this Lemon Chicken with: Lo Mein noodles, fried rice or Asian Coleslaw or easy Cold Sesame Noodles.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
I love the twist on Chinese Lemon Chicken with ham in this Instant Pot recipe. It’s a creative take on a classic favorite
Well yum! I had no idea that it was so easy to make this yummy take out favorite at home! This yummy Lemon Chicken is my new favorite.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!