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Home > Asian Recipes > Chinese Lemon Chicken (Better-Than-Takeout)

Chinese Lemon Chicken (Better-Than-Takeout)

Last updated April 30, 2021. Originally posted April 30, 2021 By Jyothi Rajesh Leave a Comment

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Chinese lemon chicken in wok with text overlay
Chinese lemon chicken in wok with text overlay

Chinese lemon chicken is battered crispy chicken breast smothered in delicious sweet and tangy lemon sauce. Move over take-out, we got a better version made at home with crunchy chicken and amazing fresh lemony sauce!

healthy Chinese lemon chicken cooked in wok
Jump to:
  • Why this recipe works
  • Ingredients you’ll need:
  • How to make Chinese lemon chicken
  • FAQS
  • 📋Chinese Lemon Chicken (Better-Than-Takeout)

Why this recipe works

1. If you are obsessed with Chinese food, this recipe is for you!
2. Forget the take-outs, make it better and healthier at home!
3. It’s really easy to remake your favorite Chinese take-out at home. Crunchy chicken smothered in fresh sweet lemony sauce.
4. It’s lip-smacking delicious!
5. Can be made in 30 minutes.
6. You’ll need basic pantry ingredients to make Chinese lemon chicken. You most probably have everything in your kitchen!
7. Guaranteed to be a huge HIT with everyone in the family.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Here’s what you’ll need-

all ingredients for Chinese lemon chicken recipe on white board
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized cubes
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cup plain flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced fine
  • 1 whole egg
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice

For Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing (I used vinegar)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For Garnish:

  • White sesame seeds
  • Green onions
  • Lemon slices
healthy Chinese lemon chicken cooked in wok

How to make Chinese lemon chicken

  • The recipe starts with marinating chicken. Clean chicken breast, pat dry completely in kitchen towel. Cut into small bite sized pieces. To chicken add light soy sauce, Chinese Shaoxing (I used vinegar), salt to taste and fine ground pepper to taste and 1 whole egg.
  • Break egg slightly and start mixing all the marinade into chicken.
  • Cover it and marinade it for 20 to 30 minutes refrigerated or at room temperature.
  • While chicken marinates, prep the sauces. Mix chicken stock, light soy sauce, sugar. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. Leave it aside until use.
  • Zest a lemon.
  • Add it to a bowl Squeeze out 3 tablespoon of lemon juice. Discard any seeds. Mix and keep aside.
step by step pictorial of lemon chicken Chinese style
  • Spread plain flour on to a wide plate. Add all marinated chicken into the flour(with the liquids).
  • Use glove if you prefer. Rub chicken into the flour to ensure it coats evenly. NOTE: I found 1.5 cups of flour just enough for coating all the chicken. If you end with very liquid mix, add extra flour to coat evenly.
  • Alternatively remove just the chicken pieces from the marinade and add it to flour. This way you won’t need much flour.
  • Shake off excess flour and leaves coated chicken pieces on a baking tray.
  • In a deep bottom pan heat vegetable or canola oil for deep frying. When oil is hot, add few pieces of chicken. Fry until golden brown.
  • Pro-Tip: do not crowd the pan. To achieve crunchy chicken with golden brown crust, fry in small batches.
  • Remove golden brown chicken from oil on to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
  • Repeat this for rest of the chicken.
step by step pictorial of lemon chicken Chinese style
  • Heat cooking oil in a wok. When wok turns very hot add minced ginger and garlic to the oil. Give it a quick stir.
  • Pour prepared sauce. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes. Keep stirring.
  • Then add lemon juice-zest to the wok. Simmer cook for 30 seconds.
  • Meanwhile mix corn-starch with 1 tablespoon water. Pour it into the wok.
  • Cook for another 30 seconds or until the sauce thickens.
  • Add fried chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly.
  • Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions and few lemon slices.
  • Serve hot with rice. NOTE: if serving it with rice you may want to make extra sauce so it soaks up in rice. Double the sauce than mentioned.
step by step pictorial of lemon chicken Chinese style

FAQS

What is lemon sauce?

A simple delicious sauce prepared with fresh ginger, garlic, light soy sauce, sugar, chicken stock, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Lemon sauce has wonderful balance of sweet and tang.

Can I use store bought lemon juice for Chinese lemon chicken recipe?

NO, don’t! Fresh squeezed lemon juice is absolute must!
It may be tempting to use store bought lemon juice, but don’t use it. Bottled lemon juice is much tangier and will alter the taste of lemon chicken completely.

Can I make air fryer chicken instead of deep frying?

Yes, absolutely! If you have air fryer by all means use it to get fry chicken.

Is Chinese lemon chicken too sweet?

No. This recipe for Chinese lemon chicken calls for very little sugar. It has right balance of sweet and tang in it.

How can I add kick to the dish?

If you like it spicy, consider adding red chili flakes to the recipe. You can choose to add it in the sauce or just sprinkle on top served with rice or add both to sauce and sprinkled on top. Depending on how much kick you want to add choose.

What’s the best way to serve Chinese lemon chicken?

My favorite way to serve lemon chicken in with rice.
NOTE: if serving it with rice you may want to make extra sauce so it soaks up in rice. Double the sauce than mentioned.

Chinese lemon chicken served with rice

MORE ASIAN RECIPE TO TRY:

Chinese egg drop soup

General Tso tofu

Instant pot General Tso chicken

Cantonese chicken with mushrooms

Vegetable manchow soup

Schezwan Sauce

20 minutes Mongolian chicken

Thai basil chicken

Cashew chicken

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healthy Chinese lemon chicken cooked in wok
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📋Chinese Lemon Chicken (Better-Than-Takeout)

Jyothi Rajesh
Chinese lemon chicken is battered crispy chicken breast smothered in delicious sweet and tangy lemon sauce. Move over take-out, we got a better version made at home with crunchy chicken and amazing fresh lemony sauce!
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Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 384

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized cubes
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cup plain flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger minced fine
  • 1 whole egg
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice

For Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing I used vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For Garnish:

  • White sesame seeds
  • Green onions
  • Lemon slices

Instructions
 

  • To chicken add light soy sauce, Chinese Shaoxing (I used vinegar), salt to taste and fine ground pepper to taste and 1 whole egg.
  • Break egg slightly and start mixing all the marinade into chicken.
  • Cover it and marinade it for 20 to 30 minutes refrigerated or at room temperature.
  • While chicken marinates, prep the sauces.
  • Mix chicken stock, light soy sauce, sugar. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. Leave it aside until use.
  • Zest a lemon. Add it to a bowl Squeeze out 3 tablespoon of lemon juice. Discard any seeds. Mix and keep aside.
  • Spread plain flour on to a wide plate. Add all marinated chicken into the flour(with the liquids).
  • Use glove if you prefer. Rub chicken into the flour to ensure it coats evenly.
    NOTE: I found 1.5 cups of flour just enough for coating all the chicken. If you end with very liquid mix, add extra flour to coat evenly.
  • Alternatively remove just the chicken pieces from the marinade and add it to flour. This way you won’t need much flour.
  • Shake off excess flour and leaves coated chicken pieces on a baking tray.
  • In a deep bottom pan heat vegetable or canola oil for deep frying. When oil is hot, add few pieces of chicken. Fry until golden brown.
    Pro-Tip: do not crowd the pan. To achieve crunchy chicken with golden brown crust, fry in small batches.
  • Remove golden brown chicken from oil on to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
  • Repeat this for rest of the chicken.
  • Arrange golden fried chicken, prepared sauce, lemon juice-zest mix and corn starch and rest of the ingredients near the stove.
  • Heat cooking oil in a wok. When wok turns very hot add minced ginger and garlic to the oil. Give it a quick stir.
  • Pour prepared sauce. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes. Keep stirring.
  • Then add lemon juice-zest to the wok. Simmer cook for 30 seconds.
  • Meanwhile mix corn-starch with 1 tablespoon water. Pour it into the wok.
  • Cook for another 30 seconds or until the sauce thickens.
  • Add fried chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly.
  • Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions and few lemon slices.
  • Serve hot with rice.
    NOTE: if serving it with rice you may want to make extra sauce so it soaks up in rice. Double the sauce than mentioned.

Video

Notes

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 33gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 1071mgPotassium: 574mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 3mg
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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

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