Crispy fried chicken tossed in a sweet, tangy, and savory lemon sauce. This quick and easy Chinese lemon chicken recipe uses simple ingredients and is ready in just 30 minutes - a family-friendly, restaurant-quality main perfect for busy weeknights!
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Chinese lemon chicken features bite-sized fried chicken coated in a bright, tangy, and savory lemon sauce!
It's a popular fried chicken dish served at Chinese restaurants and it's similar to my Orange Chicken recipe, but made with fresh lemon juice!
This Asian chicken originates from Hong Kong and has become popular in North America.
I love making this at home as it's simple, flavorful and pairs beautifully with steamed rice and vegetables.
What makes my recipe unique is that it skips the messy wet batter, uses a small amount of oil for shallow frying, so there's less waste, easier cleanup, and fewer calories!
I also share how to air fry the chicken if you prefer not to shallow fry- see FAQ section below!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: Or swap with chicken breast and cook until an internal temperature of 165 F.
- Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch. Avoid using tapioca starch or it will cause the chicken to stick together in the pan.
- Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke-point oil.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Sesame Seeds (optional garnish)
- Lemon Slices (optional garnish)
Lemon Sauce
- Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and avoid the artificial kind as this is a main ingredient.
- Brown Sugar: Or substitute with white granulated sugar or cane sugar.
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Lemon Zest: Don't skip this ingredient as this brightens the sauce with more flavor.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Chicken Broth: Ideally low-sodium chicken broth.
- Cornstarch: Or substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online.
Variations
- Pork Version - Replace the chicken with diced pork shoulder.
- Tofu Version - Replace the chicken with 1-inch diced cubes of extra-firm tofu.
- Seafood Version - Replace the chicken with peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp or 1-inch cubes of cod, haddock, or halibut.
- Gluten-free Version - Replace the soy sauce with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
Expert Tips
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and don't skip the lemon zest as these will elevate the dish.
- Use chicken thighs for best taste as they're more tender and won't dry out as they cook.
- Don’t pat dry the chicken as moisture is needed for the starch to stick.
- Evenly dice the chicken into 1.5-inch cubes, so they fry consistently.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan to fry the chicken to maintain consistent oil temperature.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying, around 325-350 F or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for rapid bubbles.
- Fry the chicken in small batches and don't overcrowd the pan or it can lead to soggy chicken.
- Avoid moving the chicken as it fries, so it can develop a golden crust.
- Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper-towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Chinese lemon chicken:
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
- Dice chicken: Evenly dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch cubes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and season with salt and black pepper. (Don't pat the chicken dry as moisture is needed for the next step).
- Toss chicken in cornstarch: Add cornstarch to the chicken and toss to evenly coat each piece with tongs.
- Fry chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken in small batches until cooked, golden and crispy on both sides, about 6-8 minutes in total. Remove and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.
- Thicken sauce: Discard any excess oil from the pan and reduce to medium heat. Add sauce and simmer to thicken it.
- Toss in chicken: Once sauce is thickened, add chicken and toss to evenly coat. Garnish with sesame seeds or lemon slices.
Storage & Reheating
- Chinese lemon chicken can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- Chinese lemon chicken can be frozen in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months once cooled. To enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Pairing Suggestions
Chinese lemon chicken pairs well with:
- Starters: Egg rolls, Crab rangoon, Egg drop soup, or Hot and sour soup.
- Rice Dishes: White rice, Brown rice, or Fried rice.
- Noodle Dishes: Chow mein, Lo mein, Plain noodles, or Soup noodles.
- Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Gok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
- Protein Dishes: Beef Mushroom Stir-Fry, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Lemon chicken can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Several issues can prevent crispy chicken: the chicken was not evenly coated in starch, the oil may not be hot enough, the heat was too low, or the pan may be overcrowded. Moving the chicken too much while frying can also stop it from forming a crust.
The chicken can be air fried by first evenly spraying the air fryer basket with neutral oil. Then place the coated chicken into air fryer basket in a single layer giving each piece enough room. You'll need to air fry in batches. Evenly spray oil over the chicken. Air fry at 400 F for 12-14 minutes until golden crispy brown, with no need to flip.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup cornstarch or potato starch
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
- lemon slices optional garnish
Sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly-squeezed
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock low-sodium
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
- Evenly dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch cubes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and season with salt and black pepper. (Don't pat the chicken dry as moisture is needed for the next step!)
- Add cornstarch to the chicken and toss to evenly coat each piece with tongs.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken in small batches until cooked, golden and crispy on both sides, about 6-8 minutes in total. Remove and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess oil.
- Discard any excess oil from the pan and reduce to medium heat. Add sauce and simmer to thicken it.
- Once sauce is thickened, add chicken and toss to evenly coat. Garnish with sesame seeds or lemon slices.
Rebecca
Superb recipe. Did it as stated and served with jasmine rice and broccoli. Excellent.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the positive feedback and for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lynn
Made this recipe and my 3 and 5 year old grandkids loved it, as well as all the adults!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making it and glad the whole family enjoyed it!
Elsine
I tried it tonight with vegetable fried rice and stir fried carrots and snow peas. My teenagers even liked it!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad the whole family liked it!
Alice Rutherford
Delicious i airfried and it was delicious
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad you liked it!
Andy M.
This was yummy, and was easy enough for a novice.
I air fried my chicken for 14 minutes as listed, shaking up the basket (to flip over the pieces) once when the fryer told me to.
I have a miniature fryer and it took me two batches to cook the ~1lb of chicken.
The chicken came out crispy, and after adding it to the sauce it looked as good as takeout.
I did notice one minor issue: The recipe never specified what to do with the salt and pepper. Since they're listed with the chicken portion, I added them to the cornstarch before using it to coat the chicken.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for sharing your positive review and for making my recipe! So glad it all worked out well. Thank you for flagging the minor error, it has been now corrected in the recipe card 🙂
Steph
looks great, I want to confirm is it 5-6 minutes in total or on each side?
Christie Lai
Thank you! Around 5-6 minutes on each side or until you notice the chicken pieces have become golden brown.