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 Bok 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.
Linda
I love this recipe, I make it all the time
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Linda! I'm so happy that you make it all the time. I appreciate your kind support 🙂
vickie knutson
Just finished eating this delicious recipe with broccoli and carrots.Yum! I did forget to add green onions,which I think would've added a bit
flavor and color.Thank you for a tasty and easy recipe for one of our favorites.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Vickie! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Dan
Probably the 4th time I’ve made this. One of our favorites. Just need to find a faster way to zest a lemon. Other than that the recipe is a breeze. And well worth it!!
Alyssa Neill
Super good recipe! Thank you!
christieathome
Thanks for making it, Alyssa! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lana
I've printed off the lemon chicken recipe and can't wait until the chicken breasts get here on Sunday! What do you pair with this? Rice? Veggies?
Do you have a recipe for breaded almond chicken?
christieathome
I hope you enjoy my recipe! I usually like to pair it with steamed rice and any Asian leafy greens like my Garlic Bok Choy.
Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe for that.
Jorge
Wow, this was awesome...wouldn't change a thing (except to make more of it next time). Nicely done!
christieathome
So glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the kind review, Jorge! Thanks for making my recipe!
Andrew
Absolutely loved it so did my family. Struggled a bit to convert the US cups to to British grams but managed okay great recipe thanks
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for the kind review, Andrew! Happy you enjoyed it with your family! 🙂
Tierra
Bomb
christieathome
Thank you so much Tierra! So happy you enjoyed it!
Hope
So easy and so tasty! Didn't need salt or pepper. Husband started eating this and asked me if there were seconds before he'd finished his first plate haha. Will make this again and again.
christieathome
So happy to read this, Hope! Thank you for making my recipe and glad your husband enjoyed it!
Dan
Great. So easy
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Jay
Delicious sauce! Used air fryer - did not need salt or pepper with this recipe.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Jay! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Kay
It was easy and delicious. We had it with home made fried rice. My food fussy partner wolfed it down. I will be adding this to my rotating dinner menu. Thanks
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe Kay! I'm so happy to hear that both you and your partner enjoyed it and that it will become apart of your dinner rotation!
Travis
This is the second dish that's have made from your page and I absolutely love it. It is very delicious. Will be keeping this one in my recipe box!!
christieathome
Hi Travis, thank you so much for your kind words and for making my recipes! I'm so glad you enjoyed my Lemon chicken. Have a wonderful day! - Christie
Garry
This looks amazing and I cant wait to try it.
Thanks Christie
christieathome
Thanks Garry! I hope you enjoy it!
Angela Werner
Insanely delicious! Who knew restaurant quality lemon chicken could be made at home so easily and with just a few simple ingredients? Will be going back to this recipe again, and again!
Christie Lai
I am so thrilled to read this comment, Angela! Thank you so much for leaving such a raving review and I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Happy New Year!
Sharon
Came out perfect!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making it and for leaving this kind review, Sharon! Have a wonderful day!
Cathy-Ann
Easy and delicious
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my Lemon Chicken, Cathy-Ann! I appreciate your review!
KarenB
Do you also have a recipe for orange chicken and one for honey walnut shrimp? Also looking for a recipe for chicken and vegetables with black bean sauce. And egg rolls or lumpia. Lol. I am enjoying your recipes so much, I want more!
christieathome
Thanks so much for your support Karen! Yes I have a recipe for orange chicken if you click here. Unfortunately I don't have a recipe for honey walnut shrimp but I do have many other shrimp recipes you may enjoy if you click here. I also share a Gogchujang Shrimp recipe and a Ebi Mayo that many of my readers like! I'm still working to perfect my egg roll and lumpias recipe but once I do, they will be shared on the blog.
Judy
Can you use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs?
christieathome
Yes, I would just caution to reduce the cooking time by a minute or so as breast tends to dry out faster than thighs.