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You are here: Home / Recipes / Chinese Lemon Chicken

By Karina 25 Comments Filed Under: Chicken

Chinese Lemon Chicken

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Chinese Lemon Chicken with an irresistibly sticky, sweet and sour Chinese lemon sauce. Move over take-out!

One of your most favourite Chinese chicken dishes is easy to make at home with crispy, golden chicken tenderloin pieces. Have delicious Chinese Lemon Chicken on your table in 30 minutes.

Chinese Lemon Chicken with an irresistibly sticky, sweet and sour Chinese lemon sauce. Move over take-out! | cafedelites.com

LEMON CHICKEN

A worldwide favourite, Chinese Lemon Chicken is loved by many because of the flavours and texture you get in every mouthful. Whether it’s the tangy lemon sauce or the crispy chicken breast pieces, good take-out is hard to find. This is why having your own recipe is just as important as having a take-out menu in your kitchen.

Our recipe is different in that you’re going to use chicken tenders for a perfectly juicy result.

HOW DO YOU MAKE LEMON CHICKEN BATTER

The batter is so easy! You’re going to whisk an egg with soy sauce and Chinese Shaoxing wine. You can use sherry or white vinegar as substitutions if you can’t find that particular wine at your grocery store. Cut your chicken tenders into 1-inch pieces and coat well in the batter.

Marinate for 20-30 minutes for a deeper flavour (If time allows), or 5 minutes while you get your other ingredients ready.

HOW TO MAKE CHINESE LEMON CHICKEN

Once your chicken has marinated, pour chicken WITH the marinade out into the corn starch. Coat chicken pieces evenly, massaging the corn starch around the chicken.

Fry in batches, being careful not to overcrowd your pan or wok, until golden, crispy and cooked through.

How to make Chinese lemon chicken | cafedelites.com

WHAT ABOUT THE LEMON SAUCE

Give your pan (or wok) a wipe over with paper towel to get rid of any crumbs that could burn while making your sauce. Add some oil to the pan to sauté your garlic and ginger until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then pour in your stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt.

You will see the sauce begin to thicken beautifully because of the honey, but you’ll want it just a little bit thicker (similar to runny honey). This is where a corn starch slurry comes in handy and turns the sauce into a delicious glaze. Toss the chicken into the lemon sauce and evenly coat.

There you have it! Chinese Lemon Chicken!

Chinese Lemon Chicken with an irresistibly sticky, sweet and sour Chinese lemon sauce | cafedelites.com

WHAT TO SERVE WITH LEMON CHICKEN

Chinese Lemon Chicken can go with any side — plain or full-flavoured.

  • Fried rice
  • Cauliflower fried rice
  • Noodles
  • Plain rice

Chinese Lemon Chicken in the best lemon sauce | cafedelites.com

MORE CHINESE FOOD RECIPES!

Sticky Chinese Barbecue Pork Belly (Char Siu)
Sweet and Sour Pork
Kung Pao Chicken
Chicken Chow Mein

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken with a sticky honey, lemon and garlic sauce. Better than takeout in less than 30 minutes!
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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

  • 21 oz (600 g) chicken tenderloins cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese shaoxing wine (or white vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil

LEMON SAUCE:

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon minced or finely grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • juice of 1 lemon (about 3-4 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds to garnish
  • thinly sliced green onions to garnish
  • lemon slices, to serve (optional)

Instructions

FOR THE CHICKEN:

  • In a large shallow bowl whisk egg, soy sauce and wine. Add in chicken, mix well and allow to marinate for 20 minutes, covered.
  • Place corn starch into a large baking tray. Pour chicken and marinade into the corn starch and coat chicken pieces evenly, lightly pressing the corn starch around the chicken.
  • Heat oil in a large wok, pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot (325°F or 165°C), shake off excess corn starch and fry chicken in batches in a single layer for about 5-6 minutes, turning half way during cooking, until golden and cooked through.
  • Drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Discard oil and wipe wok/pan over with paper towel.

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • Heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant (about 30 seconds).  Add stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt. Whisk, bring to a simmer until the sugar dissolves.
  • Whisk corn starch mixture into the simmering sauce and stir until thickened. Toss chicken in the sauce until evenly coated (about 2 minutes).
  • Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and lemon slices. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 674mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gina says

    December 05, 2020 at 11:06 am

    5 stars
    Just made this for dinner and followed the recipe to the t and it is so good! I added some
    Chili flakes on mine for a kick. is it possible to bake the chicken pieces instead of frying (to make it healthier?)

    Reply
  2. Jerry says

    August 19, 2020 at 10:46 am

    This sauce is excellent and fairly simply to make. It went well with some rice and simply pan-fried chicken breast pieces. Next time I will try the battered chicken.

    Reply
  3. Shelley says

    June 24, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for my family and they said this was next level good. One of the best meals I have ever made. Made exactly like the recipe and it turned out amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    June 24, 2020 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight with chopped up boneless skinless thighs and HOLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YUM. adding it to the rotation! If you’re on the fence. MAKE THISSSSSSS.

    Reply
  5. Cire says

    June 09, 2020 at 1:35 am

    My family of six loved it. One of my sons exclaimed “i think that is the best chicken I ever tasted”. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Sal says

    May 29, 2020 at 11:23 am

    Tastes great, but so not a :30 recipe. It took me over an hour with the chopping, marinating and the frying of the chicken.

    I will make it again, but I’ll make sure it’s well before dinner time.

    Reply
  7. Anna says

    May 16, 2020 at 1:44 am

    Could I use plain flour instead of cornflour for the batter?

    Reply
    • Shanon says

      October 11, 2020 at 2:06 am

      I’d avoid it. It wont crisp up the same and the flour will likely clump in your marinade mixture

      Reply
  8. Luz Munera says

    May 15, 2020 at 10:41 am

    I made this today with your bacon fried rice it was a hit my family is in heaven. I love your recipes very easy and fast in my opinion. Thank you please stay safe

    Reply
  9. alona says

    May 12, 2020 at 8:36 am

    I haven’t made this yet but wanted to clarify am I subbing with regular white vinegar or white wine vinegar?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      May 12, 2020 at 10:36 am

      Sub with either as long as it is a vinegar

      Reply
    • Shanon says

      October 11, 2020 at 2:07 am

      I’d stick to white wine or rice vinegar

      Reply
  10. Judy Glover says

    May 03, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    5 stars
    First time I have cooked this, really thought hubby wouldn’t like it, but he absolutely loved it. So easy to do and great result. Will be trying some more of your recipes.. Thank you

    Reply
  11. Danielle says

    April 28, 2020 at 7:31 am

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make and extremely flavourful. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  12. Beth says

    April 17, 2020 at 2:57 am

    5 stars
    My family loved this. The only problem I had was with adding the chicken and marinade to the cornstarch to the cornstarch. It was a sticky mess and had to separate the pieces of chicken before cooking them in the oil. Next time, I think I will put the cornstarch in a ziplock bag and add the chicken (without the marinade) to the bag in small batches. Served it with fried rice. Will make it again

    Reply
  13. Kim H says

    April 09, 2020 at 9:56 am

    My family loved this recipe! Very easy to make. I used white vinegar as a substitute for the Chinese wine. The sauce was delicious! Very simple to make.

    Reply
  14. Kat says

    March 05, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    5 stars
    I Used the sauce on store bought popcorn chicken in an effort to make the popcorn chicken edible. Turned out great! Would be even better with “real” chicken, I’m sure ;). I used 1 tbsp brown sugar instead of the sugar called for in the recipe, since my family doesn’t like overly sweet foods. Tasted just like it came from a Chinese restaurant (maybe better). This recipe is definitely a keeper!

    Reply
  15. Molly Pilkington says

    January 06, 2020 at 6:48 pm

    5 stars
    Well done recipe. Easy to make and follow along. I didn’t have Chinese sauce, but re read the recipe and realized I could replace it with Vinegar. Turned out fantastic anyways. Great recipe, and wonderful site.

    Reply
  16. Ahsan Siddiqui says

    October 30, 2019 at 10:07 am

    5 stars
    cooked it. very delicious! i dont have access to the Chinese wine so i added the apple vinegar. the batter chicken tastes great. how ever i think some distinct Chinese flavour is missing. now that i have combined the batter fried chicken into the sauce should i add 1 tbsp oyster sauce into the dish for good measure?

    Reply
  17. Sammy Megan Floyd says

    October 12, 2019 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    I’m a fan of this one. Great recipe. My family loved it. Thank you!

    Reply
  18. Sharon M says

    September 04, 2019 at 8:31 pm

    5 stars
    You turned me into a super star with hubbie and kids from kindergarten through high school. This is a keeper. I will check out more of recipes!

    Reply
  19. Fran says

    February 24, 2019 at 6:55 pm

    5 stars
    This has to be the best lemon chicken recipe ever. In fact over the last two months we have used Cafe Delites recipes almost exclusively. Brilliantly written, easy to cook we are just over the moon with this site. Yes, it’s lemon chicken tonight!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      April 16, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      5 stars
      Tasted so good! Really tangy and sweet sauce and chicken came out beautifully

      Reply
  20. Stephanie McGaffick says

    February 18, 2019 at 9:21 pm

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! My family loved it. I doubled the sauce recipe. In a separate pan, I sauteed sugar snap peas, zucchini, bell peppers, and celery until just slightly crisp. I then tossed the vegetables and chicken with the sauce and served over rice.

    My son wanted to know if PF Chang’s makes something like this! It was a hit and I’ll absolutely make this again!

    Reply
  21. Patrick says

    February 09, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for the great recipe suggestion. First time to see your site and I Love your concept. I’m a Fan.
    Thank you and keep it up
    Patrick

    Reply

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Welcome! My name is Karina and this is my internet kitchen hang-out. A self-confessed balanced foodie sharing some waistline friendly recipes that are full of flavour. Life is too short for bland and boring. …

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