Chinese Lemon Chicken with an irresistibly sticky, sweet and sour Chinese lemon sauce. Move over take-out!
Can you believe that your go-to Chinese take-out dish is super easy to cook at home? With crispy, golden chicken tenderloin pieces, you could have delicious Chinese Lemon Chicken on your table in 30 minutes.
If you’ve tried our Sweet and Sour Pork and our Kung Pao Chicken, you will adore this super Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken!
CHINESE LEMON CHICKEN
A worldwide favourite, Chinese Lemon Chicken is everything you look for in a classic Chinese dish. With tangy lemon sauce and crispy chicken breast pieces, this dish ticks all of the boxes.
The only problem is, good Chinese takeout can be hard to find. Whether it’s too greasy or too chewy, it’s not always worth the money. This is why having your own recipe is just as important as having a takeout menu in your kitchen.
Our recipe differs from most because we prefer to use chicken tenders for a crispier, juicier result.
WHAT IS CHINESE CHICKEN BATTER MADE OF?
The Chinese Lemon Chicken 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 five 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 into 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 SAUCE
Give your pan (or wok) a wipe over with a 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 coat evenly.
There you have it! Chinese Lemon Chicken!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH LEMON CHICKEN
Chinese Lemon Chicken pairs well with a bunch of different sides — plain or full-flavoured.
- Fried rice
- Cauliflower fried rice
- Noodles
- Plain rice
MORE CHINESE FOOD RECIPES!
Sticky Chinese Barbecue Pork Belly (Char Siu)
LEMON LOVER RECIPES:
Chicken Scallopini with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
- 21 oz chicken tenderloins cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese shaoxing wine or white vinegar
- ½ cup corn starch
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
LEMON SAUCE:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger ginger or finely grated
- ½ cup chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice of one lemon, about 3-4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds to garnish
- 1 tablespoon green onions thinly sliced to garnish
- 5 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.
Tom says
Loved the sauce but my chicken didn’t turn crispy because the batter ended up so liquidy. When I pour the chicken and marinade sauce onto the corn starch it ends up like a thick soup. Not dry and coated like the picture shows. Do I really pour the marinade sauce in too?
The flavour was still great though.
vanessa says
im 52 years old and first time I’ve fried anything can you believe it….im never buying Chinese take out ever again….my family absolutely loved this recipe. the chicken was crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth tender on the inside and that sauce is incredible….so moorish and delicious…this will be our Friday nights get together family meal….thankyou so much!!
Wendy says
Made this last night. My partner said he would be happy to be served this with your fried rice at a restaurant. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Sharon says
This was definitely a winner. It’s one of my kid’s favorites when we go out for Chinese food. Now we can have it at home.
Charlotte says
I love lemon chicken but most of the recipes i’ve followed produce sauce that taste like thickened lemonade! Made this for supper tonight, and a friend stopped by, so we fed an extra mouth. everyone loved it. I cut the chicken pieces quite thin. next time i will make them a tad thicker. The flavor was excellent lemony, but with the punch of ginger and garlic and just enough sweetness . My hubby and our guest raved over it. I was too lazy to use fresh ginger and garlic so i just subbed with powder and it was still awesome!! i served it with basmati rice. Thanks for a great recipe. Definitely going into my rotation! Like your oven baked chicken wings- yum!
Susan says
This was one of five dishes we made for NYE this year. It turned out amazing!!! So delicious and authentic!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Betty H says
This was So good, and pretty easy to make! I will definitely make it again.
Jurgen says
The recipe states in step 2 to pour chicken and marinade into the corn starch. With 80ml of liquid and a whisked egg in the marinade, I ended up with a corn flour slurry rather than the nicely dusted chicken pieces shown in the recipe picture. However, when fried in the hot oil, they still ended up nice and crisp and golden. I also added the minced garlic and some lemon zest to the marinade and left the garlic, ginger and soy out of the lemon sauce. I also used 4 tablespoons of sugar rather than a mixture of honey and sugar in the sauce. I must say that the result was one of the best lemon chicken meals I have enjoyed.
Amy says
For someone who isn’t very confident in cooking, I’m so so happy that I tried out this recipe. It was so easy to make and delicious too. Will definitely make it again <3
Gina says
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?)