Chinese Lemon Chicken

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5 from 32 votes

Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken with a sticky honey, lemon and garlic sauce. Better than takeout in less than 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Chicken, Chinese, Chinese lemon chicken, Lemon

Servings: people

Author: Karina Carrel

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

21 oz chicken tenderloins cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small egg
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons Chinese shaoxing wine or mirin
3/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil

LEMON SAUCE:

1 tablespoon oil
3 teaspoons garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger ginger or finely grated
1/2 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
1 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds to garnish
1 tablespoon green onions thinly sliced to garnish
5 lemon slices to serve - optional

US - Metric

Instructions

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.

Don’t worry if the coating looks uneven or clumpy in some spots. Those little craggly bits become extra crispy once fried.

Heat oil in a large wok, pan or skillet over medium-high heat on the stove top. When oil is hot (325°F | 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. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

Avoid overcrowding the pan or the chicken can steam instead of crisping up properly.

Discard oil and wipe wok/pan over with paper towel. Heat a little oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt. Whisk and bring to a simmer until the sugar dissolves.
Whisk corn starch mixture into the simmering sauce and stir until thickened. Add the fried chicken and toss until evenly coated in the sticky lemon sauce.

Once the sauce thickens, work quickly when adding the chicken so the coating stays crispy.

Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and lemon slices. Serve immediately for the crispiest texture.

Video

Notes

If you want that ultra crispy restaurant-style texture, try the double fry method. Fry the chicken once until pale golden, let it rest for a few minutes, then fry it again in hotter oil for 1-2 minutes until deeply golden and crunchy. It sounds extra, but the texture is SO worth it.

A few quick things that help this recipe turn out better every time:

Fry the chicken in batches so the coating stays crispy instead of steaming.
If the sauce thickens too much, whisk in a splash of hot chicken stock or water
Taste your lemons before making the sauce. Some are sweeter, while others can be VERY sour.
Keep the chicken and sauce separate if making ahead, then toss together right before serving.

Chinese lemon chicken is best served straight away while the coating is still crispy and the sauce is glossy and sticky.

Happy cooking! Xx

If you don’t have a thermometer, dip the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. If bubbles form around it right away, the oil is ready for frying. Chinese lemon chicken is best served straight away while the coating is still crispy and the sauce is glossy and sticky.

Nutrition