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Chinese lemon chicken is lightly fried until golden, then baked in the sticky homemade sauce packed with bright lemon flavor. Make a full take-out-style meal at home with my easy fried rice, cream cheese wontons, and chow mein!
When Life Hands You Lemons Make This Chicken
- That sticky lemon sauce: It has the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors.
- Better than takeout: You get tender chicken and plenty of homemade sauce in every bite.
- Simple ingredients: Everything is made with easy ingredients you can find at the grocery store.
A Reader’s Review
Oh gosh delicious and nothing easier. Thank you for the wonderful food.
Carol
Ingredients for Lemon Chicken
- Chicken: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer!
- Oil: Vegetable oil or canola oil is best! Add more if needed for frying.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is best! Bottled can also work.
- Lemon Zest: This is a MUST! It gives the sauce the perfect lemony flavor.
- Adjust the Sweetness: For a tangier sauce, slightly reduce the sugar or add a little more lemon juice.
How to Make Chinese Lemon Chicken
This crispy chinese lemon chicken recipe takes a little extra time, but browning the chicken first gives it a delicious coating, while baking it in the sauce makes every piece sweet, sticky, and flavorful. If you like this recipe, I know you’ll love my orange or honey chicken!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and black pepper. Add cornstarch to one bowl and beaten eggs to another bowl. Dip each chicken piece into the cornstarch, then coat it in the egg mixture.
- Cook Chicken: Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9×13 greased baking dish.
- Make Sauce: Mix sugar, lemon juice, soy sauce, white vinegar, lemon zest, garlic salt, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour and Bake: Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 45 minutes. Stir the chicken every 15 minutes so that it is coated in the sauce. Garnish Chinese lemon chicken with green onion and lemon wedges over rice, then enjoy!
Alyssa’s Pro Crispy Chicken Tips
- Chicken Pieces: Cut the chicken evenly into similar sized pieces.
- Cook in Batches: Avoid overcrowding the skillet.
- Brown the Outside: The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
- Stir While Baking: Toss the chicken every 15 minutes to coat it evenly in the sauce.
Must Have Tools For This Recipe
- Skillet: Browns the chicken until golden.
- Baking Dish: Holds the chicken and sauce while baking.
- Zester: Makes zesting the lemon easier!
- Spider Strainer: Lifts the chicken out of the hot oil.
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Chinese Lemon Chicken
Tender pieces of chicken are lightly fried and baked in a sticky homemade lemon sauce for a sweet, tangy, better-than-takeout dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups cornstarch
- 3 large beaten eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
Lemon Sauce
- â…” cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Add 1½ cups cornstarch to one bowl and 3 large beaten eggs to another bowl. Dip each chicken piece into the cornstarch, then coat it in the egg mixture.
- Heat ½ cup canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.
- Mix ⅔ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 45 minutes. Stir the chicken every 15 minutes so that it is coated in the sauce.
- Serve over rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Leftover Instructions
- In the refrigerator: Store leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Warm the chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat or in a 350°F oven until heated through. The microwave will work, but the coating will be softer.
- In the freezer: Freeze the cooled chicken in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 823kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 42gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 248mgSodium: 1195mgPotassium: 738mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 257IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Chinese Takeout-Style Recipes
Oh gosh delicious and nothing easier. Thank you for the wonderful food.
This chicken came out delicious. SO GOOD !! I didn’t put it in the oven. Just left it covered in the skillet on a very low flame. It came out beautiful and so tasty.
You’re using the oven to reduce the sauce…. why don’t you just reduce the sauce in a pan for 10 minutes to save time and energy? I mean, the oven will impart some roasted flavor, but does it affect the final dish enough for the wasted time and energy to keep the oven running for an hour? Also, doesn’t it make the fried chicken pieces soggy? I’m legit asking if you tested both ways to compare because I’m curious.
Simmering the chicken and sauce in a skillet works just as well!
Have you had any type of Chinese food? Sesame chicken? Orange chicken? Sweet and sour chicken? It’s the same thing. The chicken isn’t crispy because of the sauce. It’s just breaded deliciousness.
I simmered chicken and sauce in a skillet for about 45min.
Very good but next time I’ll cut the time by ten minutes. Even hubby liked it!
I am looking forward to trying your recipes