This easy Chinese lemon chicken recipe has an incredibly flavorful crispy batter and is tossed with a perfectly balanced sweet and tangy, sticky lemon sauce. A classic Asian takeout dish you can easily make at home!
Table of Contents
- What is Chinese Lemon Chicken and How Does It Taste?
- Chinese Lemon Chicken Ingredients
- Asian Lemon Chicken 2 Different Ways
- Joyce's Tips for Lemon Chicken
- How to Get the Extra Crispy Chicken Batter
- How to Zest a Lemon for the Lemon Sauce
- How to Make Chinese Lemon Chicken
- How to Serve This Chinese Takeout Dish at Home
- More Takeout Recipes You May Like
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Did You Make This Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe?
- Recipe Card
What is Chinese Lemon Chicken and How Does It Taste?
Lemon chicken is a popular Chinese take dish made with crispy chicken drizzled with a sweet and sour lemon sauce.
The Chinese takeout dish is a lot more common in Canada, Hong Kong, Britain, and Australia, but surprisingly, it's not as favored in the United States where orange chicken seems to popular one.
For this recipe, I will show you how to make both the chicken filet version and the chicken chunks version. Feel free to switch it to how you like it! (I personally like the chicken chunks way more because its easier to make and there's more crispy batter surface area)
If you love crispy deep fried chicken smothered in a sweet and sticky sauce, you definitely should also check out my other favorite dishes, Crispy Beef and Sweet and Sour Pork, but if you're looking for something with a bit more spiciness than Chicken Manchurian and Chilli Chicken might be up your alley.
Chinese Lemon Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken - You can use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast for this recipe. I personally like boneless chicken more because it has more fat and stays juicier. Typically, most people will use chicken breast if they want to make the chicken filets, but if you don't care if the chicken is perfectly flat, then boneless chicken thighs will work as a filet as well!
- Cornstarch - To get its crispy batter, I use corn starch instead of flour because it makes the batter much more crispy. You can also use potato starch as well but you need to make sure the chicken doesn't initially touch when you put them into the oil while you are deep frying it, because it will stick together. To keep things simple, cornstarch is the way to go.
- Onion and Garlic - To make the battery very flavorful, I like to marinade it the chicken with onion and garlic and mix the marinade directly with the cornstarch to create a wet batter.
- Soy Sauce - Instead of using salt, I like to use low sodium soy sauce in the lemon sauce to give it some extra umami flavor. I also use a bit of soy sauce in the marinade as well.
- Butter - I use butter to give the lemon sauce extra flavor.
- Sugar - To sweeten the sauce, I use cane sugar because it is what I always have at home. You can also use white sugar as well.
- Lemons - To get it's zest, tart and tangy flavor, I use fresh lemon juice but to make the lemon sauce very lemony, I use the lemon zest (the thin layer of lemon skin where all the lemon oil is)
Asian Lemon Chicken 2 Different Ways
Chicken Filet
The first way to make Asian lemon chicken uses chicken breast (or boneless chicken thighs). You cut chicken into filets, deep fry it and cut them into smaller pieces. To serve it you can either dip the pieces in the lemon sauce or you can pour the lemon sauce on top.
To filet the chicken breast, you will need to 'butterfly' it. This is just a fancy word to slice a piece of meat side ways with a knife because it ends up looking like a butterfly.
To start, you put your hand snuggly on top of the chicken breast and hold it down. Then take the knife and place it about ½ down from the top side ways and cut side ways carefully.
Cut the chicken about ½ or ⅓ way (like the photo) and then take the flap and fold it out open.
From there you gently continue to slice the chicken in the same direction but it will be easier to see as you move the knife along because the flap will keep opening as you gently pull it. Do this until you reach the end.
This method makes about 3 filets slices per breast.
Chicken Chunks
The second way is to cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces like Sweet and Sour Chicken, and then toss the deep fried nuggets with the sauce and serve.
To prepare the chicken chunks, you simply cut them into small chunks. I like to cut them into irregular rectangle shapes, but you can cut the into 1 inch cubes as well.
There is no right or wrong way, and the major difference is just how the chicken is initially cut.
Joyce's Tips for Lemon Chicken
- Turn off the heat before you add the crispy chicken back into the pot to coat with the lemon sauce. This keeps the batter crispy so you don't get a soggy lemon chicken.
- When you are grating the lemon zest, make sure you don't get too much of the white part below the lemon rind. The white stuff (called the pith) is bitter.
- To get the most lemony lemon sauce, turn off the heat before you mix in the lemon zest. When you cook the lemon zest on high heat it cooks away some of the delicate lemon oils which takes away some of the lemon flavor.
- Always use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. It will taste better than bottled lemon juice and you need the fresh zest from the skin from the lemons.
How to Get the Extra Crispy Chicken Batter
Always Use Starch
Whenever I make any type of crispy takeout foods that's coated in a sticky sauce, like sweet and sour pork, crispy beef, sweet and sour chicken and chilli chicken, I always use starch as its batter.
Starch makes a crunchier and harder batter than can withstand the sauces better and makes the final dish less soggy.
I personally use both cornstarch or potato starch for these types of recipes but potato starch is a lot more trickier to use because when heat is applied to it, it becomes gummy and sticky and if you have too many pieces close together they can potentially stick together, so you need to make sure you are only adding a few pieces at a time.
Its because of this, I highly recommend cornstarch instead.
Use a 2 Step Battering Process
Step 1 - First Coat of Cornstarch (Sticky Batter)
Coat the marinated chicken with half the starch and let it sit until the starch absorbs the flavorful marinade. The starch will become thick and gummy.
Step 2 - Second Coat (Sealing the Flavorful Batter)
Put the other half of the starch on a plate and dunk each piece of chicken into the starch to create a white coating.
Double Fry
To get the crispiest chicken batter, I use a Korean cooking technique called double frying. First you need to deep fry your chicken until it is fully cooked (about 3-4 minutes). Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oil and set it aside. At the very end when all your chicken has finished deep frying, add it back into the oil and fry it again for 30 seconds.
How to Zest a Lemon for the Lemon Sauce
To get that strong lemon flavor, lemon zest is a must. The rind is where all the lemon oils are, and its also where all that strong flavor comes from.
The most common way to zest a lemon is to use a micro planer but if you don't have one, you can also use vegetable peeler as well.
To use a vegetable peeler, you just need to gently and carefully peel the outer layer of the lemon. Make sure you are not pressing too hard, because you don't want to get the whites of the peel (the pith) which is actually very bitter. I like to slowly wiggle the vegetable peeler through the skin.
Once you have enough, you can take a knife and finely chop it.
How to Make Chinese Lemon Chicken
Prepare the Chicken
To prepare the chicken, you can filet a boneless chicken breast, or cut the chicken into chicken chunks. Refer to the guide above on how to filet a chicken breast.
Marinate the Chicken
Chop the garlic, and onion and blitz it in a food processor.
If you don't have a food processor, you can grate or finely chop them instead.
Batter the Chicken Twice
Add half the corn starch to the bowl of marinated chicken directly and mix it until everything is well coated with the marinade.
Then using another plate, add rest of the corn starch and dredge the chicken pieces in cornstarch until everything is well coated and set it aside.
Deep Fry It (Twice)
When you are deep frying, it is crucial that you don't add too many pieces at once because it will drop the temperature of the oil and the batter won't turn out as crispy.
Deep fry the chicken in batches and set them aside.
Once everything has been deep fried once, wait for the oil to get hot again and add them back in to deep fry again (double fry) for about 30 seconds. This will get the batter extra crispy.
Prepare the Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice
Using a micro planer or vegetable peeler, grate some zest and set it aside.
Then squeeze the lemons for the juice and set it aside.
Make the Sweet and Sticky Lemon Sauce
In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch slurry and set it aside for later.
Set a small pot over medium low heat and add the lemon juice, sugar, water, soy sauce and butter into it.
Mix it until all the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, re-mix the corn starch slurry (the starch may have settled at the bottom of the bowl) and slowly pour it into the sauce while you are stirring.
Keep stirring until the sauce starts to boil and thicken.
Turn off the heat and mix in the lemon zest.
Add the Lemon Sauce to the Chicken
If you are using a chicken filet, cut them into thin pieces and spoon the sauce on top and garnish with lemon slices!
If you are using crispy chicken chunks, add it directly into the pot with the sauce and mix well until all the chicken pieces have been coated with the sauce.
Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve!
How to Serve This Chinese Takeout Dish at Home
I personally like to keep it simple and enjoy my lemon chicken with a side of plain white rice.
That being said, when I have friends over, I will usually serve it with a lot more Chinese dishes to stay on theme, kind of like I am having a Chinese takeout party.
For an appetizer, I like to either serve it with something crispy like Crispy Fried Wontons with a Sweet and Sour Sauce or I will serve it with a simple Corn Egg Drop Soup.
For a side dish, I will serve it with Beef Chow Fun or Egg Fried Rice, depending on if I feel like serving noodles or rice.
More Takeout Recipes You May Like
Frequently Asked Questions
Lemon chicken originates from Hong Kong but is most popular in Canada, Britain and Australia.
Most Chinese lemon chicken recipes that are yellow, have food coloring in it. Since I don't think adding food dyes in our food add anything to it, I don't add it in. Instead, it has a beautiful golden brown color from the soy sauce.
I like to use canola, vegetable or corn oil to deep fry my foods. I also like to use peanut oil, but it is a very expensive oil compared to canola, vegetable and corn oil and you need to make sure no one has any allergies to peanuts before you use it.
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Recipe Card
Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Joyce's Recipe Notes
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- Turn off the heat before you add the crispy chicken back into the pot to coat with the lemon sauce. This keeps the batter crispy so you don't get a soggy lemon chicken.
-
- When you are grating the lemon zest, make sure you don't get too much of the white part below the lemon rind. The white stuff (called the pith) is bitter.
-
- To get the most lemony lemon sauce, turn off the heat before you mix in the lemon zest. When you cook the lemon zest on high heat it cooks away some of the delicate lemon oils which takes away some of the lemon flavor.
- Always use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. It will taste better than bottled lemon juice, and you need the fresh zest from the skin of the lemons.
Ingredients
Lemon Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb chicken (chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs)
- ¼ onion (approx. 2 tablespoons)
- 2 cloves garlic (approx. ¾ tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional. or dry sherry)
Batter
- 1 cup cornstarch (divided in half)
Lemon Chicken Sauce
Cornstarch Slurry (To Thicken Sauce)
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon water
Garnish (Optional)
- toasted sesame seeds
- finely chopped green onions
- lemon slices
Instructions
Method 1: Prepare the Chicken (Filet)
- If you are making chicken filets, place a chicken breast on the cutting board and filet it by cutting the chicken sideways with the knife until you have cut it half way.
- Pull back the top flap you have cut and carefully continue to keep slicing until you reach the end while peeling back the flap along the way.
- You can make about 3 filets with a large chicken breast. Set the filets into a bowl.
Method 2: Prepare the Chicken (Chicken Chunks)
- If you are making crispy chicken chunks, cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes or irregular rectangle shapes and place it into a bowl.
Marinate the Chicken
- Chop 2 cloves garlic and ¼ onion into small pieces and add them to a food processor with 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, and ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine. Blitz it until it is a thin paste.If you don't have a food processor, you can grate or finely chop the garlic and onion instead.
- Add the marinade into the bowl with the chicken and mix well. Let it set at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Batter the Chicken (Twice)
- Add half of the cornstarch to the bowl of chicken and mix it well. Set it aside for a few minutes until the starch has absorbed all the starch.
- Add the other half of the cornstarch to a plate, and dunk the marinated chicken into the cornstarch until there is a light coating on it. Shake off any excess starch and set it aside to deep fry.
Deep Fry It
- Add oil into a tall pot and set the stove to medium-high heat. If you are using a deep fryer, set the temperature to 350f.
- Wait for the oil to get hot. To test if the oil is hot enough in a pot, put a wooden chopstick or spoon into the oil. If it bubbles, you're good to go.
- Add the chicken into the hot oil and deep fry it for 3-5 minutes. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pot or deep fryer because that will drop the temperature of the oil, which will make the batter not crispy.Deep fry it in small batches and set it aside until all the chicken has been cooked.
- Once all the chicken has been deep fried, add it back into the oil and deep fry them a second time for 30 seconds. This will harden the batter and make it crispier.
Prepare the Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice
- Zest the lemon skin with a micro planer, grater, or vegetable peeler. Set it aside.
- If you are using a vegetable peeler, gently peel the top layer of the skin. Try to avoid pressing too hard, you don't want to get the white part under the skin (the pith), which is bitter.
- If you peeled the lemon skin with the vegetable peeler, finely chop it with a knife and set it aside.
- Using the same lemon, cut them in half and squeeze the juice and set it aside.
Make the Sweet and Sticky Lemon Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together ½ tablespoon cornstarch with ½ tablespoon water to make a cornstarch slurry and set it aside. We will use this later to thicken the sauce.
- Set a pot over medium-low heat and add ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons water. Keep stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, re-mix the cornstarch slurry (the starch may have settled to the bottom of the bowl) and slowly pour it into the sauce while you are stirring.
- Keep stirring until the sauce starts to boil and thicken. You'll know it's done when the sauce turns into a clear brown color and is no longer transparent.
- Turn off the heat, and mix in 1 tablespoon lemon zest.
Put it Together and Serve
- If you are using chicken filets, cut them into ½ thick pieces and set them on a plate. Drizzle the sauce on top of the chicken and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and lemon slices and serve with rice!
- If you are using chicken chunks, add the chicken into the pot with the sauce and mix until it has coated every piece of chicken well.
- Plate it and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and lemon wedges and serve with rice!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Tina says
I made this chicken dish last night for dinner, it was fantastic. My whole family loved it. It is the best gluten free fried chicken that I have ever had. I also used coconut aminos to make it soy free. Better than take out with no gluten or soy. I will definitely be making this again and again.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. So yummy!!!
Joyce Lee says
Hi Tina!
Yay! I'm so happy everyone liked this!! 😊 I'm very happy to share, and thank you for making my day! 🥰
Raquel says
The chiquen was really crunchy with the double fry method and double flour and not sogy
Perfect combination with the garlic Chinese wine and soya sauce sugar and cornflour for the sauce
My husband loved it
Joyce Lee says
Hi Raquel!
I love double frying my foods, it really does make a difference right? 😊
I'm so happy everyone loved it! My husband loves this too, loves how lemony it is!
Josie says
My family loves this spicy sesame Lemon Chicken. Most of the time when we go to a specific Chinese restaurant, we must order this Dish. It's so tasty and delicious!! Now, I can easily make one at home with your recipe. Thank you so much.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Josie!
I'm so happy everyone liked it! I'm so happy to share!