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Chinese Lemon Chicken is similar to the famous Orange Chicken but in my opinion, I think it’s actually better! The chicken is breaded and fried to be super crispy, and the bright, tangy and tart flavors of the lemon sauce is perfectly balanced with a touch of sweetness. Trust me, you won’t be able to get enough of this super delicious Chinese Lemon Chicken!
Watch the Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Chicken thigh – I like to use 1-2″ pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh for Chinese Lemon Chicken. You want to cut them into similar sized pieces so the chicken can cook evenly.
- You can substitute with chicken breast if you prefer.
- kosher salt
- white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor then black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry, especially if you enjoy cooking Asian food at home.
- shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
- 1 egg
- all-purpose flour – Combining flour and cornstarch is how you get an addictively crispy and delicious batter. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.)
- cornstarch
- chicken stock
- lemon juice and lemon zest – I recommend using fresh lemon juice and zest for the best lemon-y flavor in your Chinese Lemon Chicken.
- if you love the flavor of lemon, try Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, Pasta al Limone or Lemon Ricotta Pancakes!
- sugar
- honey
- distilled white vinegar
- baking powder – Baking Powder is one of my favorite tricks in frying foods that still taste light and airy. The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which helps the outer layer get crispy while keeping it light and airy.
- neutral oil for Frying – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
If you love dishes like Chinese Lemon Chicken and want to make other chicken dishes that are similarly breaded and sauced, try: Sesame Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken.
Key Tip
Lemon vs. Orange Chicken
Orange Chicken might be the most popular American Chinese takeout dish but I actually think Chinese Lemon Chicken is better! What are their similarities and differences?
- Both Orange Chicken and Chinese Lemon Chicken are breaded, fried, and covered in a citrus-based sauce.
- Orange Chicken’s sauce is made with orange juice – it can be described as both sweet and sour, with an orange-y flavor.
- Lemon Chicken‘s sauce is sweet and tangy – it’s made with both lemon juice and lemon zest.
- I think Chinese Lemon Chicken is better because I find the flavors of the sauce to be more balanced. I also like how the sauce tastes more ‘fresh’ de to the lemon juice and zest.
Whether you like one more than the other, they’re both absolutely delicious! Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!
Chinese Lemon Chicken: Recipe Instructions
1. Marinate the Chicken and Mix the Sauce
The first step in making Chinese Lemon Chicken is cutting the chicken into 2″ pieces. Cut the chicken into uniform pieces so they cook evenly when we fry them.
Next, place the sliced chicken into a bowl with kosher salt, white pepper, egg, and flour. Mix well with your hands and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Next, mix the Chinese Lemon Chicken sauce by combining chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, honey, distilled white vinegar, and cornstarch. I always like to premix my sauce to have it ready to go during the fast cooking process.
2. Dredge the chicken
Mix together flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and baking powder in a large bowl. Give the chicken a final mix to redistribute the wet batter and let any drip off the chicken. Individually coat the chicken pieces in the dry seasoning mix so that there are no dry spots!
Be sure to pack the dry mix in to the chicken with your hands (I like squeezing it in) to properly coat the chicken so the batter sticks.
3. Fry (and Double Fry) the Chicken
Heat a few quarts of neutral oil over high heat until the temperature reaches 350F. Carefully fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. I highly recommend a thermometer to accurately measure your oil temperature, as you do not want the oil temperature to drop below 325F.
Remove the chicken then bring the oil temperature back up to 350F and fry a second time for an additional 1-2 minutes until the chicken is dark golden brown and crispy!
4. Add Sauce and Chicken
Heat the Chinese Lemon Chicken sauce in a wok or large pan over high heat until the sauce has thickened slightly and looks glossy.
Immediately add in your crispy chicken and give the pieces a mix and toss in the sauce until each piece is nicely coated in the sauce. Serve immediately with some freshly steamed rice and enjoy your fresh Chinese Lemon Chicken!
Key Tip
Recipe Tips for Chinese Lemon Chicken
Cut the Chicken into Uniform Pieces
- Whether you use chicken breast or thigh, make sure to cut your chicken into uniform pieces to ensure that your Chinese Lemon Chicken cooks evenly. I like them in 1-2″ pieces.
Coat Your Chicken Thoroughly
- Individually coat the chicken pieces in the dry seasoning mix so that there are no dry spots. Be sure to pack the dry mix in to the chicken with your hands (I like squeezing it in) to properly coat the chicken so the batter sticks.
Rest After Dredging
- Once the chicken is dredged in the seasoning mix, let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This helps the batter stick to the chicken when frying!
Monitor the Oil Temperature
- Do not let your frying oil drop below 325F when frying! I highly recommend you use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. If you see it dropping below 325F, fry your chicken in smaller batches. Frying at a low temperature will result in too much moisture and make your Chinese Lemon Chicken taste soggy and oily.
Pre-mix Your Sauce
- The cooking process for the Chinese Lemon Chicken sauce is FAST so it’s a great idea to premix your sauce together, then add it straight into the pan! The corn starch will help thicken the sauce into that velvety texture that Chinese restaurants made so famous.
Double Fry
- If you want your Chinese Lemon Chicken to be extra crispy, you can fry for a second time for 1 minute at 350F! I love this technique because it gets the batter of the chicken EXTRA crispy and also allows for batter to stick better to the orange sauce.
Serve Chinese Lemon Chicken with Panda Express Chow Mein or Chicken Lo Mein and a fluffy Egg Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice! I like having a second protein, like Beef and Broccoli or Honey Walnut Shrimp. Don’t forget about crispy Egg Rolls and Egg Drop Soup (or Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup, if you want a heartier version) or Hot and Sour Soup!
Storage and Reheating
You can store Chinese Lemon Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I like reheat Chinese Lemon Chicken in the air fryer in order to crisp up the chicken (if you love air fryer recipes – try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, or Air Fryer Orange Chicken). When reheating the chicken in the air fryer, the sauce with further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy.
Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
I don’t recommend reheating Chinese Lemon Chicken (or any fried chicken) in the microwave unless you don’t care about the texture and just want to heat it back up as quickly as possible.
Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)
By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!
If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.
If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your Chinese Lemon Chicken not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.
If you tried this Chinese Lemon Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thight, cut to 2" pieces
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Lemon Sauce
- 1/4 cup high-quality chicken stock
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Dry Seasoning Mix
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp baking powder
- neutral oil for frying, canola, vegetable, avocado
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thigh into similar size 2" pieces and place in a mixing bowl.
- Season the chicken with salt, white pepper, shaoxing wine and add egg and flour. Mix until combined and marinate for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix together chicken stock, lemon juice & zest, sugar, honey, white vinegar, and cornstarch until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together the Dry Seasoning Mix ingredients. Give the chicken another mix to evenly distribute the wet batter, then let any excess drip off and dredge the chicken in the dry mix. Pat the chicken pieces well to ensure there are no bald spots.
- In a large dutch oven or wok, heat neutral oil to 350F and fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and remove.
- Bring the oil temperature back to 350F and fry the chicken again for 1-2 minutes until dark golden brown and crispy.
- In a wok or large pan over high heat, add the premixed sauce and stir until slightly thickened and glossy. Add the chicken and toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately with freshly steamed rice and enjoy!
Notes
Storage and Reheating
You can store Chinese Lemon Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like reheat Chinese Lemon Chicken in the air fryer in order to crisp up the chicken. When reheating the chicken in the air fryer, the sauce with further caramelize and infuse into the crispy batter! Air fry at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until warmed through and crispy. Alternatively, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. I don’t recommend reheating Chinese Lemon Chicken (or any fried chicken) in the microwave unless you don’t care about the texture and just want to heat it back up as quickly as possible.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I loved going to this Chinese restaurant when I was little with my family and this reminds of it. Amazing!!
@fatima.becerra.925
This is my absolute favorite lemon chicken. I have made it as listed but sometimes I will just make the sauce and use it with other dishes. It is that GOOD!!
Absolutely delicious. Even my reluctant chicken eating kid thought it delicious and ate well more than his share. Great job.
WOW – thank you so much, Rebecca! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
Love this recipe. Never knew what frying twice can do. This recipe is delicious. Thank you CJ.
Another family favorite we always use chicken breast and tried shrimp
One time and it’s so good every time. Perfect citrus flavor
Never tried lemon chicken before but man this was amazing! Would definitely recommend this and it’s easy to make!
So easy to make!
Best lemon chicken recipe I have tried so far! My Irish husband and my kids all loved it. Thanks CJ 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
Knocked it out of the park!. Really enjoyed this lemon chicken recipe CJ!
Thanks so much, RJ! I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
I tried the recipe and it was really good. Thank you for the recipe. Very similar to my recipe.