Chinese Lemon Chicken

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4.91 from 22 votes

This Chinese Lemon Chicken is perfectly crispy glazed in a bright, tangy lemon sauce and so much better than takeout!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

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

Key Tips!

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.

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