For those that order Chinese takeout, if Chinese lemon chicken is one of your go-to items, you simply must try making it at home. This famous takeout dish is glorious, but at restaurants, it tends to be loaded with more sugar and oil than you need. As a result, it’s often not an especially healthy choice. But when you make it at home, you get crispy chunks of chicken breast without deep frying. Coated in a delightful lemony sauce, it is bursting with fresh flavor that will turn you into a kitchen god(dess).
Ingredients for Chinese lemon chicken
So, what’s the secret to that crispy chicken you’ll be craving in your dreams? It’s cornstarch! Adding it to a beaten egg and then coating the chicken with it is what helps you achieve that restaurant-quality crispiness without the need for deep frying. Making lemon chicken requires a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. To make a fragrant and balanced lemon sauce without getting too tangy, I used a mix of chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest and rice vinegar. Compared to using 100% lemon juice, the sauce is more well-rounded this way.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Marinated chicken Mixed lemon sauce Ginger Green onion
How to make Chinese lemon chicken
Tempting as it may be, you don’t want to move the chicken after you place the pieces in a single layer, preventing them from touching each other. This allows the bottom of each piece to reach a nice golden brown. After you flip, it’s the same story…just let it crisp up. Also, you want to let the chicken cool off a bit once you take it out of the pan, so the crust crisps up further. So when you add the chicken back, it won’t become soggy immediately after mixing with the sauce. You’ll see it looks just like your old reliable Chinese lemon chicken takeout order. And the taste is spot on! Try it tonight, perhaps with one of my fried rice recipes to make your meal complete!
How to serve lemon chicken
You can serve lemon chicken by itself as a main dish. I also like to top it on steamed white rice. To complete your meal, serve it with a simple veggie side dish and a soup. For example: Tomato Egg Drop Soup, Air Fryer Garlic Green Beans, Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce, or Bean Sprout Stir Fry.
Other delicious Chinese takeout recipes
Chinese Orange Chicken (Crispy Chicken without Deep Frying) Chicken Lo Mein (Restaurant Style Without A Wok) Beef with Snow Peas Crispy Peanut Butter Chicken Pork Chop Suey Mongolian Beef (Without Using a Wok)
