Chinese Lemon Chicken

Chinese Lemon Chicken with an irresistibly sticky, sweet, and sour Chinese lemon sauce. Move over, take-out!

Chicken tenders are battered and fried until soft and juicy and tossed in a sticky sweet and sour sauce in this Chinese Lemon Chicken recipe. No more buying, because you're going to fall in love with how easy it is to replicate this restaurant classic.

All you'll need is some classic pantry staples and under 30 minutes to make this good weeknight dinner-worthy dish. If you've tried bittersweet pork or kung poyou will love this easy chicken recipe, which has similar Asian flavors!

What Makes This Lemon Chicken So Good

A few small details make a BIG difference with Chinese lemon chicken. From the type of chicken you use to how you coat and fry it, knowing these details makes it even easier to create that crispy restaurant-style texture with the best lemon flavor.

Bursting with lemony flavors, this dish is good for a quick weeknight dinner when you're craving some Asian food. It's a low-effort recipe that you can customize and tweak to your liking!

This chicken recipe uses simple ingredients and easy steps to make a filling dinner in just a couple of minutes!

Why Chicken Tenderloins?

We love using chicken tenderloins for this recipe because they stay juicy and tender while cooking quickly. They also give you that soft restaurant-style texture once coated and fried. If you can't find tenderloins, boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs work too. Just cut them into even bite-sized pieces and adjust the cooking time slightly, especially with thighs since they can take a little longer to cook through.

Fresh Vs. Bottled Lemon Juice

Fresh lemon juice gives this sauce a reliable flavor. It's brighter, fresher, and balances the sweetness much better than bottled lemon juice. Since lemon is the main flavor in the sauce, using fresh lemons makes a difference here.

Bottled lemon juice can still work if that's what you have on hand, but the flavor may taste slightly sharper and less fresh compared to freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Ingredients for Lemon Chicken & Variations

• Chicken: We love using boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins here because they stay juicy and cook quickly. Chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well, just adjust the cook time slightly depending on the size of your pieces.
• Egg: Helps the cornstarch cling to the chicken while keeping the inside soft and juicy after frying.
• Shaoxing Wine & Soy Sauce: Shaoxing wine adds that classic Chinese food flavor to the sauce. If you can't find it, dry sherry or even white vinegar can work in a pinch. Soy sauce balances the sweetness and lemon flavor.
• Lemon Sauce: Fresh garlic, ginger, lemon juice, honey, sugar, and chicken stock create the sticky sweet and sour sauce. Fresh lemon juice works best here for that bright tangy flavor.
• Cornstarch: This is what gives the chicken that light, crispy coating while also thickening the sauce. Potato starch can be used instead, but avoid regular flour or the texture won't turn out the same.
• Garnish: Green onions and sesame seeds add freshness and a little crunch right before serving.

Note: Please see the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

On the stove

To get started, whisk the egg, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine together in a bowl. If you can't find Shaoxing wine at the store, dry sherry or even white vinegar works just fine here. Toss your chopped chicken pieces right into that mix so they are completely coated. We like to let it marinate for about 20 to 30 minutes if we have the time to let those flavors sink in, but if you are in a rush, a quick 5 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients is perfectly fine.

When you're ready to cook, dump the chicken along with all that marinade directly into your cornstarch. Get your hands in there and massage the cornstarch into the meat until every single piece is completely covered.

Micro Tip: Make sure to shake off any excess cornstarch before the chicken hits the oil. This keeps the coating light and prevents the oil from getting messy.

Get your oil nice and hot in a large pan or wok. Fry the chicken in batches so you don't crowd the pan. If you throw too much chicken in at once, the oil temperature drops and you end up with soggy, oily chicken instead of that signature crunch. Cook them until they turn a beautiful deep color and are cooked all the way through, then scoop them out and set them aside.

On the stove

Carefully wipe out your pan with a paper towel to get rid of any stray crumbs that might burn. Heat up a splash of fresh oil and stir-fry your garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds until you can smell it. Pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, fresh lemon juice, sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt.

As the sauce heats up, the honey will naturally start to thicken it, but you want a glossy glaze that clings to the chicken. Stir in a quick cornstarch slurry and watch it transform into a rich sauce. Toss your crispy chicken straight back into the wok, give it a good flip to coat every piece evenly, and serve it immediately while it's still hot and crunchy.

Kitchen tip

The real secret to getting that good, light Chinese restaurant-style crunch without the grease comes down to the cornstarch. Unlike flour, cornstarch creates a delicate, shattering crispiness that doesn't get heavy. When you are tossing the chicken, make sure every single piece is completely coated, then give it a gentle shake to get rid of any excess powder before it hits the wok.

Frying in batches is your best friend here. If you crowd the pan, the temperature of your oil drops instantly, and the chicken will end up steaming and absorbing oil instead of getting crisp. Once your chicken is beautifully fried and tossed in that glossy lemon sauce, make sure to serve it right away to enjoy that good contrast of the hot, crunchy coating and the sticky glaze.

Serve it with

This lemon chicken is good with steamed rice to soak up all of that sticky sauce. We also love it with some fried rice or a side of stir fried noodles when we want to make it feel like a full homemade Chinese dinner.

For veggies, we usually make some garlic butter green beans.

Recipe FAQ's

Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch, but if possible, rely on fresh, ripe lemons for that good bright and citrusy deliciousness.

You can! Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket and pop it in. Air fry this for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees or until crispy and golden brown crispy. Make the lemon sauce in a pan and toss the air-fried chicken into it!

Store your leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce. Avoid using the microwave if you want to preserve any crispiness.

What you need

• 21 oz chicken tenderloins cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small egg
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons Chinese shaoxing wine or mirin
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 teaspoons garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger ginger or finely grated
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice of one lemon, about 3-4 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 pinch salt to taste
• 1 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds to garnish
• 1 tablespoon green onions thinly sliced to garnish
• 5 lemon slices to serve – optional

Method

1. In a large shallow bowl whisk egg, soy sauce and wine. Add in chicken, mix well and allow to marinate for 20 minutes, covered.
2. Place corn starch into a large baking tray. Pour chicken and marinade into the corn starch and coat chicken pieces evenly, lightly pressing the corn starch around the chicken.
3. Heat oil in a large wok, pan or skillet over medium-high heat on the stove top. When oil is hot (325°F | 165°C), shake off excess corn starch and fry chicken in batches in a single layer for about 5-6 minutes, turning half way during cooking, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
4. Discard oil and wipe wok/pan over with paper towel. Heat a little oil over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and a pinch of salt. Whisk and bring to a simmer until the sugar dissolves.
5. Whisk corn starch mixture into the simmering sauce and stir until thickened. Add the fried chicken and toss until evenly coated in the sticky lemon sauce.
6. Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and lemon slices. Serve immediately for the crispiest texture.