Quick & Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken

User Reviews

5.0

63 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    20 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Total Time

    30 mins

  • Servings

    3

  • Calories

    616 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Chinese

Quick & Easy Chinese Lemon Chicken

Crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet and savory lemon sauce. This quick and easy Chinese lemon chicken is made with simple ingredients. Saving you money and beating takeout! Great as a main dish for the family on busy weeknights! I also share how to air fry the chicken in the Notes section below.

I Made This!

47 people made this

Save this

37 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • cup cornstarch or potato starch
  • cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Sauce:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon ginger grated
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 2 tablespoon Regular soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken stock low sodium
  • ½ tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch

Optional:

  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds garnish
  • lemon slices
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine your sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
  2. Dice chicken thighs into bite size pieces, about 1.5-inch pieces. Transfer diced chicken to a large bowl. Do not pat the chicken thighs dry as moisture is needed for the next step. Season diced chicken with salt and black pepper.
  3. Add cornstarch to the bowl of diced chicken and evenly coat each piece in the cornstarch with tongs. Or toss the diced chicken in a Ziplock bag with the cornstarch.
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Carefully lower coated chicken and spread apart quickly. Fry chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Remove fried chicken from oil and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to soak up excess oil. (To air fry the chicken, see the notes section below).
  5. Discard any excess oil from pan. Heat pan on medium heat and pour in sauce. Keep stirring sauce until it bubbles and thickens.
  6. Toss in chicken. Optional, garnish with sesame seeds, lemon slices or green onions. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Lightly spray air fryer basket with vegetable oil or any neutral oil. 
  • Lay coated chicken into air fryer basket in a single layer giving each piece enough space. Lightly spray oil over coated chicken. 
  • You may need to air fry in small batches if needed depending on the size of your air fryer.
  • Air fry at 400 F for 12-14 minutes until golden crispy brown. The amount of time depends on your air fryer. 

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 616kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 37g (12%) Protein 36g (72%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 7g Monounsaturated Fat 15g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 204mg (68%) Sodium 1282mg (53%) Potassium 546mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 19g (38%) Vitamin A 165IU (3%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 49mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 616 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 616kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 37g 12%
Protein 36g 72%
Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g 41%
Monounsaturated Fat 15g 75%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 204mg 68%
Sodium 1282mg 53%
Potassium 546mg 12%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 19g 38%
Vitamin A 165IU 3%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 49mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0

63 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love