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Simple Chinese lemon chicken has a delectable sweet and tangy Asian flavor. It’s amazing served over rice or noodles!
We love to serve this as an easy dinner with some our favorite Asian sides, like Egg Drop Soup, Cream Cheese Wontons and Fried Rice.
Love Us Some Asian Food!
We love a good Asian dish made at home, and this Chinese lemon chicken has so many delicious flavors like lemon, soy sauce, and pineapple juice making it one of our favorite chicken dishes.
Why we love it:
- Flavor. This is a Chinese dish similar to Orange Chicken but with a lemony twist.
- Easy. Making this Chinese lemon chicken recipe crispy starts with this simple breading that is fried to perfection.
- An easy dinner. It’s fairly easy to make and is great served by itself or even with Fried Rice, Chow Mein or Noodles.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil – the oil temperature needs to rise to 350-375°F so choose an oil with a high smoking point such as vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. I have even seen olive oil labeled as suitable for high temperatures.
- salt and pepper
- all-purpose flour
- milk
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- honey
- soy sauce
- pineapple juice
- brown sugar
- lemon juice – 2-3 tablespoons of fresh or store-bought lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- olive oil
- ground lemon pepper
- minced garlic
Variations
- Veggies. Stir-fry veggies such as asparagus, broccoli florets, snap peas, and bell peppers. Serve on the side or mix it with lemon chicken.
- Season. Top with lemon zest, sesame seeds, and green onions.
- Add spice. Kick up the heat with red pepper flakes or sriracha.
- Thicken the sauce. Let the glaze simmer a little longer to allow some moisture to evaporate. Or add a cornstarch slurry: Mix 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. Add it to the glaze and let it simmer.
How to Make Lemon Chicken
- GLAZE. Begin by making your lemon sauce. Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. It should be slightly thickened.
- OIL. In a large skillet, heat 1 cup oil over medium-high heat. (Be mindful of the oil temperature. For an even cook keep the oil in the 350-375° F range. This way the chicken does not burn or become too greasy.)
- BREADING. Place flour in a Ziploc bag and pour milk into a small bowl. Add 8-10 pieces of chicken to your bag of flour and shake around, then dip in milk and throw back into the flour bag to coat a second time. Repeat until all chicken is coated in flour and milk.
- FRY. Fry chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- SERVE. Toss chicken in your glaze mixture and serve warm over rice, noodles, or salad.
Alternative Cooking Directions
To air-fry. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Spray the basket and line the chicken pieces in the basket. Be sure they are not touching. It may require multiple batches. Fry for 4 minutes, turn, and fry for another 4 minutes.
To bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chicken out in a single layer. Bake for 6-8 minutes, turn and bake for another 6-8 minutes. Broil the chicken for about 2 minutes to give it a crispier texture.
Make Ahead + Store
- Make ahead of time. Make this recipe 1-2 days ahead of time. Flour the chicken according to directions and combine the glaze as directed. Store the chicken and glaze in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking.
- STORE. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- FREEZE. Cook the chicken before storing the chicken and glaze in separate containers. Label and freeze them for 2-3 months.
- REHEAT lemon chicken in the oven, heat the glaze in a saucepan and then combine. If you’re in a hurry you can reheat in the microwave.
For More Asian Chicken Dishes:
Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe
Simple Chinese lemon chicken has a delectable sweet and tangy Asian flavor. It's amazing served over rice or noodles!
Ingredients
- ½-¾ cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste to taste
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Begin by making your glaze. In a medium pan, over medium heat, combine honey, soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, lemon pepper, and minced garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 10-12 minutes, should be slightly thickened.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Place salt, pepper, and flour in a ziploc bag and pour milk into a small bowl. Add 8-10 pieces of chicken to your bag of flour and shake around. Take each piece out and dip it in milk and throw back into the flour bag. Shake around and take the chicken out. Repeat until all chicken is coated in flour and milk.
- Fry chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Toss chicken in your glaze mixture and serve warm over rice, noodles, or salad.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 622kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 738mg, Potassium: 707mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 111IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.
This recipe is so good! Everyone, even my picky eaters enjoyed it! I served it with rice and veggies and it was such a fulfiling meal for us all.
My fam loves the tanginess of this chicken recipe! It’s bursting with flavors and pleasing. Love serving it with noodles.
Put this over some ramen noodles and it was so good! The whole family loved it.
So glad to hear that!!
Can you replace the pineapple juice with something else? I am allergic to it.
Yes, you could. I’d probably swap for orange juice. I’m sure you could also google some good pineapple juice substitutions.
Delicious chicken! Love this for when we’re craving Asian cuisine! Which…happens at least once a week! Cravings solved! <3
Absolutely delicious! Orange chicken is my favorite take out, but this absolutely TOPS that – no question! My new fave!
I love Lemon Chicken! This looks incredibly delicious!
This was wonderful. Thank you so much
You’re welcome! So so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
I made the other day it was amazing! I love lemon so much. My sauce didn’t thicken up as much as i wanted it to. Any suggestions?
It’s not a thick sauce, but maybe little it simmer a little longer. Glad you liked it 🙂
My family loves this recipe! My kids eat it, which is a win for me. Love the flavor!