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Chinese lemon chicken – How to make in 3 simple steps

This is my newly developed Chinese lemon chicken recipe that has been well tested. The goal is to create a method with chicken that is crispy even after being doused with the sauce, and the outstanding lemon flavor lingers on your palate.

Although there are many restaurants that served excellent Chinese lemon chicken, some regrettably fall short of being excellent. The chicken is drenched in a pool of sauce which immediately turns soggy. Some are cooked with a gooey cornstarch sauce with hardly noticeable lemon flavor.

This recipe has addressed these shortcomings, which you will expect:

The chicken will stay crispy.
The flavor of lemon came through sharply.
The meat is flavorful inside out, not just on the surface.

Let’s look at the detail of each ingredient, followed by the method of preparing the Chinese style lemon chicken.

This is my newly developed Chinese lemon chicken recipe that has been well tested. The chicken will stay crispy. The flavor of lemon came through sharply. The meat is flavorful inside out, not just on the surface.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my private policy  for more info. I may receive commissions for purchases made through this post.

The key ingredients for Chinese lemon chicken

Chicken: breast versus thigh meat

You can use either chicken breast or thigh meat for the Chinese lemon chicken. Cut the chicken breast into boneless bite-size, either with the skin on or removed.

Asian prefers chicken thigh over breast meat. Some chefs like to leave the bone on as well and cut the chicken into small chunks. Again, this is entirely up to you.

Corn flour versus plain flour

Cornflour is included in the marinade, the flour mix for coating the chicken, and as the thickening agent for the sauce.

The purpose of adding cornflour to the marinate is to pre-coat the chicken. Since the dry coating mix may not be able to coat the entire piece of chicken. Therefore, adding cornflour to the marinade will let the flour coat evenly on the chicken, and prevent it from turning dry and hard.

Cornflour is a significant component of the dry coating mix for the chicken. Cornflour can create a crispy crust, which will stay crisp even after drizzling with the lemon sauce.

Plain flour is used as part of the dry coating mix together with the cornflour.

Plain flour alone will not create a coating that stays crispy for a long time. On the other hand, cornflour alone will form a hardened coating. The combination of cornflour and plain flour produces an excellent mix to create a crispy and airy crust.

Soy sauce

Light soy sauce is used as I want to keep the color of the chicken light and golden brown. Soy sauce has its own umani which enhances the flavor of any food.

Egg white

The purpose of egg white in the marinade is similar to the egg in the western standard coating (flour, egg, breadcrumb). It adds flavor and protects the meat from drying out during deep-frying.

Lemon

Both lemon juice and the zest should be used in the recipe.

Lemon zest is the orange color part of the lemon skin. It contains the essential oil that contributes to the aromatic lemon flavor.

The pith of the lemon (the white color part of the lemon skin) is bitter and should not be used. Zest the top layer of the peel only.

On the other hand, lemon juice is acidic (mainly citric acid and malic acid) and has its own flavor.

The sauce should include the juice and the zest, as they provide different flavors. If you want to add a pop to the sauce, use more lemon juice that will enliven your palate.

Honey

Honey balances the sourness of the lemon juice. You may want to use sugar and molasses for the same reason. I like to use honey because of its flavor.

Chinese lemon chicken

How to cook the Chinese lemon chicken

There are three simple steps for this recipe:

Step one – Marinate the chicken

Marinating will let the flavor of the seasonings penetrate deep into the meat. This is an essential step to ensure the inner part of the chicken is equally flavorful since the sauce only covers the surface. Marinate to ensure every bite is tasty even for the chicken chunks.

Cut the chicken (breast or thigh meat) into bite-size if it is boneless, and small chunks if it is bone-in.

Add the cornflour, soy sauce, ground white pepper, and some Shaoxing wine. Combine all the ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl. Cover with cling film or store in a container with a lid. Marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Step two – Coating the chicken for deep frying

Marinating the chicken should be done in advance. However, it is best to coat the chicken with the dry coating mix just before deep frying.

Combine the dry coating mix with the chicken pieces. Add some if it is insufficient to cover all the chicken. Any excess will fall off the chicken.

Shake off the excess flour. Deep-fried in hot oil at 180°C/350°F for four minutes for the bite-size meat or six minutes for the small chunks with bone. The endpoint is when the color turns golden brown.
Remove the chicken from the oil and set it aside.

The composition of the flour mix varies, but below is my favorite

  • 100g of plain flour
  • 100g of cornflour
  • 1g of salt
  • 4g of baking powder

This is my secret combination which works beautifully for most of my Chinese deep-frying dishes.

The baking powder lightens the structure of the coating, making it airier and less dense.
The salt helps to improve the flavor, especially those part of the chicken that is not drizzled with the lemon sauce.

Chinese lemon chicken with rice

Step 3- Making the sauce.

The sauce has a combination of the sweetness of honey, the sharpness of the juice, and the aroma from the zest. Drizzle on the chicken, and it is ready to serve.

Adding the sauce by following these steps:

  • Boil the sugar, water, and cornstarch over low heat in a small pot or saucepan. Remove it from heat once the sugar is dissolved, the sauce thickens and turns translucent.
  • Set aside until it returns to room temperature.
  • Add the lemon juice and zest. Mix well. Place the chicken on a large piece of lettuce.
  • Drizzle the sauce on the chicken. Garnish with roasted white sesame and cut scallion.

7 Tips to make the best Chinese lemon chicken

Below is the summary of what you should pay attention to succeed in this recipe:

  1. Marinating the chicken is an integral part of the preparation which should not be omitted.
  2. Dry coating yields a more crispy crust than batter.
  3. The inclusion of cornflour in the flour mix yields a long-lasting crunchy crust.
  4. Add some baking powder to the coating mixture to make it airier.
  5. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice only AFTER the sugar/cornflour mixture of the sauce is at room temperature. This method can ensure the sharp flavor and aroma of the lemon are not lost.
  6. Do not be ‘greedy’ when you zest the lemon. The sauce will become bitter even if a small amount of pith (the white part of the peel) is present.
  7. Drizzle the sauce onto the chicken, NOT coating the sauce with the chicken in the wok, as this redundant step wet the chicken too much, which will cause the chicken to lose its crunchiness.
  8. Enhance the flavor and appearance with some cut scallion and roasted white sesame seeds.
lemon chicken

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Yield: 3 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

This is my newly developed Chinese lemon chicken recipe that has been well tested. The goal is to create a method with chicken that is crispy even after doused with the sauce, and the outstanding lemon flavor lingers on your palate.

Ingredients

Ingredients A

Ingredients B (Marinade):

Ingredients C (Coating flour mix)

Ingredients D (Lemon Sauce):

  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 5 tsp sugar
  • 200 ml water
  • Lemon zest, from 2 lemons
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

  1. Cut the chicken breast into boneless bite-size.
  2. Add salt, egg white, white pepper, sugar, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well.
  3. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Coating the chicken for deep frying

  1. Combine corn flour, plain flour, baking powder and salt as flour mix
  2. Add the flour mix to the chicken pieces. Add more if it is insufficient to cover all the chicken. Any excess flour will fall off from the chicken.
  3. Shake off the excess flour. Deep fried in hot oil at 180°C/350°F for four minutes or when the color turns golden brown.
  4. Remove the chicken from the oil. Drain the oil on a kitchen towel and set aside.

Making the lemon sauce.

  1. Place the sugar, constarch and water in a small pot or saucepan. Remove it when the sugar is dissolved, the sauce thickens and turns translucent.
  2. Set aside until it returns to room temperature.
  3. Add the honey, lemon juice, lemon zest to the cornstarch mixture that has cool down to room temperature. Mix well.
  4. Place the chicken on a large piece of lettuce.
  5. Drizzle the sauce on the chicken. Garnish with roasted white sesame and cut scallion.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 780Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 1823mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 7gSugar: 33gProtein: 62g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 3/17/2019

Marek

Wednesday 22nd of April 2020

Thanks chef. Fantastic recipe. Detailed instructions! Dry coating is the best I have come across. Self isolation is going to he tasty!! Where can I find more of your recipes?

KP Kwan

Thursday 23rd of April 2020

Hi Marek, I have a 100+ recipe on this block. You can find it by keying in the words of the recipe you want (for example, chicken) in the search box next to the word CONTACT. It is located at the top right (computer) and by clicking the three lines sign at the top right (mobile). Thanks. KP Kwan

Mark Lai

Wednesday 16th of January 2019

hi. what is the difference of corn flour and corn starch? other says that it is different while others tell that its just the same. so what is your opinion on this KP? thanks

KP Kwan

Wednesday 16th of January 2019

Hi Mark, I am referring to the same thing :)

Mark Lai

Wednesday 16th of January 2019

what is the difference between cornflour and cornstarch? others tells that it is different while others tells that it is the same. so what is it really?

kmrkmr

Thursday 13th of December 2018

hw many tablespoon of honey? from the video show one tablespoon 15mls, but from detail is 4 TB tq

KP Kwan

Thursday 13th of December 2018

Hi, It is 4 tablespoons as in the recipe. I try to cut the video short and therefore you only see me pouring the first tablespoon. Sorry for the confusion. KP Kwan

Li Ching Bucholtz

Sunday 25th of November 2018

thank you very much, Mr. Kwan for your generosity in sharing your delicious recipes.

KP Kwan

Monday 26th of November 2018

You are welcome. Hope you will cook and enjoy the lemon chicken. Regards.

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