Lemon Chicken (Chinese Style)
This easy Chinese-style lemon chicken recipe has crispy bites of juicy chicken that are coated in a bright, glossy lemon sauce! It's sticky, sweet, and a little bit tangy.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- For serving: chopped scallions and lemon slices optional, to taste
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup lemon juice see note
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place it in a medium bowl. Season with some salt & pepper, the garlic powder, and sprinkle the cornstarch over it. Toss until coated.
- Add the sauce ingredients to another bowl and whisk together.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
- Once the pan is HOT, add half of the chicken to the skillet and ensure each piece isn't crowded so it browns better. Cook for 4 minutes and then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or so using cooking tongs. Chicken should be browned and cooked through (165F). Transfer the chicken to a plate. For the second batch, add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
- Once the second batch of chicken is done, add the chicken that's on the plate back to the skillet. Take the skillet off the heat, then pour in the sauce and let it bubble for 30 seconds to a minute or so until thickened. Toss it with the chicken to coat thoroughly. Serve with fresh lemon slices if desired and chopped scallions.
Notes
- For this recipe, it's a good idea to buy 2-3 lemons. One large lemon yields about 2 tbsp of zest. The sauce isn't ridiculously sweet, but if you prefer a slightly sweeter sauce, use just 1 tbsp of lemon zest and/or add a little more sugar.
- I serve this recipe with rice usually. I'll measure out 1 cup of uncooked rice to serve 4, but feel free to make as much rice as you normally do. Start the rice before the chicken so that it's ready at the same time.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
