Sticky, lemony, with a hint of sweetness, this Healthy Chinese Lemon Chicken is ready in just 20 minutes!
It’s just as delicious as take-out but you get to skip the messy frying making it easier, quicker, and lighter (this means you can also eat it more often, right?!).
Healthy Chinese Lemon Chicken
I’m not much for lightening up recipes but I find every way possible to avoid frying chicken. I don’t know, I just don’t like frying chicken… but I love Chinese Lemon Chicken.
Cue this not-fried and consequently Healthy Chinese Lemon Chicken!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Take-out quality. The lemon glaze is sticky, lemony, and delicious just like the one you get at your local take-out!
- Lighter and easier. To make this dish lighter, easier, and quicker, we’re skipping the frying but keeping all the flavor!
- Ready in 20 minutes. This Chinese Lemon Chicken will save dinner time often!
Ingredients For Chinese Lemon Chicken
Oil for sauteing the chicken. You can use any oil like peanut, canola, vegetable, sunflower, even coconut (personal favorite), just not olive oil because the flavor would be too strong and it has nothing to do with this dish.
Chicken: Tenderloins are great but you can also use chopped fillets, cutlets, or breasts.
Cornstarch or tapioca starch, for coating the chicken and thickening up the sauce.
Garlic, whole cloves.
Ginger, finely grated or minced. If you really don’t like ginger, you can skip it, but I promise it’s not overpowering, you mostly can’t tell it’s there but it does add to the final result.
Chicken stock, I recommend using low-sodium so you can have better control over the amount of salt since you’re also going to be adding soy sauce.
Soy sauce. I like Kikkoman but you can use any, just make sure it’s pure soy sauce and doesn’t contain any extra ingredients like cornstarch, etc.
Lemon juice, use freshly-squeezed lemon juice for this dish. Lemon it’s the main flavor so you really want to make sure you’re using the best stuff.
Brown sugar for that delicious hint of sticky sweetness!
How To Make Chinese Lemon Chicken
STEP ONE: Cook the chicken. Add the cornstarch and chicken to a large shallow bowl and toss until each piece of chicken is evenly coated in cornstarch. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook until golden and crispy on the outside. Transfer the cooked chicken to a dish and set aside.
STEP TWO: Saute the garlic and ginger. In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add more oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and saute quickly until soft and fragrant, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from browning. Once done, turn off the heat but keep the garlic and ginger in the skillet.
STEP THREE: Make the sticky lemon sauce. In a small bowl, add the chicken stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Mix until the cornstarch has dissolved completely, then transfer the sauce to the skillet with the garlic and ginger. Set the heat to medium and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly.
STEP FOUR: Assemble the dish. Once the sauce has thickened, add in the prepared chicken, toss to coat and cook for an additional minute, then turn off the heat and serve over a bowl of rice. Top with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions, if desired.
Storing and Reheating
Storing Instructions: store any leftovers covered or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. This is one of those dishes that’s best eaten fresh because of the thin crispy coating of the chicken that tends to soften up rather quickly, but it can be stored.
Reheating Instructions: reheat in a skillet over medium with a drizzle of vegetable, canola, or peanut oil until fully heated through, making sure to stir often.
HAPPY COOKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love this Healthy Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More takeout-inspired recipes you'll enjoy:
- Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce
- Chinese Scallion Pancakes with Dip
- Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl
Healthy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into chunks)
- 1/4 cup (40 g) cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable, canola, sunflower)
- Salt to taste
For the Sticky Lemon Sauce
- 2 teaspoon peanut oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
- 1 teaspoon finely-grated ginger (or minced)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 4 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- Salt (optional, depending on the broth you're using)
Instructions
- STEP ONE: Cook the chicken. Add the cornstarch and chicken to a large shallow bowl and toss until each piece of chicken is evenly coated in cornstarch. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook until golden and crispy on the outside. Transfer the cooked chicken to a dish and set aside.
- STEP TWO: Saute the garlic and ginger. In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add more oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger and saute quickly until soft and fragrant, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from browning. Once done, turn off the heat but keep the garlic and ginger in the skillet.
- STEP THREE: Make the sticky lemon sauce. In a small bowl, add the chicken stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Mix until the cornstarch has dissolved completely, then transfer the sauce to the skillet with the garlic and ginger. Set the heat to medium and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly.
- STEP FOUR: Assemble the dish. Once the sauce has thickened, add in the prepared chicken, toss to coat and cook for an additional minute, then turn off the heat and serve over a bowl of rice. Top with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions, if desired.
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?! Tag @damnspicy #itsdamnspicy on Instagram!
Nutrition
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