Description
This Sticky Chinese Lemon Chicken recipe features crispy, golden-brown chicken pieces coated in a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy lemon sauce. The chicken is dredged in a light flour and cornstarch batter, fried to perfection, and then tossed in a luscious sauce made with fresh lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, and aromatic ginger and garlic. Garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, this dish offers a perfect balance of flavors and textures, perfect served over steamed rice or with vegetables for a complete meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
Lemon Sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garnish (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the coating mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, flour, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined for the chicken coating.
- Beat the eggs: Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk until smooth and uniform in texture.
- Cut the chicken: Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces about 1-2 inches in size.
- Coat the chicken: Dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture, coating it thoroughly, then dredge in the cornstarch-flour mixture, pressing gently to adhere an even coating.
- Heat the oil: Warm the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot enough for frying.
- Fry the chicken: Carefully add coated chicken pieces to the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until chicken is golden brown and crispy.
- Drain excess oil: Remove the fried chicken pieces and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Prepare the sauce: Whisk together lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, grated ginger, minced garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
- Cook the sauce: Pour the sauce mixture into the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Toss chicken in sauce: Return the crispy chicken to the skillet, tossing gently to coat every piece evenly with the sticky lemon sauce.
- Finish cooking: Cook chicken in sauce for an additional 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken further.
- Remove from heat: Take the skillet off the heat once the chicken is well coated and sticky.
- Garnish: Sprinkle optional sesame seeds and chopped green onions over the chicken to add flavor and color.
- Serve: Serve the sticky Chinese lemon chicken hot, ideally alongside steamed rice or your favorite vegetables for a complete meal.
Notes
- To ensure crispy chicken, avoid overcrowding the pan while frying, so chicken cooks evenly and stays crunchy.
- The sauce can be adjusted for sweetness or tanginess by altering honey or lemon juice proportions to taste.
- For a spicier dish, increase the red pepper flakes slightly or add fresh chili peppers.
- Leftover chicken can be refrigerated and gently reheated, though it may lose some crispness.
- To make this dish gluten-free, substitute soy sauce with tamari or a gluten-free soy alternative.