Lemon Chicken
type: Recipe
headline: Lemon Chicken with a Light Soy Lemon Sauce
description: Make lemon chicken at home with skillet-browned chicken, fresh lemon juice, soy sauce, honey or sugar, garlic, ginger, and rice.
author: Chinese Food at Home
language: en
recipe cuisine: Chinese
recipe category: Main dish
keywords: chicken, takeout-style, family-friendly, rice-bowl
recipe yield: 4 servings
prep time: PT14M
cook time: PT16M
total time: PT30M
recipe ingredient: chicken: 600 g / 1 1/3 lb boneless chicken thigh or breast.
recipe ingredient: lemon juice: 3 tbsp juice plus 1 tsp zest.
recipe ingredient: cornstarch: 1/4 cup.
recipe ingredient: soy sauce: 1 tbsp.
recipe ingredient: sugar: 2 tbsp honey or sugar.
recipe ingredient: rice vinegar: 1 tsp (optional).
recipe ingredient: chicken stock: 1/3 cup (optional).
recipe ingredient: garlic: 2 cloves (optional).
recipe ingredient: ginger: 1 tsp grated (optional).
recipe ingredient: green onion: 2 (optional).
recipe ingredient: sesame seeds: 1 tsp (optional).
recipe ingredient: neutral oil: 2 tbsp.
recipe instructions: Cut and coat chicken
  type: HowToStep
  text: Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces and pat dry. Toss with cornstarch until each piece is lightly coated. Let the coated chicken sit for a minute while you mix the sauce so the coating adheres.
recipe instructions: Mix the lemon sauce
  type: HowToStep
  text: In a bowl, stir lemon juice, lemon zest, soy sauce, honey or sugar, stock or water, garlic, ginger, and vinegar if using. Taste a tiny bit; it should be bright but balanced by sweetness.
recipe instructions: Heat a thin layer of oil
  type: HowToStep
  text: Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. You are pan-frying, not deep-frying, so the oil should cover only the surface of the pan. A small chicken piece should sizzle when added.
recipe instructions: Brown chicken on all sides
  type: HowToStep
  text: Add chicken in one layer and cook until golden, turning pieces as needed. Work in batches if the pan is crowded. The chicken should be cooked through before sauce goes in, because the lemon sauce cooks briefly.
recipe instructions: Add sauce briefly
  type: HowToStep
  text: Pour the lemon sauce into the pan and stir as it bubbles. Cook only 1 to 2 minutes, just until it becomes glossy and coats the chicken. Long boiling can make lemon taste dull or bitter.
recipe instructions: Serve with fresh finish
  type: HowToStep
  text: Turn off the heat and add green onion and sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately. If the sauce tastes too sharp, balance it next time with a little more honey or sugar rather than cooking it longer.
main entity of page: https://cnfoods.top/recipes/lemon-chicken/
about: Lemon juice
about: Chicken
about: Chicken stock
mentions: Fresh lemon gives the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice can work with a little zest or extra vinegar.
mentions: Use chicken breast for a lighter texture or thigh for more forgiveness.
mentions: Chicken stock rounds out the sauce, but water is fine for a simple version.
mentions: Use orange juice for a softer citrus sauce.
mentions: Use tofu instead of chicken for a meat-free adaptation.
mentions: Use maple syrup, honey, or white sugar for sweetness.
mentions: Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice, Bottled lemon juice, Orange juice. Fresh zest makes the sauce taste more natural if using bottled juice.
mentions: Chicken: Chicken breast, Chicken thigh, Firm tofu. Smaller pieces brown faster and need less sauce.
mentions: Chicken stock: Water, Vegetable stock, A little reserved rice water. Stock is helpful but not required for the simplest version.

faq
type: FAQPage
main entity of page: https://cnfoods.top/recipes/lemon-chicken/
language: en
main entity: Can lemon chicken be made without deep frying?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes. This version uses skillet browning and a thin cornstarch coating.
main entity: Can I use bottled lemon juice?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes. Bottled lemon juice works, especially with a little lemon zest or a small splash of vinegar for freshness.
main entity: Is lemon chicken the same as orange chicken?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: No. Lemon chicken tastes sharper and lighter, while orange chicken is usually sweeter and rounder.

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type: BreadcrumbList
item list element: Chinese Food at Home
  type: ListItem
  position: 1
  item: https://cnfoods.top/
item list element: Lemon Chicken
  type: ListItem
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