Chinese Lemon Chicken

Chinese Lemon Chicken - tender chicken bites in a light coating, tossed in a zesty Chinese-style lemon sauce.

Chinese Lemon Chicken served on a white plate with a beige rim, accompanied by a fork and spoon on the left and lemon slices on the right. In the background, a wooden bowl filled with rice completes the scene.

Typically, Chinese lemon chicken is deep-fried in batter before being smothered in a zesty lemon sauce, but that method isn't ideal for those mindful of calories. In this recipe, we lighten things up by oven-baking the chicken in a delicate batter, then finishing it off with a delectable sweet and sour Chinese lemon sauce.

Jump to:

Calories in Chinese Lemon Chicken
Ingredients Needed
Essential Equipment for Cooking Chinese Lemon Chicken
Side Dishes for Chinese Lemon Chicken
More Chinese Fakeaway Recipes
How to Make (Video)
FAQ for Chinese Lemon Chicken
Recipe Card

Calories in Chinese Lemon Chicken

This Chinese Lemon Chicken serves 4 and is 326 calories per serving.

If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 300+ calorie recipes.

If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.

Ingredients Needed

To make this Chinese Lemon Chicken, you will need the following ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: these are the ideal choice for this recipe, as they stay tender during cooking and their juiciness contributes to creating the perfect light batter coating.
Cornstarch (Cornflour): this is what creates the light batter on the chicken and also is used in the lemon sauce
Bicarb of Soda (baking soda): added to cornstarch batter creates bubbles that make the batter lighter and crispier when cooked, resulting in a fluffier coating on the chicken.
Salt and Pepper - These basic yet essential flavour enhancers are key for elevating the taste of your dishes. No food will ever be bland when these are used to season to taste.
Low Calorie Spray - Use your preferred choice of low calorie spray, I prefer olive oil or avocado sprays without any added emulsifiers.
Lemon: the juice and zest of one lemon
Soy Sauce: I use all purpose soy sauce, but if you can't get this you can use light soy sauce
Chicken Stock: only a small amount is used, so use your preferred brand.
Honey: this is used to sweeten the sauce, it also helps give that glossy sticky appeareance (maple syrup can be used as a substitute)
Garlic - just a fresh clove or you can use lazy garlic
Ginger: I use just a little ground ginger for flavour.
Spring Onions: the green part only is used as a garnish for the lemon chicken
Toasted Sesame Seeds: used as a garnish

Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.

See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.

close up of Chinese Lemon Chicken served on a white plate with a beige rim, accompanied by a fork and spoon on the left and lemon slices. In the background, a wooden bowl filled with rice completes the scene.

Essential Equipment for Cooking Chinese Lemon Chicken

To craft Chinese Lemon Chicken to perfection, you'll need a few key pieces of equipment. Firstly, a large baking tray lined with parchment paper is indispensable. This setup ensures the light-battered chicken achieves a delightful golden hue while preventing any sticking issues.

Additionally, a small non-stick saucepan is essential for bubbling the sauce. Its non-stick surface allows for gentle heating, preventing the sauce from heating too quickly and risking burning. This ensures the sauce maintains its perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors, ready to drizzle over the crispy chicken. With these tools on hand, you're all set to create a mouthwatering Chinese Lemon Chicken dish.

Side Dishes for Chinese Lemon Chicken

Enhance your Chinese Lemon Chicken experience with these delightful sides:

Fragrant jasmine rice
Classic egg fried rice
Low-carb option: Egg fried cauliflower rice
Stir-fried vegetables: Shredded cabbage, Carrots, Bell peppers, Onions, Snap peas, Broccoli and Mushrooms

These versatile sides add texture, flavor, and nutritional value to your meal, making it a truly satisfying dining experience.

Chinese Lemon Chicken served in a white bowl with a beige rim, accompanied by fluffy white rice. A fork is elegantly placed on the left side of the bowl.

More Chinese Fakeaway Recipes

Looking for some more low calorie Chinese Fakeaway Recipes? Check out these

see more Chinese Fakeaway Recipes →

or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.

All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.

How to Make (Video)

FAQ for Chinese Lemon Chicken

Can I use Chicken Breast?

Yes, you can use chicken breast for Chinese Lemon Chicken. However, it's important to note that chicken thighs tend to yield the best results in terms of achieving a light and crisp coating. The juiciness of chicken thighs contributes to a more tender and flavorful outcome compared to chicken breast, which can sometimes result in a drier texture.

Can I cook this in an Air Fryer?

Yes, you can cook Chinese Lemon Chicken in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer at 200°C (400°F) for 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces spaced apart and spray generously with low-calorie cooking spray. Air fry for 15 minutes until golden and crispy, (rotate pieces around the 10 minute mark.) Make the sauce as directed in a saucepan.

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Recipe Card

Yield: SERVES 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 33 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

Chinese Lemon Chicken - tender chicken bites in a light coating, tossed in a zesty Chinese-style lemon sauce.

Ingredients

700g (25oz) of boneless skinless chicken thighs, bites size pieces
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
Salt and white pepper to season

For the Lemon Sauce:

Juice and zest of one lemon
2 tablespoon of light soy sauce
120ml (½ cup) of chicken stock
4 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ teaspoons of ground ginger
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

To Garnish

3 green onions, chopped (green part only)
1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to fan 180°c, 200c, 400°F or gas mark 6.
Pat the chicken pieces dry and place them in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix salt, pepper, and baking soda with the cornstarch. Add this mixture to the chicken and toss until all the pieces are coated evenly.
Spread the coated chicken out on a parchment-lined tray and generously spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes and chicken is crisp and golden. (flip halfway through)
When the chicken is almost finished baking, whisk together all the sauce ingredients and simmer in a small saucepan over high heat until it thickens.
Once the chicken is ready, pour the thickened sauce over it and sprinkle with chopped green onions and the sesame seeds.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:

Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
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Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 326Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 67gCholesterol 430mgSodium 626mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 0gSugar 16gProtein 38g

Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.