This Chinese-inspired healthy Lemon Chicken recipe is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and paleo friendly, yet it tastes just like the restaurant version! Make it the next time you’re craving takeout!
You’ve seen this numerous times in past recipes, but I absolutely love making homemade versions of restaurant meals. Just take my Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala, Easy Beef Shawarma and Copycat Chipotle Chicken for example!
All household names and all easy to prepare in the comfort of your own home!
Well, here we are with another restaurant copycat recipe. This Lemon Chicken, as seen in Chinese restaurants, is one of those if you know, you know kinds of situations. Those who have tried it love it and can’t help but put it on repeat!
When I was a kid, I always looked forward to my mom bringing home Chinese takeout, and I tried to get to the lemon chicken before my older brothers and sister because it was my absolute favorite.
This healthy version of lemon chicken uses all clean ingredients for a grain-free and refined sugar-free version that can also be made soy-free too. It is so simple to make that you can easily whip it up on busy weeknights after work.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy lemon chicken recipe. Guaranteed, you can find them at any grocery store.
Lemon Chicken Ingredients:
Lemon Sauce Ingredients:
Fresh Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: The star of the show here, we make a sweet and tangy sauce using fresh lemon juice.
Pure Maple Syrup: Adds sweetness to the sauce without the need for excess refined sugar.
Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce: Use either soy sauce or coconut aminos for umami flavor. If you’re using coconut aminos, add more and skip the pure maple syrup because it is already naturally sweet.
Fresh Garlic: We mince up some fresh garlic cloves to add a big bold flavor to the sauce.
Sriracha: A little kick of spice is brought to us by sriracha. Skip it to keep the sauce mild, or add more for spicier sauce.
Water or Chicken Broth: We need more liquid for more sauce without making the sauce taste too lemony. Basic water or chicken broth is the liquid for the job here.
For the Breaded Chicken:
Boneless Chicken Thighs or Breasts: I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for the best results because they have rich flavor and they stay tender during the cooking process. Nevertheless, you can use skinless chicken breast if that is your preference.
Egg: We give the chopped chicken an egg wash to help the flour stick to it for the breading.
Tapioca Flour, Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour or All-Purpose Flour: Used for the breading to create a crispy crust, we need some form of flour. I use tapioca flour or a gluten-free flour blend to keep it gluten-free, but you can also use regular all-purpose flour or corn starch.
Avocado Oil: Used for pan frying the chicken, we need a quality high temperature cooking oil. I like using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point, and I don’t recommend olive oil for this application.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Everything gets seasoned to taste using sea salt.
For Serving:
Choice of Rice: Whip up a batch of steamed white rice or brown rice for serving. You can also go with cauliflower rice or stir fry vegetables to keep it low-carb.
Green Onions: A sprinkle of fresh chopped green onion brings fresh spunky flavor to finish off the flavor profile.
Sesame Seeds: While optional, sesame seeds bring a little crunch and classic sesame flavor that we all love so dearly in Chinese cooking.
Recipe Customizations:
- Make is Paleo – To keep the recipe paleo friendly, use tapioca flour for the chicken and coconut aminos in the sauce.
- Add Fresh Veggies – Stir fry up your favorite fresh vegetables, like broccoli, green beans, bok choy, onion, carrots, zucchini, etc. Then, add in the chicken to crisp it up before adding in the sauce.
- Orange Twist – Swap out the lemon juice for fresh orange juice and add 2 teaspoons of fresh orange zest to make orange chicken. Or, follow my Healthy Orange Chicken recipe.
How to Make Chinese Lemon Chicken:
Stir together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.
Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl and chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Transfer the chicken to the mixing bowl with the beaten egg and stir well until the chicken is coated in egg.
Add the flour and stir until everything is well coated with flour.
As an alternative, you can dip chicken in the beaten egg, followed by the flour, but I find doing it all at once in a bowl saves a lot of time.
Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
Transfer the chicken to the skillet and spread into a single layer. The chicken pieces will try to stick together so use two spoons or a rubber spatula to break them apart (it’s okay if they stick together).
Allow the chicken to brown for 2 minutes before stirring well. Allow the chicken to cook for another 2 minutes until the pieces are golden brown.
Pour the lemon sauce into the skillet and bring everything to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce surrounding the chicken has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
Chicken is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. You can verify doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of one of the larger pieces of chicken.
Serve lemon chicken over steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or with fried rice. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds if desired!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions:
Enjoy your homemade lemon chicken with some of these delicious side dishes.
Enjoy this easy lemon chicken recipe for weeknight dinners whenever the craving strikes!
Healthy Chinese Lemon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Lemon Sauce:
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 2 lemons, juiced
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos or liquid aminos or soy sauce
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp sriracha optional
- ¼ tsp sea salt to taste
For the Chicken:
- 1 to ½ lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- 1 large egg egg
- ½ cup tapioca flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour*
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
For serving:
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 bunch green onion chopped
Instructions
Make the Sauce:
- Stir together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.
Prepare the Chicken:
- Whisk the egg in a large mixing bowl and chop the chicken into bite sized pieces. Transfer the chicken to the mixing bowl with the beaten egg and stir well until the chicken is coated in egg. Add the flour and stir until everything is well coated with flour.
Make the Lemon Chicken:
- Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
- Transfer the chicken to the skillet and spread into an even layer. The chicken pieces will try to stick together so use two spoons or a rubber spatula to break them apart (it’s okay if they stick together). Allow the chicken to brown for 2 minutes before stirring well. Allow the chicken to brown for another 2 minutes. Add the sauce and bring to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve over steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or with fried rice. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, although the chicken will turn out soft without the outside crisp. To do so, follow all the same instructions regarding breading and pan-frying the chicken, using the instant pot for the frying portion.
After adding in the sauce, secure the lid and pressure cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Use the quick release valve to release the steam, and serve.
Yes. Simply pan-fry the chicken first, and transfer it to the bottom of your slow cooker along with the sauce. Cook on high heat for 2 to 2.5 hours.
If you find your lemon sauce is too sour for your taste, add more pure maple syrup or some honey until the sweetness balances out the sour flavor.
For the absolute best results, eat homemade lemon chicken immediately after preparing it.
If you have leftover lemon chicken and you would like for it to crisp back up, the best way to reheat it is in a skillet, air fryer, or in the oven. Avoid microwaving leftovers, as the chicken will be soft and rubber with no crisp on the outside.
For chicken breasts, be sure you don’t cook the chicken past an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent it from drying out.
If you used chicken breasts, this is the most likely culprit for dry chicken, as it is fairly easy to overcook breast meat.
To prevent this from happening, stick with boneless skinless chicken thighs, because dark meat stays moist and tender throughout the cooking process. Or, be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken pieces as you go when using chicken breasts.
I recommend sticking with fresh lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons for the best tasting result.
While bottled lemon juice works fine in some applications, I don’t recommend using it when the lemon flavor is the predominant flavor of a dish. It doesn’t taste as fresh, which prevents you from having the best lemon chicken experience.
