This is Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken, the old school way: A crispy battered chicken cutlet cut into slices then smothered in a tangy sweet lemon sauce. Oh-so-very good!
Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
You mightn’t see Lemon Chicken on the menu of those trendy modern Chinese places, but it’s a mainstay at suburban restaurants – and in my life for as long as I can remember! I love it, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
I was interested to note that the online world seems to favour Lemon Chicken in bite size pieces, but me, I’m loyal to the old-school way: whole battered chicken cutlets, sliced and sauced.
I do take liberty with the sauce though which I usually find too sweet and lacking real lemon flavour, so I dialled up the bright lemon flavour and dialled down the sugar. Also, I use a batter that’s got better crispy-staying power that regular ones so it doesn’t turn into slop the moment the sauce hits it.
If you’ve only ever had Lemon Chicken out, I really think you’ll love this homemade version!
Crispy Lemon Chicken ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this.
1. Crispy battered chicken
The crust of Chinese Lemon Chicken is the type that’s a bit puffy and light, kind of like beer battered fish. It won’t stay super crispy once sauced because lemon sauce has more water than the sticky sauces used for other fried Chinese foods, like Honey Prawns and Honey Chicken. But this batter holds up better than most (which go soggy within seconds of the sauce hitting it) thanks to a few secrets: flour plus cornflour, ice-cold soda water (fizz = lighter crust + cold batter hitting hot oil = crispier result), and the double-fry method.
Chicken – I prefer boneless thighs because the meat is juicier and you also get more gnarly craggy edges which means more crunch! It’s also what I typically see at Chinese restaurants – Asians typically favour dark meat over leaner breast.
Having said that, you can absolutely use chicken breast! You’ll only need 2, split them in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks.
Cornflour and regular flour – These have different properties when it comes to fry batters, so for the most desirable result, I use both! Cornflour makes batters crispier than regular flour but doesn’t go golden or puffy (as baking powder doesn’t work with cornflour). On the other hand, plain flour doesn’t fry up as crispy and doesn’t stay crispy as long, but it does become a lovely golden colour when fried which is desirable. And as alluded to above, baking powder, which is what makes batters puff up so they are light rather than hard, works with flour not cornflour.
Baking powder – To make the batter puffy. Doesn’t require much, just 1/4 teaspoon!
COLD soda water or club soda or seltzer water – NOT sparkling mineral water which is naturally carbonated (ie fizzy). We want something that has the full-on man-made bubbles in it which is fizzier. The fizz helps with the puff, the cold is key for ultra crispy: the shock of the cold batter hitting the hot oil = super crispy virtually immediately.
Oil – Vegetable, canola or any other neutral flavoured oil (eg peanut oil) that is suitable for deep frying can be used. Once used, the oil is clean so can be re-purposed for any cooking – deep frying (more recipes here) or regular sautéing etc.
Green onion – For garnish, 100% optional. I can’t recall ever seeing Lemon Chicken garnished at a Chinese restaurant!!!
No egg – Notice there’s no egg in the batter? That’s because egg makes fried batters less crispy. And we don’t need it for dredging here, like you do when coating with breadcrumbs.
2. THE LEMON SAUCE
As noted above, I like to be able to taste bright lemon flavour in the sauce and I don’t like it too sweet. If you find it’s not sweet enough for your taste, just add a bit more sugar at the end (but honestly, I think you will find it sweet enough).
Lemons – Can’t beat fresh lemons for real bright lemon flavour! In the event of an emergency though, bottled lemon juice can be used. 🙂
Ginger and garlic – Just 1/2 a teaspoon of each, for a hint of flavour. Finely grated with a microplane so you don’t have lumps in the sauce.
Chicken stock/broth rather than water for the liquid, for a sauce with better flavour (it’s a bit one dimensional and bland with water).
Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) – This adds salt and a bit of extra depth of flavour to the sauce, to really give it that true Chinese restaurant edge. Not the end of the world to omit for alcohol free but substitute with a pinch of salt (Shaoxing wine is salty – what do you mean you’ve never had a sip? 🙂 )
Sugar – I use 1/3 cup (70g) which, as noted above, makes it sweet but not tooth-achingly so. You do need enough sugar to balance the lemon, else it’s too sour.
Cornflour (cornstarch) – This is what thickens the sauce but makes it nice and shiny (flour would make it cloudy). Tip: If making the sauce ahead, it is better to use arrowroot instead as cornflour thickened sauces tend to go watery when reheated. Substitute equal amount.
How to make Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken
Chicken with extra crispy-staying power relies on two key things: the shock of cold batter hitting hot oil (fairly common knowledge these days in the culinary world) and a double-fry, the world’s worst-kept Asian secret for less greasy, extra crispy foods. Standard techniques I deploy in most of my deep fried recipes!
The beauty of the double-fry method is a stress-free workflow – no drippy batter or last-minute frying frenzy. Do a clean up, get the plates out and do a quick second fry just prior to serving!
Lemon Sauce – Whisk the cornflour with a splash of chicken stock first until lump free (it dissolves better in less liquid), then whisk in everything else. Simmer for 3 minutes until it thickens to a thin honey consistency. It will go really thick at first – but trust the process, it gets thinner after a minute! Bear in mind that the sauce thickens as it cools.
Refrigerate dry – Whisk the flour, cornflour, salt and baking powder in a bowl first then keep that in the fridge while you prepare the chicken. This helps the batter be extra chilled
Pound chicken with a meat mallet, skillet or saucepan until it is 0.7cm / 1/3″ thick. Cover with a freezer bag or Go-Between to protect the meat so it doesn’t tear. (Go-between is like cling wrap but it’s thicker and doesn’t stick to itself. Sold alongside cling wrap at the grocery store, it’s useful for keeping stacked food in the freezer from sticking to each other, and protecting meat from being damaged when pounding).
Dust – Spread the cornflour onto a plate. Sprinkle salt on the chicken then press into the cornflour, shake off the excess then put on a plate and set aside.
The cornflour acts as an extra protection layer to prevent the chicken juices from making the batter soggy, as well as giving the batter something to cling to.
Oil heating – Start heating the oil. Heat it to 160°C/320°F (I use a Thermapen to check the temperature). You will need 4cm / 1.6″ depth to keep the chicken suspended as it cooks (you will cry if it gets stuck on the base and rips the shell off!). But the oil stays clean so you can used it for regular cooking after use.
Use a heavy based pot for safety and good heat retention (the oil temp drops quickly when food is added). I use my 24cm / 9.4″ cast iron pot. A skillet (even a deep one) will not be deep enough.
Cold fizzy batter – Then add the soda water and whisk that in just prior to use. See below for goal thickness – adjust with extra plain flour or soda water if needed. If the batter is too thick, it will puff up massively. If it’s too thin, it won’t adhere and may break off while cooking.
Tips: The shock of ice-cold batter hitting hot oil makes it super-crispy, and stay crispy. So if you’re making a large batch or your chatty aunt rings mid-cook, pop the batter in the fridge to keep it cold.
Coat – Dip the chicken in the batter and hold it up for a couple of seconds to let the excess dip off. The batter should be thick enough to fully cover the chicken but can be ever so slightly translucent.
Fry 1 low temp – Fry the chicken for 3 minutes until it is very pale golden, borderline white, but the batter is crisp, puffed and set. The batter will be crisp straight out of the fryer but will soften as it cools.
Tips: When you put it in the oil, don’t touch it for the first minute to let the batter adhere, then carefully turn the chicken about halfway through. I fry 2 pieces of chicken at a time – they just fit. If using a smaller pot, do them one at a time so you don’t crowd the pot.
Cool – Remove the chicken onto a paper towel lined tray and do Fry #1 with the remaining chicken. Let the chicken cool for 20 minutes before doing Fry #2, or even longer. Letting the chicken cool before doing the 2nd fry really does make the chicken more crispy – I’ve tried it with and without waiting.
I make the Lemon Sauce while the chicken is cooling, and prep other dishes, see below for suggestions for what to serve this with. (PS The chicken crust will soften as it cools, don’t be alarmed, it is Fry #2 that gives it superior crisp!)
Fry 2 high temp – Now, we crisp it!! Heat the oil to 200°C/390°F. Then fry the chicken for 3 minutes until it is deep golden, turning at the halfway mark. You can crowd the pot for Fry #2. I could fit 3 but not 4, so I just stick to 2 pieces of chicken.
Slicing – Remove the chicken onto the paper towel lined tray again while you finish Fry 2. Then slice the chicken into 1.5cm / 0.6″ slices.
Saucing – Transfer the sliced chicken onto a serving plate or individual plates and spoon over the sauce (warm to loosen if needed, it will take barely a minute, and if still too thick add a teaspoon of water at a time as needed). Garnish with green onion and lemon slices if desired, then serve immediately and tell everyone to EAT FAST to optimise the crispy eating experience!!
What I serve with Lemon Chicken
It’s pictured in the video with Chinese Broccoli and Oyster Sauce (you know, the Yum Cha type!) and plain steamed rice which is excellent for Lemon Sauce soakage. Though you could absolutely upgrade to Fried Rice or buttery Garlic Rice (how did I not think of Garlic Rice before just now?!).
If you’re making a larger banquet, how about adding a side of Char Siu Chinese BBQ Pork? It’s oven-baked, so you won’t be juggling multiple stove dishes at once. And as I’ve said before, it is perfectly acceptable in my world to make the Fried Rice ahead of time then just reheat it in the microwave. Because serving a multi-course meal should feel effortless and elegant, not a panicked scramble! – Nagi x
PS The irony here, of course, is that I have never heard my name in the same sentence as the words “effortless” or “elegant”, whether cooking is involved or not. 😆
PPS I know I sound quite crispy fry-batter obsessed (and I am, a little bit) but even when the crust goes soft because it’s sitting around soaked in sauce, Lemon Chicken is very, very nice and is in fact familiar because that’s the way it is at restaurants. What I don’t want though is greasy soggy crust within 10 seconds of saucing it, which is what happens due to the high water content in lemon sauce without the extra-crispy measures taken in this recipe. If I say the word “crispy” one more time, please send help.
Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken FAQ
Not with the batter as written. I had hoped to see if I could alter it to be pan-fried suitable, but I ran out of time. If I get to it this weekend, I’ll come back and update the recipe!
You could just coat the surface of the chicken in flour and pan fry in oil which will give it a light crust. I meant to do this too but ran out of time!!
I haven’t tried with GF flour instead of plain flour, but I expect it will work ok though I can’t speak for the crispy-staying power.
Don’t try to make this with all cornflour. I tried a version with more cornflour than flour, and it sank and got stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cornflour is serious food glue!
Sadly not. The batter is too runny and thin.
Make the baked crumbed chicken tenders and serve with the Lemon Sauce. 🙂
You sure can. Make the chicken in the Crispy Chinese Honey Chicken exactly as written and make this lemon sauce. Then you can either toss the chicken in the sauce or serve it as a dipping sauce on the side.
We’ve had this recipe for a few years, it’s one JB and I created originally for Good Food magazine as part of a “Fake-out take-out” special. The batter is adapted from Chinese fry batters I’ve used in the past for the recipes (like Honey Chicken, Honey Prawns), though we had to alter it slightly to make it suitable for large chicken cutlets rather than small bite size pieces.
One problem I experienced is that larger pieces of meat sink in the oil and cornflour makes them adhere to the base of the pot, whereas flour does not. So I had to reduce the ratio of cornflour to flour in the batter (usually for Asian fried goods, I use more cornflour than regular flour because the crust stays crispy for longer), then this of course alters the liquid ratio (because flour absorbs more liquid than cornflour) and it did reduce the staying power of the crispiness a bit once sauced, which was disappointing. But the alternative of ripping off half the crust because it’s stuck on the base of the pot is even more disappointing!
Watch how to make it
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Crispy Chinese Lemon Chicken – old school style!
Ingredients
- 4 x 125g/3oz chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless (or 2 breasts – Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 – 1 1/2 litres (4 – 6 cups) vegetable or canola oil , for frying – 4cm / 1.6" depth (re-usable, Note 2)
STAY-CRISP FRY BATTER
- 1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup COLD soda water , not sparking mineral water (Note 3)
LEMON SAUCE
- 6 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 1/2 cup lemon juice , fresh
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic , finely grated
- 1/2 tsp ginger , finely grated
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (can omit for alcohol-free)
GARNISH (optional)
- Lemon slices , to serve (optional)
- 1 green onion , finely sliced on the diagonal, to serve (optional)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Pound chicken to 0.7cm / 1/3", salt, dust with cornflour. Dip in batter, fry 3 min at 160°C/320°F, cool 20 min, fry again 3 min at 200°C/390°F until dark golden and crispy. Slice, serve with sauce (simmer 3 min).
FULL RECIPE
- Refrigerate batter dry – Whisk the cornflour, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, then put it in the fridge which you proceed with other prep (Note 4)
- Pound chicken – Place chicken on a cutting board and cover with a freezer bag or similar (I use Go-Between, Note 5) then pound with a meat mallet or bottom of a skillet until it is an even 0.7cm / 1/3" thick. Sprinkle both sides with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Dust – Spread the cornflour on a plate and dust each side of the chicken with it, shaking off excess. Put on a plate and set aside while you keep preparing.
- Preheat oil to 160°C/320°F in a large heavy based pot (mine is 24cm/9.4"). The oil needs to be at least 4cm/1.6" depth so the chicken floats.
- Finish batter – Remove bowl from the fridge, add soda water and whisk just until combined, then stop – some small lumps are ok, better than whisking to death (makes crust less puffy and light). It should be a fairly thin batter, enough to coat the chicken but fairly thinly.
- Fry #1 – Dip a piece of chicken in the batter and let the excess drip off, then carefully place in the oil. Do another piece (if it will fit). Fry for 3 minutes until very pale golden. Remove onto a paper towel lined tray and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Cool chicken for 20 minutes. (Note 6) Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- Lemon Sauce – Place the cornflour and a splash of the chicken stock in a small saucepan. Whisk until lump-free, then add remaining stock and sauce ingredients. Whisk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, then let it simmer for 3 minutes, whisking every now and then until it becomes a thin honey consistency. At first, it will go very thick (too thick for sauce) then it becomes thinner. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm (reheated if needed to loosen).
- Fry #2 – Heat the oil to 200°C/390°F. Fry 2 pieces of chicken for 3 minutes until deep golden and super crispy, turning the chicken in the oil at the halfway mark. Remove onto a paper towel lined tray and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Serving – Cut the chicken into 2cm thick slices (3/4"), transfer onto individual or shared serving plate. Pour over the Lemon Sauce, garnish with green onions and lemon slices if using. Serve with steamed rice (see in post for more side options).
Recipe Notes:
BEST SUB: Ice cold water. Crispiness not as strong so doesn’t last as long once sauced, but still excellent and worth making, and crispier than usual fry batters. 4. Batter tips – Cold batter is key to a light crispy shell, so refrigerating the bowl with the dry ingredients helps (also logical for workflow) as well as ensuring the soda water is cold, cold, cold! If making a big bath, keep the batter refrigerating between fry batches to keep it cold (I’ve even been known to set the bowl in another filled with ice). 5. Sheets for pounding – I use a product called “Go Between” which is like freezer bags but they are sheets used to keep food separated in the freezer (for easy portion control). It comes in a roll like cling wrap, brand is Glad (Australia). You can use parchment/baking paper or freezer bags as well. 6. Cooling before Fry #2 definitely makes it crispier, I tried it. Make ahead – Do Fry #1 up to 1 hour prior then leave the chicken out, uncovered (it will go soft, that’s ok). Make lemon sauce and keep in saucepan, covered, on stove, and reheat when required (use water if needed to loosen slightly). Do Fry #2 when ready to crisp and reheat the chicken! It’s remarkably stress free because you aren’t dealing with dripping batter. Leftovers will keep for 3 days though the crust does soften due to the sauce! Keep them separate if you can. Nutrition per Lemon Chicken assumes 2 teaspoons of oil is absorbed in the crust of each piece of chicken and that all the sauce is consumed.
Nutrition Information:
Things worth deep frying
I don’t deep fry much. Mess. Oil usage. Hips. etc. But these are worth deep frying!
Life of Dozer
Re-hab time! 12 days of being under the weather has really taken a toll on his mobility. As Neil, the Magic Dog Doctor, always says – if you don’t use it, you lose it – and Mr Dozer has lost it. 😢 He’s too weak and creaky to stand up by himself, so I find myself doing this 30 times a day:
Does it surprise anyone that his favourite place is under the dining table so I have to crawl under there to help haul him up, bonking my head repeatedly?
Once he’s on his feet and gets moving, he isn’t too bad. Yesterday he was keen to go for a walk and we made it halfway around the block (yay!).
But I have to rebuild his strength. It’s simply not viable for someone to help him to his feet every time he wants to get up, every day, forever more.
And it’s no way for Dozer to live.
I know I can bring him back. I’m doing everything I can. More on this next time!
In positive news, through this entire ordeal – even at the peak of his gastro – he never lost his appetite. Atta boy! 🥰
I have looked many times over the years for a recipe from Nagi for lemon chicken, but there wasn’t one. I am so glad this recipe is finally here! Thank you Nagi and JB and anyone else involved in the development process. Made this tonight and the wait was worth it! It is the best lemon chicken I have tried! I made it for a birthday dinner and it was a hit 👏🏻👏🏻
Hi Chicken was great, but sauce was just a bit meh
Wow, great batter.
Never had lemon chicken in a restaurant as I have an allium sensitivity so omitted from my cooking, but this was a gorgeous dish. Having made it once I can speed up next time and double the sauce!!
I normally love all your recipes and find them easy to follow, even the ones that are more complicated. But i really struggled with this one, frying the chicken this way is more complex than it seems and time consuming. Ended up abandoning half way (after the first fry), and we just ate rhe rice and broccoli I had prepared as sides along with a bit of leftover curry from the fridge. But I’ve never experienced anything bad from this site ans used many other recipes – guess this was a swing and a miss for us.
Made this tonight. Subbed plain flour for same quantity GF. Delicious. Apparently I can make this again!!!
Loved this recipe. It came up in my emails so thought I’d give it a go. Only had breast meat in the freezer but it turned out great! Only ate one piece so will freeze the other plus remaining sauce. Not sure how it will go with re-frying/heating? Hubby loved it – not too lemony and definitely NOT TOO SWEET! So much better than any of the local Chinese restaurants. Served with your great Garlic Rice. Thanks for another great dinner Nagi! Sending love to Dozer too & hope he’s going okay. <3
WOW. This is so good. I served mine with fried rice and bok choy. Real Chinese feast. Will be doing this again. I didn’t have thighs so used breast, still perfect.
My sauce was off white…..tasted ok but a bit ill at ease with the colour
🙏🙏🙏 Dozer, my love and prayers are for you and Nagi 💕💗💖
instead of pouring the sauce over the chicken -serve it in individual bowls and dip forkfuls of chicken into it -this way you retain the ultimate crispiness of the chicken right through the meal.
Great idea Alan! Will do this in future if I’m feeding more than just the two of us. 🙂
The recipe looks delicious although I haven’t tried it yet!
Love reading about Dozer. So sorry he is having issues. I wanted to recommend that you look at the Ruffwear Web Master Harness. My GSD lived in his when he had mobility issues. It had 2 belly straps and a handle so that I was able to help lift him to his feet and provide support if needed. I used his collar and leash to guide him as he was also deaf at that point. that harness definitely saved my back.
Hope Dozer continues to rally and improve!!
I so want to make this but the sugar grams makes it a no no for me. Maybe I’ll try it with an alternate sweetner.
Made this for evening meal, easy to make and delish.
Can I make this using fish?
This looks great but in the recipe you say to use chicken thighs that are 125g/3oz. Since one gram is approximately 28g, 3oz would be around 84g. That’s a considerable difference. I’m guessing 125g is correct so would that be about 4.5oz?
Great to hear Dozer is past the ‘liquid’ stage, and keen to get out for walkies! What a sweet, brave, strong boy he is 🥰 And what a lucky boy, to have the most loving, generous, selfless mum he could ask for 💕 All the best to you both – love popping in to your site to see the lovely pics and stories of you two (as well as your failproof delicious recipes) 🙂
Absolutely sensational! Childhood memories for me and a happy next gen family.
Is there a way to cook the crispy lemon dish in an air fryer? A little less greasy, maybe(?) a little more healthy?
I tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out delicious! I just added a bit of chili for extra spice. Thank you for sharing such detailed steps.
This recipe looks so yummy! Thinking of you as you take care of that beautiful friend of yours. Praying that he (Dozer) will bounce back under your care.
Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers! Dozer means the world to me, and I truly appreciate your support. Hoping he’ll be back to his happy, bouncy self very soon
Try the “help ‘em up” harness!