Crispy, sour, sweet, sticky – lemon chicken is a delight of a treat meal. But this Chinese takeaway favourite is easier than you might think to make at home.
That sticky lemon sauce uses just a handful of ingredients, and the crunchy chicken is simple to fry. In the end, you get a lighter (but just as delicious) version of your favourite takeaway dish. A fakeaway, if you will.
I serve mine with a mix of rice and peas, just to get some vegetables into the meal. You could serve it with a veggie egg fried rice – that would be phenomenal. Or over a chow mein. The possibilities are endless!
Why This Crispy Lemon Chicken Works
There’s a reason this recipe keeps coming back into our dinner rotation – the outside is golden-crisp, the chicken inside remains juicy, and the lemon sauce brings a zingy sweet and sour flavour. It feels fancy, tastes amazing and is WAY easier to make than you might think!
The Ingredients
- The lemon sauce – the sauce uses just lemon juice, sugar, water and cornflour. Plus a pinch of salt. It’s simple to make and easy to get that moreish takeaway flavour at home.
- The crispy chicken – chicken breast is best for this. The batter is simply plain flour, cornflour, eggs and seasoning. The chicken is fried in vegetable oil for that golden crispness.
- The rice – white rice and peas are all you need.
- To serve – I top mine with sliced spring onions, but that’s completely optional.
Variations & Add-Ins
This recipe is a keeper because you can tweak it depending on what you have:
- Add a little heat: Stir a pinch of chilli flakes or sliced red chilli into the lemon sauce for a fiery kick.
- Sweeten it up: If your lemons are very sharp, add an extra teaspoon of sugar or a drizzle of honey.
- Try orange: Swap the lemons for oranges for a sweeter, “orange chicken”-style twist.
- Make it lighter: Bake the coated chicken on an oiled tray at 200°C for 20–25 minutes instead of frying.
- Mix up the sides: Serve with stir-fried veg, plain chow mein, or even a crispy salad if you want something fresh.
Tips for the Best Texture
- Cut the chicken into even, small chunks so it cooks through quickly and crisps evenly.
- Fry in small batches — crowding the pan makes the coating soggy.
- Keep the first batches warm in the oven while you finish frying the rest.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying (a breadcrumb should sizzle instantly when dropped in).
Crispy Lemon Chicken
Crispy battered chicken in a glossy lemon sauce – a lighter, homemade version of your favourite Chinese takeaway. Sweet, sour, sticky and delicious, and ready in about 40 minutes.
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Ingredients
For the lemon sauce
- 2 lemons juice only
- 30 grams caster sugar
- 150 ml water
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
For the chicken
- 50 grams plain flour
- 50 grams cornflour
- 2 eggs
- 400 grams diced chicken breast
- Vegetable oil
For the rice
- 300 grams white rice
- 200 grams frozen peas
To serve
- Sliced spring onions
Instructions
- For the sauce, put the lemon juice, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Put over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. In a small cup, mix the cornflour with one tablespoon of water. Stir until combined, then tip into the saucepan, stirring the lemon mix constantly. It should thicken immediately. Add a pinch of salt and turn off the heat.
- Put the rice in a large pan of boiling water. Boil for 15 minutes, or until cooked. Add the peas for the last 30 seconds. Drain.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, whisk.
- Put the plain flour and cornflour onto a large plate. Use your fingers to gently mix the two together.
- Line up the egg bowl, flour plate and another empty plate. One by one, dunk the pieces of chicken in the egg mix then cover with flour on the flour plate. Put onto the empty plate.
- When all of the chicken is coated, get a large saucepan and fill it with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Put on a medium heat.
- When hot, add the chicken – starting with any bigger pieces – about 6 pieces at a time. Fry for five minutes, turning regularly, then drain on kitchen roll. Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a baking tray and keep in the oven to stay warm while you cook the rest. Continue with the rest of the chicken.
- When you are ready to serve, pile the rice and peas into bowls. Reheat the lemon sauce, then tip the chicken pieces into it, toss and add to the bowls. Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage & Leftovers
This dish is best fresh, but if you have leftovers, keep the chicken and sauce separate.- Fridge: Up to 2 days. Reheat the chicken in the oven or air fryer to crisp it up, and warm the sauce gently on the hob.
- Freezer: Not ideal — the coating softens — but if you do freeze it, re-crisp in the oven at 200°C for 10 minutes before serving.
