Skip to content
Chinese sticky lemon chicken recipe

Chinese sticky lemon chicken recipe

311 ratings

Celebrate Chinese New Year (or any Friday night in!) with this homemade version of that takeaway classic, sticky lemon chicken. Crisp golden chicken is coated in a glossy lemon sauce for a delicious sweet and sour dinner for all the family. See method

  • Serves 4
  • 15 mins to prepare and 30 mins to cook
  • 247 calories / serving
  • Healthy

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 4 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • rice and broccoli, to serve (optional)

For the sauce

  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 lemons, zest and juice
  • 1-2 tsp clear honey
If you don't have any spring onions, try using white onions or leeks and adjust the amount accordingly

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1040kj
    247kcal     12%

  • Fat

    9g 12%

  • Saturates

    2g 8%

  • Sugars

    4g 5%

  • Salt

    1g 17%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 14.7g Protein 28.3g Fibre 0.4g

Method

  1. Put the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Mix to coat, then cover and chill for 10 mins to marinate.
  2. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade with a slotted spoon and toss in the cornflour. Heat half the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat.
  3. Add half the chicken and stir-fry until it’s crisp, golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
  4. For the sauce, add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the onion and fry for 10 mins until soft. Mix the cornflour with 1 tsp water to form a paste, then add to the pan with the lemon zest and juice, honey and 200ml water. Bring to the boil, stirring continually until the sauce begins to thicken.
  5. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat in the sauce. Stir in the spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice and broccoli, if you like.

See more Chinese recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

You may also like

Be the first to comment

Before you comment please read our community guidelines.