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This is the lemon chicken you order in, made at home and honestly better. Crispy golden chicken, a proper tangy lemon sauce, and enough veg through it that it actually feels like dinner rather than just a treat.

The secret is the baking soda. A quick toss through it before the cornflour keeps the chicken beautifully tender inside while the outside goes crisp, which is exactly what takeaway places do.

It costs a fraction of a delivery order and tastes fresher. Once you have made this fakeaway version, ordering in feels a bit silly.

Why You’ll Love It

The chicken comes out crispy outside and tender inside, thanks to a simple baking soda trick that takeaway shops use. The lemon sauce is properly tangy rather than sickly sweet, there is plenty of veg through it so it makes a real meal, and it works out far cheaper and fresher than ordering in. It is a fakeaway that genuinely beats the real thing.

The Shortcut That Makes It Work

The baking soda is the trick. A teaspoon tossed through the sliced chicken before the cornflour tenderises it, so even quick-cooked breast stays soft and juicy rather than tough. Then the cornflour gives you that crisp golden coating. Two pantry ingredients, and you get takeaway texture at home.

Handy Tips

Give the chicken its time in the baking soda, garlic, ginger and lemon while you prep the veg, that is what makes it tender. Cook the chicken in two batches rather than crowding the pan, or it steams instead of crisping. After you tip the oil out, splash the water in and scrape up all the golden bits stuck to the base, that is pure flavour going into your sauce. Add the crispy chicken back at the very end so it stays crisp.

What To Serve With It

Steamed rice is the classic, and it soaks up all that lemon sauce. Noodles work too, and a few extra steamed greens on the side never hurt.

Leftovers / How to Store It

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The coating softens once sauced, so reheat in a hot pan or air fryer rather than the microwave to bring back some crispness.

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Lemon Chicken
Steph de Sousa

Lemon Chicken

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1 from 1 vote
This homemade Lemon Chicken is fresh, fast and totally hits the spot. It’s sticky, saucy, packed with veggies, and tastes just like your fave Friday night order — but made in your own kitchen!
Print Recipe
prep time Prep Time 30 minutes
setting time Cook Time
 30 minutes
total time Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 221
dish icon Ingredients Equipmentcook book Methodhealt Nutritionvideo icon Video

Ingredients
 

For the chicken:
  • 2 thin chicken breasts sliced
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp crushed ginger
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 diced capsicum
  • 1 sliced red onion
  • 1 head of broccoli
For the sauce:
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp crushed garlic
  • 1 tbsp crushed ginger
  • 1 tbsp cornflour

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Toss your sliced chicken with baking soda and mix well. Add garlic, ginger and lemon juice, stir again and set aside.
  2. While that marinates, prep your veg: cube the capsicum, slice the onion, and chop the broccoli into bite-sized bits.
  3. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of cornflour over the chicken and mix until it’s all coated.
  4. In a large pan, heat about 2 cm of oil until hot. Cook the chicken in two batches until golden and crispy. Take it out and set aside.
  5. Tip out the oil and pour ½ cup of water into the pan to deglaze—scrape up all those tasty golden bits!
  6. Add your veggies, pop the lid on, and steam for about 3 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, whisk all the sauce ingredients together until smooth.
  8. Add the chicken back in, pour over the sauce and stir until it thickens up and gets glossy and delicious.
  9. Serve with rice or noodles

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 29gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 855mgPotassium: 1023mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1913IUVitamin C: 177mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 2mg

Video

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FAQs

Why do you add baking soda to the chicken?

It tenderises the chicken, which is the trick takeaway shops use. It keeps the meat soft and juicy inside while the cornflour coating goes crispy outside.

Can I use chicken thigh instead of breast?

Yes. Thigh works well and stays juicy. Slice it thinly so it cooks quickly and crisps up the same way.

Can I make it less oily?

You can shallow fry in less oil, though you will get a slightly less even crunch. Cook in batches either way so the chicken crisps rather than steams.

What can I use instead of oyster sauce?

A little hoisin or a vegetarian oyster-style sauce works in its place. It changes the flavour slightly but keeps the sauce savoury and glossy.

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