Lemon Chicken
This might not be the Chinese lemon chicken you’re used to, but it’s bursting with flavor, lighter to eat, and quicker to make.
Servings: 4
Calories: 368kcal
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb chicken thighs see note 1
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
- 4 stalk scallions cut into sections, plus a little for garnishing
- 4 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1½ large unwaxed lemon sliced
Instructions
- Remove the bones from the chicken thighs using a sharp knife (see note 2).
- Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat. Place all the thighs in the pan, skin side up, and keep them as flat as possible.
- Once the bottom side is browned, flip the chicken pieces and add the scallions to fry together.
- When the skin side turns golden, add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. Cover with a lid and let it braise over medium heat for about 7 minutes.
- Remove the lid and flip the chicken so the skin side is facing up. Increase the heat to high. Add sliced lemon and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 5 minutes or so. Optionally, garnish with finely chopped scallion greens.
- Serve the chicken thighs whole or sliced into strips, with the thickened sauce.
Notes
1. For optimal flavor, use skin-on chicken thighs or other flavorful cuts like leg quarters, wings, or drumsticks. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed. For a more convenient option, boneless thighs—often sold skinless—also work well.
2. You can also cook the thighs bone-in, then remove the bones after cooking. Just extend the cooking time by 2–3 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 237mg | Sodium: 1482mg | Potassium: 748mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg
