Lemon Chicken (No Deep-Frying)

About the dish

Today’s recipe, Lemon Chicken (柠檬鸡), is a healthier twist on a popular American Chinese takeout dish. What sets it apart from the traditional version is the absence of deep-frying—a cooking method I tend to avoid for everyday meals. After several rounds of testing, I’m excited to share this faster, lighter version with you.

Chicken thighs are first pan-fried in a bit of oil to develop a golden sear, then braised in a soy sauce-based broth. Lemon slices are added at the end to brighten the dish with a refreshing tang.

It cooks much faster than the deep-fried version—and there’s no greasy mess in the kitchen! Ever since I started making it, my family has kept asking for more. Give it a try—I’m sure it’ll earn a spot in your regular meal rotation too.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a handful of common ingredients to cook this dish.

• Chicken thighs
• Lemons, unwaxed
• Soy sauce, both the light and dark versions for optimal taste and color
• Sugar, for balancing the sour taste
• Scallions, for extra aroma and garnish

About chicken cuts

Like with my recipe for Scallion Chicken Chops, I like to use skin-on chicken cuts for this dish. The skin, first browned in oil and then braised in the sauce, adds so much flavor and gives the dish an appetizing look.

When shooting this recipe, I used chicken thighs, but leg quarters would work well too. You can use skinless thighs if you’d rather not deal with bones.

Chicken wings or drumsticks are also great alternatives, as they are equally—if not more—flavorful cuts. If you use them, be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Cooking procedure

Step 1: Prepare the chicken

First, debone the chicken thighs. Place one piece on a chopping board, skin side down. Locate the bone in the center, then run the tip of a sharp knife along it to separate it from the surrounding meat.

🌟 NOTE: You can also cook the thighs with the bones in and remove them after cooking. In that case, extend the cooking time by 2–3 minutes.

Step 2: Pan-fry the chicken

Heat a little oil in a large skillet. Lay the chicken pieces in, keeping them flat with the skin facing up. Let them fry over medium heat until the bottom turns golden.

Flip the chicken over and add the scallions. Continue frying to brown the skin side. Once the skin is golden, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Braise the chicken

Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and some water. Cover with a lid and leave to braise for about 7 minutes.

Step 4: Season with lemons

Remove the lid and flip all the chicken pieces. Add the sliced lemon and increase the heat to high. Continue cooking uncovered for another 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little and the chicken is fully cooked. Garnish with finely chopped scallion greens to finish.

How to serve

Isn’t it effortless to cook these lemon chicken thighs? Now it’s time to enjoy them! Pair them with steamed rice—or any staple of your choice—and one or two vegetable side dishes, such as Garlic Sauce Broccoli or Dry Pot Cauliflower.

As shown in the picture, I cut the chicken into strips to make it more chopstick-friendly, similar to how I serve Soy Sauce Chicken. Alternatively, you can serve them as they are for a more Western-style meal.

Other chicken recipes

Looking for other ways to cook chicken dishes? Try these popular recipes:

📋 Recipe card

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.

Author: Wei Guo

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 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

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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: 1 serving | Calories: 368 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 51 g | Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 237 mg | Sodium: 1482 mg | Potassium: 748 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 188 IU | Vitamin C: 24 mg | Calcium: 46 mg | Iron: 3 mg

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NUTRITION DISCLOSURE: Nutritional information on this website is provided as a courtesy to readers. It should be considered estimates. Please use your own brand nutritional values or your preferred nutrition calculator to double check against our estimates.

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