This delicious tangy lemon chicken is easy to make and better than any Chinese takeout lemon chicken. The chicken is first pan-fried in coconut oil and coated in a tangy lemon sauce. It's a healthy and easy 30-minute dinner recipe that you will fall in LOVE with!

Pair this lemon chicken with some perfect basmati rice or cauliflower rice and a side of roasted broccoli.

Tangy lemon sauce being poured over top of lemon chicken in a bowl.

Whoa, baby … this chicken is LEMONY! Like, not hiding there somewhere in the background at all. This one's for you, lemon chicken lovers. Jump on board.

This is the kind of simple chicken dinner that will melt your heart and disappear from your plate faster than you can say, “More, pleeeeeeease!” Made with household pantry staples like ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and lemons (obvs!) chances are you'll be able to whip this up without a grocery store run. Bonus!

Bye-bye Chinese takeout lemon chicken.

Tender chunks of lemon chicken with lots of sauce in a pan.

How to make Lemon Chicken

  • Whisk some lemon juice, sesame oil, honey, and a little turmeric just for color.
  • Cut up that chicken and toss it with corn/ tapioca starch, shake and bake style.
  • Pan fry, baby, fry. Crispy, coconut oil, pan-fried chicken = awesome!
  • Quick saute some broccoli with a little ginger and garlic, because those two are always the answer.
  • Sauce up your chicken and swan dive straight in there.

Do you see how easy that was? Put down the phone, my friend. You've got this.

Errr, wait … pick up the phone and call me. I'll bring the wine!

Lemon chicken bites in a bowl with rice and broccoli.

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Easy Chicken Recipes

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Lemon chicken bites in a bowl with rice and broccoli.

Tangy Lemon Chicken

  • Author: Kristen Stevens
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: North American

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
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Description

This delicious tangy lemon chicken is easy to make and better than any Chinese takeout lemon chicken. The chicken is first pan-fried in coconut oil and coated in a tangy lemon sauce. It's a healthy and easy 30-minute dinner recipe that you will fall in LOVE with!

✨ If you love this tangy lemon chicken recipe as much as I do, make sure to give it a 5-star review in the comments below!

Scale

Ingredients

Sesame lemon sauce:

  • ½ cup water
  • Zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (for color)
  • 2 teaspoons tapioca starch(can sub cornstarch)

For the chicken:

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 tablespoon tapioca starch (can sub cornstarch)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 large head of broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • Sesame seeds and lemon slices, to serve

Instructions

  1. Add the water, lemon zest and juice, honey, sesame oil, turmeric, and tapioca stach to a medium-sized bowl and whisk.
  2. Cut each chicken thigh into 5 or 6 pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl and sprinkle the tapioca starch over the top. Mix so that the chicken is coated in the starch.
  3. Heat the coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown on all sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Work in batches if needed. Remove the chicken from the pan.
  4. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for a few seconds. Add the broccoli and 1/4 cup of water and cover the pan. Let the broccoli steam for 5 minutes then remove it from the pan and put it on your dinner plates.
  5. Add the chicken back to the pan and pour the sauce over the top. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Serve with some sesame seeds and lemon slices.

Notes

Pair with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Rice:

Roasted broccoli on a baking sheetcauliflower rice in a pan with a wooden spoon.

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Tangy lemon sauce being poured over top of lemon chicken in a bowl with the recipe title on top of the picture.