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Healthy Lemon Chicken

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Another classic Chinese dish: lemon chicken. But wait, isn’t the chicken supposed to be deep-fried in a bucket of oil? Well, I present you with the healthy version!! Unlike other recipes, the chicken in this recipe is grilled in a frying pan rather than deep-fried in a bucket of oil. Hence the name, “Healthy lemon chicken”. Now that is a phrase you don’t hear often!

Healthy Lemon Chicken: A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, this healthy version of lemon chicken is quick and easy! | aheadofthyme.com

I think that we can all agree that the best part of lemon chicken is that divine, sweet and sour lemon sauce. And why stop with our healthy theme now? Let’s go all out! Instead of using sugar to make that sauce, let’s use honey!

Living on the edge!

Healthy Lemon Chicken: A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, this healthy version of lemon chicken is quick and easy! | aheadofthyme.com

Lemon chicken is one of those quick and easy weeknight dinners. But, there may be a little, tiny catch. That delicious chicken needs to be marinated. I would suggest at least one hour. The longer, the better. So if you are planning to make this quickly for dinner right when you get home from work, you may want to think about preparing the chicken and marinade the night before. That way, once you are home, you are ready to cook!

This recipe is very easy, so let’s break it down into 3 simple steps:

1) Marinate the chicken

Combine the chicken, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and honey. If you are making this gluten-free, make sure that you are using gluten-free soy sauce in your marinade!

2) Make the lemon sauce

Once the chicken is ready, start preparing your lemon sauce. Combine and whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken stock, honey, cornstarch mixture and ginger. Set aside.

3) Cook

Now, let’s cook! First, cook the chicken. Next, cook the sauce. Give your sauce a little taste and adjust it to suit your preferences. If you prefer it to be more sweet, add more honey. If you prefer sour, add more lemon juice or zest. And finally, add the cooked chicken to the sauce. It’s that simple! Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve over a bowl of warm rice.

Healthy Lemon Chicken: A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, this healthy version of lemon chicken is quick and easy! | aheadofthyme.com

Jazz it up

Bored of just chicken? Well, you are in luck. There are endless variations for this recipe. You can add any vegetables that your heart desires. My favourite to add are green peppers and sliced carrots.

Healthy Lemon Chicken: A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, this healthy version of lemon chicken is quick and easy! | aheadofthyme.com

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Healthy Lemon Chicken: A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, this healthy version of lemon chicken is quick and easy! | aheadofthyme.com

Healthy Lemon Chicken

★★★★★ 4.9 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: Asian
Print Recipe

Description

A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, healthy lemon chicken is quick and easy!

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce (try gluten-free)
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Toppings (optional)

  • sesame seeds
  • green onions, sliced

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and honey. Mix until the chicken is fully coated. Place the chicken and marinade in ziplock bag and squeeze out all the air. Place the bag in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 1 hour. If you have time, let it marinate longer.
  2. Once the chicken is ready, start preparing your lemon sauce. In a medium bowl, combine and whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken stock, honey, cornstarch mixture and ginger. Set aside for now.
  3. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Remove the chicken and drain and discard the used marinade. Add the chicken to the frying pan. Season it with salt and pepper and stir to evenly coat the chicken. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the chicken is not longer pink inside.
  4. Remove the cooked chicken and transfer it to a separate plate and set aside.
  5. Heat a clean frying pan over medium heat and pour in the lemon sauce. Once the sauce starts to boil and thicken, add the chicken and toss evenly to coat.
  6. Optional: Sprinkle some sesame seeds and sliced green onions and cook for one minute.
  7. Serve over a bowl of rice and garnish with additional sesame seeds.

 

You may also like these Chinese Dishes:

Healthy Lemon Chicken: A twist on a classic sweet and tangy Chinese dish, this healthy version of lemon chicken is quick and easy! | aheadofthyme.com

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Comments

  1. Oh my, I’m going to have to bookmark this and make this recipe! I just bought chicken breasts today and was thinking I’d like to do something different. Thanks for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. Love honey….but unfortunately due to food intolerances am unable to eat it. Could you suggest a substitute? Perhaps maple syrup or rice malt syrup. tks.

    Reply

    • Yes, I was going to suggest maple syrup. I have never tried it with that so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out but my guess would be that it would work. You can also substitute it with sugar if you are able to eat that. 🙂

      Reply

  3. I love this recipe of yours for lemon chicken. Recently I am into watching my carbs as part of my diet. This doesn’t only looks yummy but also very healthy. I have all the ingredients in my pantry so I’m trying it this weekend.

    Reply

  6. This is one of my favorite dishes to order. You break it down to easily to make, i might have to do it this week for dinner. I like the lemon sauce more for dipping and not as a glaze on top.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  17. I love any recipe that uses lemon and this chicken over rice looks fantastic! This seems like the perfect healthy weeknight meal that even my kids would love.

    ★★★★

    Reply

  19. This recipe has my name all over it… a few simple ingredients but jam packed full of flavor. Lemon, garlic and honey? Who says eating healthily has to be boring!

    Reply

  22. The classic lemon and chicken combination is one of my favorites. The flavors really go well together! Thanks for the recipe, would love to try this some time!

    Reply

  39. Lemon Chicken is my absolute favourite dinner in the whole world, but I like finding healthier versions because if I had normal lemon chicken all the time, my skinny jeans would not be happy! Love this recipe and that it’s pan fried, so easy as well!

    Reply

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