Easy Honey Lemon Chicken
Patrick couldn’t even wait for me to finish taking pictures before he had polished off almost the entire meal of Honey Lemon Chicken. This is a 100% candid shot of him caught in the act… And I don’t blame him when Sticky Honey Lemon Chicken means a sweet honey sauce with a splash of citrus and a slight zing from the fresh ginger smothering crispy, spiced and breaded baked chicken morsels. It is SO good, my sister-in-law texted me pictures of her family licking their plates clean! So this is officially “lick-the-plate-delicious!” Chinese chicken! It joins the ranks of my takeout fakeout Chinese recipes like Beef and Broccoli, Mongolian Beef, Sweet Fire Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken, Mongolian Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Kung Pao Shrimp that are BETTER made right in the comfort of your own home while wearing your slippers. Honey Lemon Chicken is only as good as the sauce and this honey lemon ginger sauce is epic! It’s sweet and tangy all balanced by zingy ginger and just plain drinkable delicious It’s also SO easy made with garlic, ginger, honey lemon juice, lemon zest, rice vinegar and sriracha to taste. You will love it so much, I promise you’ll be making up your own recipes so you can smother this honey lemon sauce on everything!
Honey Lemon Chicken Ingredients
The ingredients list for this honey ginger chicken is fairly short. Here’s what goes into this dish:
Chicken breasts: Need to be pounded thin and cut into even-sized pieces. Eggs: The chicken is dipped in an egg wash first so the breading sticks to it easily. Coconut oil: You can use olive oil if desired, but I think coconut oil complements the honey lemon flavor nicely. Flour: If stir frying, use extra cornstarch rather than flour. Cornstarch: Makes the chicken super crispy. Spices: I used a blend of garlic powder, paprika, ground ginger, and more to flavor this dish! Garlic: Just three cloves flavors the sauce nicely. Ginger: I used a combination of fresh and ground ginger in the honey chicken sauce. Honey: Sweetens the sauce and complements the sour lemon flavor. Lemon: Lemon juice and zest goes into this recipe. Rice vinegar: Cuts through the sweet honey and sour lemon. Asian hot chili sauce: Something like Sriracha would be perfect.
How to Make Honey Lemon Chicken
Sticky Honey Lemon Chicken Variations
Can I Stir Fry Honey Lemon Chicken?
Yes! Just be aware that if you stir fry Honey Lemon Chicken, it will not get crispy. It will only become crispy if baked or fried. If you stir fry the Honey Lemon Chicken, swap the ratio of cornstarch and flour so you will have 1 cup cornstarch and 2 tablespoons flour. You can see my Honey Coconut Cashew Chicken as a reference (in that recipe I use a marinade and in this recipe we use an egg wash for the breading to stick). To stir fry: Heat 1 tablespoon olive/coconut oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
Can I Fry Honey Lemon Chicken?
Yes! Here’s how:
Honey Lemon Chicken Recipe Tips
Chicken: You can substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you prefer. Ginger: the one tablespoon ground ginger might sound like a lot but please don’t skimp! It is needed to cut through the sweetness of the hone lemon sauce. Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps the chicken breading crisp up so please don’t replace it with flour. Garlic: You can add more garlic if you love garlic Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. You will need one large lemon. Lemon Zest: The lemon zest is a must, please don’t skip it or your sauce will be way too sweet. Sriracha: I personally don’t add any sriracha to this Honey Lemon Sauce but if you feel the sauce is too sweet, then add sriracha to taste to cut through the sweetness. You can also use any other favorite hot sauce like Frank’s Hot Sauce.
Can I Prep Honey Ginger Chicken in Advance?
Even though this homemade honey lemon chicken is quick to make, you can still prepare it in stages if that works better for you.
Honey Lemon Sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients together but do not simmer/thicken. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Breading: Whisk the flour breading ingredients together in a Ziploc freezer bag. You can store the breading for weeks or proceed to dredge chicken then refrigerate. Chicken: Prepare chicken through dredging and place on a greased cooking rack placed on a baking sheet. Cover the chicken tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.
HOW TO STORE Honey Lemon Ginger CHICKEN
This honey lemon chicken recipe is best served fresh because it is at peak crispiness, sauciness and the chicken is the juiciest. You will find leftover chicken is not quite crispy or as flavorful. However, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
HOW TO REHEAT Honey Baked Chicken
How to reheat on the stove: Leftovers are best reheated on the stove, even if they are small portions. To reheat, heat a drizzle of vegetable, canola or peanut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Reheating in microwave: Microwaving leftovers is not advised as the chicken can become rubbery and the breading will definitely not be crispy. It is better to reheat in the skillet.
CAN I FREEZE Honey Lemon Chicken?
If you are making honey ginger chicken specifically to freeze, then I recommend freezing the chicken and sauce separately so the chicken doesn’t get soggy. TO FREEZE CHICKEN WITHOUT SAUCE:
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