Gluten-Free Chinese Lemon Chicken
This gluten-free Chinese lemon chicken is a fresh and flavorful one-pan meal. You’re going to fall in love with this sweet, tart, and sticky sauce!
Featured Reader Review
“The whole family liked it!” – Krystral
Quick Overview
- Servings: 4
- Calories: 266
- Protein per serving: 25g
- Difficulty: Easy
- Diet types: Gluten-free & soy-free
- Flavor notes: Sweet, tart & sticky!
Why you’ll love this Gluten-Free Chinese Lemon Chicken
When it comes to the meals I make over and over again at home, this one tops the list. We’re definitely fans of lemon & chicken in my family (like my Greek Lemon Chicken Soup), but this dish in particular is special. I asked my 6-year-old son what meal he would want on a desert island, and he said THIS ONE.
Chinese Lemon Chicken is a traditional Chinese dish made with chicken cooked in a sweet, sticky, tart lemon sauce. And though this version is non-traditional, it is gluten-free! Here’s why you’re going to love it…
- One pan wonder. The chicken and the sauce are all cooked together in one pan for easy cleanup.
- Family friendly. This is one of those core dishes in my house that I know everyone in my family will eat and enjoy!
- Gluten and soy-free. Traditional lemon chicken is made with soy sauce and a coating that typically isn’t gluten-free. There’s no need to modify this recipe to make it gluten-free; it’s already done for you!
How to make Gluten-Free Lemon Chicken
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Whisk the ingredients for the lemon chicken sauce together in a bowl.
Step two. Toss the chicken breast in arrowroot starch and seasonings.
Step three. Cook the chicken in a pan.
Step four. Toss in the lemon chicken sauce until thick and coated!
Michelle’s Tips & Tricks
- Use less lemon if desired. This dish is very lemon-forward, which is what I love about it. But if you prefer sweeter instead of tart, swap out some of the lemon juice for chicken broth.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. That fresh pop of flavor from the lemon zest is key!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Adding too much chicken to the pan at once can cause it to steam and the coating to be gummy instead of crispy. If you’re working with a smaller pan, cook the chicken in batches.
- Slice the chicken into uniform pieces. Cutting pieces of different sizes risks over or undercooking, so make sure they’re all about the same size.
What to serve with Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Steamed rice
- Cauliflower rice
- Stir-fry vegetables
- Green salad with Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Dressing
More Asian-Inspired Gluten-Free Recipes To Try
Gluten-Free Chinese Lemon Chicken
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Ingredients
For the sauce
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tbsp honey, sub coconut sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 small thumb ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp arrowroot starch
For the chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp green onion , chopped
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- Zest of half a lemon
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk well and aside.
- Toss the chicken with salt, pepper and arrowroot starch, coating well.
- Heat the avocado oil on medium-high heat in the pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. The chicken should be crisp and cooked through to 165 F.
- Reduce the heat to medium- low and add the sauce to the pan. Stir for 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken.
- Serve topped with lemon zest and green onion.
Lemon is life! This is delicious!!!!
Thank you so much!!
The whole family liked it!
Thank you!!
Delicious! Easy and quick.
Thank you so much!!
So tasty and so easy! Will be making this again!
thank you!!
This was so tasty – my husband deemed it way better than restaurant takeout. WIN!
YAY! So glad you and your husband liked it!
Made the recipe for the first time on Monday, it turned out delicious. Making the recipe again tonight and it’s only Thursday lol. This will be a regular on our dinner rotation.
Leftovers reheated are just as delicious too which is the best part ☺️
So glad you are enjoying it so much!!
Made this tonight for four different diets and it was a huge hit! Husband and older child approved! Thanks Michelle!
I don’t normally leave reviews on food blogs, but everyone in the world needs to know how delicious this recipe is! I made it without the oil but with chicken thighs, and it was AMAZING! I can’t recommend it enough! I served it over cauliflower rice, but I definitely think there’s enough sauce to throw some broccoli in as well. So good!
Wow, thank you so much!! So glad that you loved it!
One of my favorites! All of your recipes are amazing and I am so grateful for you in my AIP journey.
Another amazing take out fake out recipe!! We loved this recipe and my husband said several times how good it was while he was eating it… and he is so picky! He also can’t tell it is healthy 🙂 I’ll be making this on repeat for sure!
Thank you so much, Amanda!!
This was good. Good with brocolli, too.
This meal was amazing! My husband said it was like Chinese food from the food court, but so much tastier and healthier! Thank you for making these recipes. I’m a fellow NTP, and I’ve just started AIP to try to heal my leaky gut and get rid of some long-term immune issues I’ve had surrounding that (runny nose like a faucet, body acne, food intolerances, dysbiosis). Needless to say, I’m super grateful for you and your creative juices and have so many recipes of yours I can’t wait to try! Thanks again. 🙂
Thank you so much!!
Another home run!. It doesn’t get any quicker and better tasting. We LOVE lemon/citrus flavors and found that the juice of half a lemon was perfect for us. Michelle, your site and recipes have permanently improved the way we cook and eat like nothing before. We’re truly grateful.
Hi Hi Michelle, I am making this tonight and looking forward to it. Does the garlic go into the liquids? Thanks so much.
Hi Michelle, This was terrific! My husband and I both loved it. I had some fresh ginger on hand and added that as well. Thanks for the recipe.
P.S. I see the recipe is updated with adding the garlic to the sauce, so you can delete my earlier comment.
This recipe was delicious! It was fairly quick and easy, and the sauce was tart and flavorful. I ended up adding a little extra honey, and it was perfect. It’s a new favorite at our house.
Thank you so much, Natashia!! So happy you liked it!
I love this recipe so much! Thank you!!!
yay, so glad!