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The Quickest 20-Minute Easy Lemon Chicken

A parent serving a bowl of Easy Lemon Chicken to their family for a quick weeknight dinner.

A quick and easy stir-fry recipe for a sweet and tangy lemon chicken. Chunks of chicken breast are lightly coated in seasoned flour and quickly pan-fried until golden. A simple yet flavorful sauce is then created in the same pan by deglazing with vinegar and chicken stock and then whisking in prepared lemon curd. The chicken is returned to the pan to simmer in the sauce and is finished with fresh lemon zest and scallions or chives.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
  • Coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons wok or vegetable oil (House of Tsang brand recommended)
  • 1 tablespoon (a splash) white or rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
  • 8 ounces (1 cup) prepared lemon curd
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced or 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Lightly coat the chicken chunks in flour that has been seasoned with a little salt.
  2. Heat a large skillet or a wok over high heat. Add the oil.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown.
  4. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set it aside. Return the pan to the heat and reduce the heat to medium.
  5. Deglaze the pan by adding a splash of vinegar and letting it evaporate while scraping up any browned bits.
  6. Pour the chicken stock into the pan.
  7. In a small bowl, thin the lemon curd by stirring in a little hot water. Add the thinned curd to the stock in the pan and whisk to combine.
  8. Return the chicken to the pan. Let it simmer in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and to finish cooking the chicken.
  9. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the scallions or chives and the lemon zest, and toss everything to combine.
  10. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Using prepared lemon curd is a key shortcut for creating the sweet and tangy sauce quickly.
  • Making the sauce in the same pan used to cook the chicken incorporates the flavorful browned bits (fond) into the dish.
  • A large skillet or a wok-shaped nonstick pan is recommended for this recipe.

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