A make-at-home version of the classic buffet-style fried chicken in a thick, gooey lemon sauce! Chinese Buffet Style Lemon Chicken is everything you need to make dinner extra special. And, it’s tastier, fresher, and cheaper than ordering take out too!

CHINESE BUFFET STYLE LEMON CHICKEN
I’ve always been a sucker for Chinese Buffet Style Lemon Chicken. I remember years past when we would all go to a Chinese buffet for a family dinner, and my mom and my sister would load up on the lemon chicken along with me. My brother and my dad may have liked it, but I don’t remember either of them eating as much of it as we did.
A few weeks ago, my daughter celebrated her fifteenth birthday and she wanted to celebrate by having all of the family get together at her favourite Chinese buffet.
Well, unlike my ex wife and sister-in-law, I don’t waste time at Chinese buffets with salad or wonton soup. Nope! I make my way to the good stuff right away. At $28 bucks per person, who wants to fill up on broth? Not me! No sir! No thanks!
This particular visit though, I noticed that my ex mother-in-law also loves lemon chicken. I think she may have had two servings of it. I could be wrong, I wasn’t really paying attention to how much lemon chicken everyone was eating, as long as there was enough of it on the buffet table for me! Ha!
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IT WAS TIME TO MAKE IT AT HOME
Once the dinner was done, I still wasn’t satisfied. I needed more Chinese Buffet Style Lemon Chicken, so I started scouring through my recipe books looking for a lemon chicken recipe that would fit my cooking style – budget friendly, easy, fast, simple, and family oriented. I think I hit the nail on the head with this one!
Again, whenever I cook anything with chicken or meat, I always share with my lovely neighbours. This particular dish received more praise than any other chicken recipe I’ve posted to Lord Byron’s Kitchen in the past two or three months. I met one neighbour outside on the street and she hurried up to me with her thanks and compliments. I was so happy!
It’s no secret that I’ve always believed cooking to be such a personal experience. And, as much as I value the thoughts and suggestions of those who taste my recipes, it still stings quite a bit when I get a negative comment.

Feedback is important when testing a recipe, I’ll be the first to admit that. But, when it’s a recipe that I have prepared over and over, or a recipe from a family member or a friend, or even just a recipe that has been a long-standing household favourite, it is hard to hear anything but praise.
I know not everyone will like everything I prepare, and I am working on accepting that, but in the meantime, it’s still a little upsetting.
I guess those are my demons to deal with. When it comes to Chinese Buffet Style Lemon Chicken though, I can positively say that you will love this. And your family will love it. Your friends will love it. Everyone will love it! If they don’t you just send them to me, Dear Reader, and I’ll deal with them. 🙂
HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
For the Chicken:
- Chicken Breasts – See the notes on preparing and/or selecting chicken breasts in the next section.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch is the key to a light and crispy batter.
- Eggs – These, along with the cornstarch and the water, create that beautiful, crispy batter.
- Water
For the Sauce:
- Soy Sauce – Like I always say, use low sodium soy sauce to prevent the dish from being too salty.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice should always be used in recipes unless the recipe specifically states bottled lemon juice. Bottled has a metallic taste, but the PH level is perfect for canning, so there is a time and place for it!
- Lemon Zest – Wash the lemon in hot water and dry it thoroughly before attempting to zest it.
- Sugar – Sugar will both sweeten the sauce and help to keep it thick and shiny too.
- Water
- Cornstarch
- Oil – For frying.

THE RIGHT CHICKEN FOR THIS RECIPE
I’m using chicken breasts in this recipe for two reasons. The first reason is that chicken breast meat is healthier and leaner. But, also, breast meat cooks much faster than dark meat. To get the chicken just right for this recipe, you will want to pay attention to the following suggestions.
To keep this recipe quick – thirty minutes or less – you will need to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Bone-in meat, even though I prefer it, because it’s more flavourful, needs more time to cook. The skin being left on creates grease, which will thin out the sauce in the end. We don’t want that!
Chicken breasts come in various sizes, but for this recipe, it won’t matter a bit. For this recipe, you will slice the chicken breast into thin strips – about a quarter inch thick or so. Try to keep the strips the same thickness so that they all cook through for the same length of time. You can also use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe too!

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST LEMON CHICKEN
Whisk together the eggs, water, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss well to coat every single piece. Cover the bowl and let the chicken sit at room temperature while you prepare the sauce and set the oil for frying. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, water, and corn starch until completely incorporated and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Next, prepare to fry the chicken by using a wide skillet with high sides. Pour enough vegetable oil in the skillet so that the oil is about 4 inches deep. Bring the oil to 350 degrees. When the oil is ready, use tongs to gently place one piece of chicken at a time in the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in a single layer – about 12-15 pieces at a time. Fry them for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate while you fry the next batch. When all of the chicken has been fried, carefully remove the hot oil from the skillet and wipe the excess oil out.
Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet, and over medium heat, bring the sauce to a boil, whisking often. Once the sauce has thickened, add the fried chicken back to the skillet and toss well to coat. Cook for 2-3 more minutes before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Just like you might commonly see in a Chinese buffet restaurant, I served my Lemon Chicken with rice and broccoli. I love it this way; just plain and simple so that the chicken is the star of my dinner. And, I love how the rice soaks up that sweet and sticky sauce!
It is also really delicious with noodles. That’s 100% my go-to side whenever I go out to a buffet restaurant. But, when I’m at home, I just make my own. It’s really easy to do! Garlic Sesame Lo Mein really pairs well with the chicken. I also have a spicy vegetable noodle option for those of you who like a bit of spiciness. Finally, I have this copycat version of the Dainty Brand Beef Fried Rice that is a personal favourite of mine – just in case you don’t care much for plain white rice!
When it comes to sides to pair well with Chinese Buffet Lemon Chicken, it is quite easy to come up with something, because just about everything works well with it. Just be sure to pair it with more muted sides, because it would be a shame to overshadow the flavour of that delicious chicken!
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Chinese Buffet Style Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 4 large chicken breasts, cut into thin pieces and strips
- 1 cup corn starch
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons water
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons corn starch, heaping tablespoons
- 8 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Whisk together the eggs, water, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss well to coat every single piece. Cover the bowl and let the chicken sit at room temperature while you prepare the sauce and set the oil for frying.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, water, and corn starch until completely incorporated and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
- Next, prepare to fry the chicken by using a wide skillet with high sides. Pour enough vegetable oil in the skillet so that the oil is about 4 inches deep. Bring the oil to 350 degrees.
- When the oil is ready, use tongs to gently place one piece of chicken at a time in the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the chicken in a single layer – about 12-15 pieces at a time. Fry them for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate while you fry the next batch.
- When all of the chicken has been fried, carefully remove the hot oil from the skillet and wipe the excess oil out.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet, and over medium heat, bring the sauce to a boil, whisking often. Once the sauce has thickened, add the fried chicken back to the skillet and toss well to coat. Cook for 2-3 more minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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Meg says
This sounds amazing! I will give it a try but I’ll try airfrying the chicken, sorry. Can’t wait to get to the store to buy the ingredients.
amy says
just wondering instead of frying in veg. oil, could I do in air fryer?
Dlm says
The name “ Chinese Buffet Style Lemon Chicken” makes me believe it would hold up well for a buffet. I wanted to prepare this dish as instructed and then place in a food warmer/crock on low setting to keep warm for an open house gathering I’m hosting. Will this work? Thank you
Jeanie K. says
Just harvested a few Meyer lemons, and now I know what I will do with a couple of them! The yellow and blue cloth you did your photoshoot with the lemon chicken is beautiful. Be well and keep enjoying that lovely life you have!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Jeanie. 🙂