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Chinese Takeaway Lemon Chicken
Crisp battered chicken under a bright, sweet, glossy lemon sauce.
Takeaway: typical Gold Coast takeaway price, late 2026, $22.00 per dish (feeds 2, no rice).
The Australian takeaway version of lemon chicken is crunchy battered chicken with a thick, sunshine-yellow lemon sauce poured over the top. That colour and slightly creamy body come from an unlikely pantry staple: custard powder.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 500 g chicken breast or thigh, in strips or bite-sized pieces
- 1 egg
- ¼ tsp salt
Batter
- ½ cup plain flour
- ½ cup cornflour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅔ cup chilled water
- 1 litre vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Lemon sauce
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (2–3 lemons)
- 1 lemon, zested
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp custard powder
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp water, for the slurry
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 spring onions, sliced, to serve
Australian measures: 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tbsp = 20 ml. Tap an ingredient to tick it off.
Method
- Season the chickenToss the chicken with the egg and salt.
- Make the batterWhisk the flour, cornflour and baking powder, then whisk in the chilled water to a thick, smooth batter. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
- First fryHeat the oil to 170 °C. Fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until pale golden and cooked through. Drain on a rack.
- Second fryBring the oil up to 190 °C and fry again for 1–2 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Twice-frying is the takeaway trick: the first fry cooks the meat, the second (hotter and quicker) sets a hard, crackly shell that survives the sauce.
- Make the lemon sauceSimmer the lemon juice, zest, sugar, water and salt in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Mix the custard powder and cornflour with the slurry water, stir it in and simmer until thick, glossy and yellow.
- ServePile the chicken on a plate, pour the hot sauce over and scatter with spring onion. Serve straight away with steamed rice.
Air-fried cornflour-crusted chicken and a lighter lemon sauce with less sugar and no added salt.✔ Tested in our kitchen
Ingredients
Chicken
- 500 g chicken breast, in bite-sized pieces
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup cornflour
- 1 light coating of oil spray
Lemon sauce
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (2–3 lemons)
- 1 lemon, zested
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water or low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp water, for the slurry
Australian measures: 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tbsp = 20 ml. Tap an ingredient to tick it off.
Method
- Coat the chickenDip the chicken pieces in the beaten egg, letting the excess drip off, then toss in the cornflour until evenly coated. Shake off the excess.
- Air fryArrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket with space between pieces. Spray lightly with oil and air fry at 200 °C for about 12 minutes, shaking halfway and giving a second light spray, until golden and cooked through.
- Make the lemon sauceCombine the lemon juice, zest, sugar and water (or stock) in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- ThickenMix the cornflour with the water, stir it into the simmering sauce and cook until thick and glossy.
- ServeToss the chicken in the sauce, or pour it over, and serve straight away.
Tips
- Cornflour gives a lighter, glassier crunch than plain flour, which suits the air fryer.
- For the takeaway yellow colour, add 1 tsp custard powder to the slurry — it adds almost no salt.
- The sauce keeps in the fridge for a few days; reheat gently and thin with a splash of water. It’s also good over fish, tofu or steamed vegetables.
Nutrition per serve: original style vs healthier
| Closest to the original | Healthier | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 2739 kJ | 1656 kJ | -40% |
| Fat | 20 g | 8 g | -62% |
| Sugars | 38 g | 24 g | -36% |
| Sodium | 452 mg | 128 mg | -72% |
Estimates from typical Australian product labels and food composition data, counting only the oil, marinade and sauce that end up on the plate, and leaving out optional extras. Brands vary a lot — especially for sodium in bread, crumbs and sauces. For reference, the recommended upper limit for adults is 2,000 mg of sodium a day.
Cost: homemade vs takeaway
Ingredient costs use typical Coles and Woolworths prices in late 2026 and count only what the recipe uses, not whole packets. Pantry spices are included at a few cents a teaspoon.
Questions
How much does it cost to make lemon chicken at home?
About $4.48 a serve for the original-style version and $3.85 for the healthier one, against roughly $11.00 a serve from a takeaway shop.
Can I make a healthier lemon chicken?
Yes. Our healthier version has about 72% less sodium and 62% less fat per serve than the original-style recipe. Air-fried cornflour-crusted chicken and a lighter lemon sauce with less sugar and no added salt.