Healthy Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry is ready in 20 minutes, and it’s better than your favorite take-out! Delicious chicken and green beans in zesty lemon sauce.
Chicken Stir-Fry makes the perfect last minute Chinese Recipe for a weeknight meal. Stir-fry recipes like this one are a great way to make flavorful meals in one pan. For more stir-fry dinners try Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry and Ginger Chicken Stir Fry.
HEALTHY LEMON CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Chicken Stir-Fry is the perfect weeknight dinner for the next time you’re in a hurry. Just stir together the lemon juice, sesame oil, and soy sauce to make the sauce. Then, cook up the green beans and chicken, and combine it all. The chicken comes out crisp-tender, wonderfully juicy, and flavorful every time. Just serve it over some brown rice or cauliflower rice, and you’ll have the experience of your favorite Chinese restaurant from home.
Making your own homemade stir-fry is also a better option because of how healthy you can make it. This Chicken Stir-Fry is low-calorie, low-sodium, and gluten-free. It’s so much healthier by choosing ingredients that are just as flavorful, but not as unhealthy. The soy sauce is reduced-sodium, and using cornstarch instead of flour keeps the chicken gluten-free.
Even though there are plenty of healthy exchanges, you’d never taste the difference. The lemon and chicken are still just as flavorful and family-friendly. This Chicken Stir-Fry recipe is another example of how wonderfully chicken breast and lemon juice go together. For more chicken with some lemon zest, try Baked Chinese Lemon Chicken and Lemon Greek Chicken Skewers.
TIPS TO MAKING THE BEST LEMON CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Chicken Stir-Fry is such a great recipe that you can throw together in a few minutes. Just follow these simple tips to make sure you get the best Chicken Stir-Fry every time.
- Before you cook the chicken, toss bite-sized pieces of chicken in the cornstarch, salt, and pepper blend. Make sure each piece of chicken is coated in cornstarch. The cornstarch will give a nice, crispy outer layer to the chicken once it’s cooked.
- Heat your saucepan over medium high heat before you add in the oil and green beans. Cook the green beans until they start to blister. Then set them to the side while you cook the chicken.
- Add more oil to the pan before adding the chicken. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the chicken in batches. It’s important not to overcrowd the chicken, so use a large skillet if you have one.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, you can add the green beans and the sauce. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and is coating the chicken. This shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes. The total time for the whole recipe is under 20 minutes!
MORE CHINESE MAIN DISHES
Skinny Teriyaki Chicken
Skinny Sesame Chicken
Chinese Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry
Chinese Black Bean Chicken
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VARIATIONS ON HEALTHY LEMON CHICKEN STIR-FRY
- Veggie add-ins: There are lots of delicious veggies you can add to your stir-fry recipe besides green beans. Try cooking up some bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, broccoli, and cauliflower florets. The extra veggies will bring more flavor, color, and nutrients to your stir-fry. You can cook them in the stir-fry or serve them separately as sides.
- Spicy Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry: To add more kick to your Lemon and Chicken Stir-Fry try whisking some red pepper flakes to the soy sauce mixture. Just a teaspoon or so will bring plenty of spice to your healthy chicken dinner.
- More easy add-ins: There are so many more delicious flavors you can add to your Chicken Stir-Fry recipe. Try stirring in some green onions, fresh ginger, scallions, and oyster sauce to the Healthy Chicken skillet. Stir-fries are great recipes to experiment with other flavors.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH LEMON CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Skinny Teriyaki Shrimp
Skinny Chinese Green Beans
Carrot Rice
Cauliflower Egg Fried Rice
HOW TO STORE HEALTHY LEMON CHICKEN STIR =-FRY
- Serve: Don’t leave Lemon Chicken at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Once it’s cooled, you can keep the chicken and veggies in the fridge. Stored properly they’ll keep well for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Because of the breading on the chicken, this stir-fry recipe won’t freeze well. It is best enjoyed fresh.
Ingredients
For The Sauce:
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest , one lemon
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice , 1-2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger , grated
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
For The Chicken Stir-Fry:
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast , cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 10 ounces green beans , trimmed and cut in half
- 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce, set aside.
- Toss the chicken with the cornstarch, salt and pepper, until chicken is fully coated. Set aside.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add one tablespoon of oil. Cook the green beans, stirring often, until starting to blister, 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve on a plate.
- Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the chicken, but do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in two batches if necessary. Cook chicken 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Add the green beans back to the pan with the chicken. Pour in the sauce. Stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until chicken and green beans are fully coated and sauce has thickened. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve over rice if desired.
Nutrition
