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A plate of cooked chicken topped with lemon slices, chopped onions, cilantro, and chilies served with white rice.
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with Lemon

This Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with Lemon takes 30 minutes to put together from start to finish. The chicken thighs are pan-fried with sliced lemon and thai chilis to give the dish a nice hint of spiciness and acidity to balance the sweetness, which gives that Thai inspired flavor.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired, Chinese
Servings: 2
Calories: 77kcal
Author: Dana Rao

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2 chicken thigh (roughly 1.25 pound) skin on cut in 2 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sake (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon corn starch

Pot

  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil (avocado oil)
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • Half purple onion sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 1 Thai chili or jalapeño sliced
  • cilantro or parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Slice chicken in 2 inch pieces.
  • In a bowl, add sliced chicken, sake (optional), low sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper and corn starch. Mix together.
  • Heat pan on medium heat. Once hot, add some neutral oil. Then, add chicken in the pan.
  • Cook chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on one side until golden. Then, flip over and pan fry the other side for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add chopped garlic and sliced onion in the pan. Stir fry for one minute.
  • Then, add sugar and sliced lemon. Give it a stir.
  • Turn off heat and add your chopped Thai chili (optional) and chopped cilantro. Mix together.
  • Serve with rice and enjoy while the chicken is hot!

Notes

Expert Tips
    • Marinate for extra flavor. Let the chicken sit in the sauce mixture for 15–30 minutes before cooking to enhance flavor and tenderness.
    • Don’t overcrowd the pan. If your pan is smaller, pan-fry your chicken in batches to ensure we can get the golden brown color on both sides. If too much chicken is in the pan, the juices can start steaming the chicken instead.
    • Add the lemon and cilantro last! This way the lemon and cilantro doesn't wilt while cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg