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This Honey Lemon Chicken and Green Beans Stir Fry has a ton of flavor and can have dinner on the table in just 20 minutes!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Meal
Lemon chicken is just one of those dinner recipes that just about everyone enjoys. It’s always been a favorite of mine, although the same old thing can get boring.
Introducing the opposite of boring – Honey Lemon Chicken and Green Beans Stir Fry. This dish has got it all! Crunchy green beans, tender, flavorful chicken, and a sweet and tart honey lemon stir fry sauce that coats every bite.
Ingredients
Chicken breast – Boneless and skinless, cut into chunks. Don’t make the pieces too small or they will cook too quickly and become dry.
Marinade – Soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Green beans – Ends trimmed and beans cut into 2-3 inch pieces.
Stir Fry Sauce – Chicken broth, lemon zest and juice, cornstarch, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, minced garlic.
How to Make Lemon Chicken and Green Beans
Get a detailed list of ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.
- Marinate the chicken. Whisk the marinade together and combine with the chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for about 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours.
- Cook the green beans over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. They should turn a bright green and be tender-crisp. Transfer to a bowl.
- Cook the chicken. Add chicken and marinade to a hot skillet and cook until internal temp is 160℉, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.
- Thicken the sauce. Heat the sauce in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer for several minutes until it thickens.
- Combine. Add the green beans and chicken to the pan and toss with the sauce.
Expert Tips
- Roll the lemon gently on the counter to release the juices before cutting. Zest first, then slice.
- Cut chicken as evenly as possible for even cooking. Cut chunks into 2-inch pieces.
- Fresh are best, but frozen and thawed green beans can be used and wouldn’t need to be cooked as long.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Crockpot Orange Chicken
- Honey Chicken
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
- Chinese Lemon Chicken
Honey Lemon Chicken and Green Beans
Ingredients
Honey Lemon Chicken and Green Beans
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces (2 large chicken breasts)
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 12 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces (about 2 cups)
- Honey Lemon Sauce see below
Honey Lemon Sauce:
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- Juice and zest from 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup honey or more/less to taste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 garlic clove minced
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar in a large zip-top bag, and toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours. (If no time to marinate, just toss the chicken, soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl and let sit while you prep the rest of the recipe).
- In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together until combined (cornstarch should no longer be visible). Set aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and season with a pinch of salt. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, until beans are bright green but still crisp. Transfer to a large plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the chicken from the bag into the hot skillet. Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken and saute for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink, stirring and turning the chicken occasionally for even browning. Using a slotted spoon, add the chicken to the plate with the green beans.
- Pour the whisked honey lemon sauce into the empty saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce reaches a low boil and thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking (salt, pepper, honey, lemon).
- Add the chicken and green beans back into the pan and toss until evenly coated with the sauce. Remove from heat and serve immediately, topped with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
I rarely dare trying Asian cuisine, but this was easy and delicious. It was so nice trying something new and I’m always up for new ways to eat up my vegs. Thank you for another great recipe!
Awesome feedback Mathilde! Thanks for stopping by.
I loved this and so did my roommate and my boyfriend! I made extra and it was gone by the end of the night. The only change I made was using red wine vinegar because that’s what I had and I used aged soy sauce but I diluted it with a little water.
Love the feedback Jenna! Thanks for stopping by.
Hi, I was confused at the step where you add marinated chicken to the skillet. Do you pour the entire bag with liquid or just the chicken? Lastly I used rice vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar. Online it said it was the same but other sites said they’re different. For some reason my dish came out with a pungent lemon-vinegar taste and I’m wondering where I went wrong?
Yes you add everything to the skillet, marinade and all. Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are the same thing. The finished dish does have a sour note to it, with the lemon and vinegar. It’s tough to diagnose an issue without being there, but my first thought would be that maybe it didn’t cook down enough.
So good, you must try this. Lemon chicken is so flavorful. Made this for my boyfriend and he loved it! Add more red pepper flakes for more spicy flavor. Making again soon.
Nice! Thanks for the awesome feedback Cassie.
I went crazy over this when I made this the other night.
My question – could you put up an instant pot version??
Love.
I didnt have cornstarch so I whisked two tablespoons of olive oil with three tablespoons of flour and then slowly added the sauce mix! It turned out delicious! I’ll have to try it with cornstarch next time though!
Nice! Thanks for sharing your feedback Chloe.
Excellent and easy…
I subbed arrowroot for the cornstarch and need to halve the amount next time.
We loved it.
Thank you Liz!
This was such a great meal! Super easy & full of flavor. Definitely going to add it to the lineup of foolproof meals.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Anquanette.
This was delicious! Omitted the ground ginger because I didn’t have it and added just a bit of soy sauce to the lemon sauce. My husband and toddler loved it as well. I’ve never seen my two-year-old gobble up green beans so quickly. Thank you!
Nice! Thanks for the awesome feedback Amanda.
Very good! I used apple cider vinegar & a little brown sugar instead of the rice wine vinegar. Also added a bit more soy sauce to the honey lemon sauce. Husband really liked the sauce and wants me to make this again with other vegetables.
Thank you JoAnne!
How many calories per serving?
About 315 calories per serving.