This study evaluated the effect of an emulsifier on the energetic values of lipids fed to yellow-feathered chickens and established prediction equations for the metabolizable energy (ME) of lipids fed with and without an emulsifier. One hundred and ninety-two Chinese yellow-feathered roosters [Wen’s Yellow A; initial body weight (BW) = 2.37 ± 0.33 kg] were individually weighed, divided into four BW blocks, and randomly assigned within block to the 16 dietary treatments with replicates of three roosters. The diets consisted of a corn basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 8% of corn oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), cottonseed oil (CSO), rice bran oil (RBO), palm oil (PO), modified palm oil (MPO), or lard were evaluated with or without an emulsifier (0.02% of diet) in an 8 × 2 factorial arrangement. Diets were fed for 8 d, with 4 d for adaptation to diets and another 4 d for excreta collection. There was an interaction between lipid sources and emulsifier on ME (apparent ME and N-corrected apparent ME) of the lipids (P < 0.05). Addition of 0.02% emulsifier had no effect on the ME of CO, SO, PO, or lard, but reduced the ME of CSO (P < 0.05) and MPO (P < 0.05), and tended to increase the ME of RBO (0.05 ≤ P < 0.10). There was a quadratic relationship between ME and concentration of stearic (C18:0) (P < 0.05) or linoleic acid (C18:2) (0.05 ≤ P < 0.10), and a linear function between ME and concentration of oleic acid (C18:1) or monounsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.05) in diets without emulsifier. The ME of lipids could be predicted by the concentration of C18:0 with C18:1 or with monounsaturated fatty acid without an emulsifier. With an emulsifier, the ME concentration was affected linearly by the concentration of myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), C18:2, polyunsaturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids (U:S) (P < 0.05). Prediction equations for the ME of lipid were established on the content of C18:0, C16:0, C14:0, SFA, and U:S.