The invention discloses a method for extracting citronellal from Litsea cubeba oil front distillate. The method comprises: (1) pouring Litsea cubeba oil front distillate into a reaction container, controlling the temperature of the reaction system at 5-15 DEG C, adding a NaHSO3 aqueous solution in a dropwise manner, and carrying out an addition reaction on the NaHSO3 aqueous solution and the aldehyde ketone in the Litsea cubeba oil front distillate to obtain a solid product insoluble in the Litsea cubeba oil front distillate; (2) separating the solid product obtained in the step (1), adding anextractant, adding an acid solution in a dropwise manner, heating to a temperature of 68-72 DEG C under stirring, carrying out a reflux reaction, carrying out standing layering after completing the reaction, washing the organic layer, and drying to obtain citronellal crude oil; and (3) pouring the citronellal crude oil obtained in the step (2) into a rectification tower, and rectifying in three stages to respectively obtain methylheptenone, citronellal and citral. According to the present invention, the method has advantages of convenient operation, low cost, high efficiency and high productpurity, and can co-produce methylheptenone and citral.