Bourbon Chicken

Easy Bourbon Chicken is sweet, sticky, and better than take out! Serve it over white rice and you have a filling dinner recipes that your family will love! With minimal ingredients, this Bourbon Chicken recipe is budget friendly and will feed a family of 4. 

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Easy Bourbon Chicken is sweet, sticky, and better than take out! Serve it over white rice and you have a filling dinner recipe that your family will love!

With minimal ingredients, this Bourbon Chicken recipe is budget friendly and will feed a family of 4. 

IS THERE ALCOHOL IN BOURBON CHICKEN

Traditionally yes, there is alcohol in bourbon chicken. Usually recipes call for about ¼ cup. 

Our family, however, does not drink alcohol so we use an easy substitute for the bourbon in this recipe. You might not believe it, but regular apple juice does a great job of substituting bourbon in this easy to make recipe!

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RECIPE VIDEO: Better Than Takeout Fried Rice from Spaceships and Laser Beams. CLICK HERE for the Printable Recipe!

If you do choose to use actual bourbon in this recipe, rest assured that all of the alcohol is cooked off during the simmering process. Either way, this recipe is delicious. 

WHAT KIND OF MEAT IS BOURBON CHICKEN

You can use a variety of different types of chicken in this recipe from chicken thighs, rotisserie chicken, to chicken breasts. Each cooks to perfection in this easy sauce that combines soy sauce with brown sugar and different seasonings. 

If using chicken thighs, I would recommend using boneless. They are easier to work with and cook quickly. Make sure to get a nice brown sear on both sides and then chop before adding the sauce. 

If time is an issue, you could always pick up a rotisserie chicken and chop it into bite sized pieces. You'll miss out on the nice "browned" flavor that is left in the skillet when browning the chicken but that's okay, it will still be delicious. You'll save about 10-15 minutes cooking and chopping chicken. 

Personally I use 4 chicken breasts in this recipe. I prefer to cut them into bite sized pieces before I toss them with cornstarch, that way I can get a nice sear on my chicken before I add the sauce.  

WHAT DOES BOURBON SAUCE TASTE LIKE

This bourbon sauce recipe combines soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, apple juice, minced garlic, pepper, water, ginger, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. It comes together easily and turns into the most delicious glaze that thickens up while it's cooking. 

When it's done and ready to serve, it's a combination of sweet, savory, smoky, and just plain delicious. 

CAN YOU COOK BOURBON CHICKEN ON THE GRILL

Yes, you can cook bourbon chicken on the grill. Set aside about ⅓ cup of sauce to baste the chicken with while it's on the grill. Every time you turn the chicken over add additional sauce using a brush and allow it to caramelize over the hot flames. 

I like my sauce thick so I would suggest cooking your chicken on the grill, and then separately allowing the sauce to simmer on the stove for 5-10 minutes. 

When your chicken is ready, simply toss the sauce and chicken together and let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve over white rice and enjoy!

Bourbon Chicken

5 from 102 votes

Author: Shauna

Easy Bourbon Chicken is sweet, sticky, and better than take out! Serve it over white rice and you have a filling dinner recipes that your family will love! With minimal ingredients, this Bourbon Chicken recipe is budget friendly and will feed a family of 4. 

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

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Ingredients

  

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• 4 large chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces and patted dry
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ cup apple juice or bourbon if you have on hand
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup green onions sliced

Instructions

 

• Chop chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and pat dry with a paper towel. Toss chicken in a large bowl with 1 tbsp cornstarch.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Drain all juices from pan. Return skillet to stove and continue to cook chicken over medium heat until the chicken is browned and the bottom of your skillet is "browned" as well.
• In a medium bowl, combine pepper, onion powder, apple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ground ginger, minced garlic, water, and 1 tsp cornstarch. Whisk together.
• Once chicken is browned, add your sauce mixture. Using a spoon, deglaze the bottom of the pan and make sure to get all of the browned bits up and off of the bottom of the pan. Bring sauce to a boil.
• Once the sauce is boiling turn heat down to low and allow to simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
• Once sauce is done simmering, remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
• Serve over white rice and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1901mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg

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Hope you enjoyed this easy to make Bourbon Chicken Recipe! Before you go, here are a few more delicious recipes you might enjoy today!

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• ZUCCHINI ZOODLES IN A LOW CARB SPAGHETTI SAUCE
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