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Bourbon Chicken
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Table of Contents
- IS THERE ALCOHOL IN BOURBON CHICKEN
- WATCH THIS STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE VIDEO:
- WHAT KIND OF MEAT IS BOURBON CHICKEN
- WHAT DOES BOURBON SAUCE TASTE LIKE
- CAN YOU COOK BOURBON CHICKEN ON THE GRILL
- JUMP TO RECIPE
- Hope you enjoyed this easy to make Bourbon Chicken Recipe! Before you go, here are a few more delicious recipes you might enjoy today!
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!
WATCH THIS STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE VIDEO:
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!
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Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
- 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)
DIRECTIONS
- 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
Hope you enjoyed this easy to make Bourbon Chicken Recipe! Before you go, here are a few more delicious recipes you might enjoy today!
- HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
- BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE DANISH
- WHITE CHOCOLATE REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BITES
- ZUCCHINI ZOODLES IN A LOW CARB SPAGHETTI SAUCE
- FREEZER BREAKFAST BURRITOS
- SECRET INGREDIENT FRY SAUCE
- SLOW COOKER FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES WITH AU JUS
- EASY FRENCH STRAWBERRY CAKE
- CREAMY BACON PASTA SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
- CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
Comments
Brenda says
Absolutely amazing!!! Only thing l added was a little bit of rice wine vinegar to cut some of the sugary taste. Will put this in my meal rotation. Thanks for sharing!!! 😋😋😋
Todd says
This is AMAZING!! Everyone who tries it loves it. Can this be portioned out & frozen for later? Thx 😁
Layne Henderson says
Hi, Todd - yes! First, allow the chicken and sauce to cool completely. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty resealable bag. It will keep for up to a month in the freezer. Enjoy!
Deborah Thompson says
Very good recipe … i tweaked just a bit .
I added a half of squeeze orange juice to ,and a half a stick of butter …. I want to add some pepper flakes but my MIL does not like
Shirley says
I made this with chicken first and it was really good. The second time I made it, I used shrimp. Took them out of the pan after cooking and added the thickened glaze back to them at the end. Served it over rice. Everybody was raving about how good it was.
Kassie says
I think I would half the sugar. other than that everyone was ABSOLUTELY crazy for this.
Mary Ellen says
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Layne Henderson says
Hello! We haven't tried that so I'm not sure what adjustments would need to be made. Please let me know if you try it out, thanks!
Sang Tran says
Delicious
Cassandra Bush says
Very good and tasty
Liz Ofstad says
Sooo good. And such an easy weekday meal with leftovers.
Jennifer says
We actually substituted the chicken with steak and OMG soioooooo good. Served over Jasmine Rice