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Bourbon Chicken is a quick and easy chicken recipe with tender chicken thigh strips coated with a rich, sweet and savory bourbon sauce. This recipe is delicious and best served over a bowl of freshly steamed rice.
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
Bourbon chicken is a delicious chicken dish named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. The juicy and crispy chicken coated with rich and flavorful bourbon sauce makes it a popular take-out in most Chinese-American restaurants.
Enjoy this irresistible dish by drizzling the tangy and slightly sweet sauce onto steamed rice or vegetables.
This mouthwatering homemade bourbon chicken recipe is easy to prepare and is a quick and stunning meal in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients For Bourbon Chicken Recipe
This easy homemade bourbon chicken recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Bourbon whisky
- Unsweetened apple juice
- Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Maple syrup
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Paprika, or any chili powder
- Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- Corn starch
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Scallions
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Bourbon Chicken
First, prepare the bourbon sauce by adding soy sauce, bourbon whisky, unsweetened apple juice, rice vinegar, maple syrup, minced garlic, grated ginger, and paprika in a bowl. Whisk well, and set aside.
Next, clean and slice the chicken thigh. Pat the meat dry and coat with corn starch.
Heat the skillet (or frying pan) over medium-high heat with oil. Add the chicken strips and cook them on both sides for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown and almost cooked through. Add the bourbon sauce mixture to the skillet and constantly stir to coat the meat evenly with sauce.
Mix one teaspoon of corn starch and two tablespoons of water in a small bowl, and whisk well. Lower the heat to medium, and stir in the corn starch and water mixture. Bring to a simmer, and keep stirring for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat. Dish out, and serve immediately with chopped scallions sprinkled on top.
Cooking Tips
- Prepare the bourbon sauce mixture beforehand, and stir in the sauce mixture while cooking the chicken. It is easy and quick this way.
- Make sure the skillet (or frying pan) and oil are heated hot enough before adding in chicken strips, which will give you a nice and crispy outside.
- Scrape the sauce from the side of the skillet (or frying pan) with a spatula to keep the flavor on the meal as much as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t need to marinate the chicken beforehand. You can cook the chicken directly with the bourbon sauce mixture and simmer to bring out the taste.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, and add a tablespoon of water if the sauce becomes too thick. You can also microwave the leftovers and enjoy.
This recipe serves 282 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Bourbon Chicken
Serve this dish with rice or noodles. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup bourbon whisky
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika, or any chili powder
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus 1 teaspoon divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 stalk scallions, chopped
Instructions
- First, combine all the sauce ingredients. In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, bourbon whiskey, unsweetened apple juice, rice vinegar, maple syrup, minced garlic, grated ginger, and paprika. Mix well and set aside.
- Rinse the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) thick strips.
- Add one tablespoon of cornstarch to a shallow plate. Lightly coat the chicken strips with the cornstarch.
- Heat a skillet (or frying pan) over medium-high heat with oil. Add the chicken strips and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and almost cooked through. Add the bourbon sauce mixture to the skillet and stir constantly to coat the chicken evenly with the sauce.
- In a small bowl, mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water and whisk well. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat.
- Dish out the chicken and serve immediately, garnished with chopped scallions sprinkled on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Beautiful mix of ingredients , delicious
Can this be applied to a whole roast chicken? Probably let it marinate over night.
Yes.