My bourbon chicken recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and tangy. I coat tender chicken pieces in a sticky glaze made with bourbon whiskey, just like my favorite Chinese takeout dish. My whole family loves this dish. In fact, we almost never order takeout anymore because we love this bourbon chicken so much!
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
This easy bourbon chicken is the perfect example of the magic that happens when sweet and salty come together. I made the deliciously sticky sauce with brown sugar, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, and, of course, a cup of bourbon whiskey! It’s the perfect medley for a flavorful chicken dish.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Bourbon chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet set over medium heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze Bourbon chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes and Tips
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
- If you want to keep this dish alcohol-free, you can use apple juice in place of the Bourbon.
- Feel free to leave out the red pepper flakes for a less spicy dish.
- If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use white or apple cider vinegar.
- If you don’t have sesame oil, use more olive oil.
- You can dice the chicken and mix together the sauce ingredients up to 1 day in advance. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Do not crowd the pan with chicken. It will cause the chicken to steam instead of browning it. If you don’t have a large skillet, you can cook the chicken in 2 batches.
- The cornstarch slurry is what thickens the sauce – don’t skip it.
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground
- 3 cloves garlic minced, or ¾ teaspoon ground
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water, for the cornstarch slurry
For Serving (Optional)
- 4 cups cooked rice
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
- Dice the chicken breasts and set aside.1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, black pepper, onion powder, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, bourbon, ketchup, water, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Set aside.1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup bourbon, ¼ cup ketchup, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Heat the olive oil and sesame oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet.½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- Add the diced chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Add the bourbon sauce mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and stir until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve the chicken over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.4 cups cooked rice, Chopped green onions
Notes
How to Make Bourbon Chicken Step by Step
Make the Sauce: Dice 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and set aside. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, 3 minced cloves of garlic, ¼ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, ⅓ cup of low-sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup of bourbon, ¼ cup of ketchup, ½ cup of water, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and ½ cup of brown sugar. Set aside.
Cook the Chicken: Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of sesame oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the diced chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
Simmer the Sauce: Add the bourbon sauce mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and ¼ cup cold water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and stir until the sauce has thickened. Serve the chicken over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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