This easy bourbon chicken tastes just like my favorite food court bourbon chicken, but it’s made right at home with simple ingredients. I coat tender pieces of chicken in a glossy bourbon sauce that’s sweet, savory, and just a little tangy. The sauce combines brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and real bourbon whiskey for that rich, caramelized flavor that makes every bite irresistible. My whole family loves it, and honestly, we may never go back to takeout again!
Food Court Bourbon Glazed Chicken
My Chinese bourbon chicken takes just 40 minutes from start to finish and uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. The brown sugar bourbon chicken sauce is the heart of this recipe. It thickens into a sticky, flavorful glaze that coats every bite of chicken. I love that the mix of soy sauce and rice vinegar gives it that perfect sweet-and-salty balance, while the bourbon adds warmth and depth.
Unlike most restaurant versions that can taste overly sweet, my bourbon glazed chicken hits that perfect middle ground; it’s bold, rich, and perfectly balanced. Serve it over rice to soak up all that sauce, and you’ve got a weeknight dinner that tastes like it came straight from your favorite food court spot.
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How to Burn Off the Alcohol Without Losing Flavor
After adding the bourbon to the pan, let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients. You’ll notice the strong alcohol aroma fade, and that’s how you’ll know the alcohol is burning off. What’s left behind are the warm caramel and oak notes that make this sauce taste so complex.
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (*)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated;;or ¼ teaspoon ground)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced; or ¾ teaspoon ground)
- ¼ teaspoon ground 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 fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon ground 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
- 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.
- This recipe makes enough to coat the chicken, but if you love saucy rice bowls, double the sauce ingredients before thickening.
- If you prefer a less sweet sauce, reduce the brown sugar slightly or add a dash more vinegar. For a saltier balance, use regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium.
- The cornstarch slurry is what thickens the sauce – don’t skip it.
- Once the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat. Overcooking can make the chicken tough and the glaze overly sticky.
- Serve over white or jasmine rice, or pair with steamed broccoli or stir-fried veggies for a takeout-style meal at home.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Bourbon Sauce for Chicken
I make my delightfully sweet and tangy bourbon chicken sauce with a somewhat surprising cast of ingredients. Chinese classics like ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil create a savory and tangy base. I add some American staples, like ketchup, sugar, and Kentucky bourbon, to round out the flavor. The result is a Chinese-American fusion dish that’s totally crave-worthy.
If you want to keep this dish alcohol-free, you can use apple juice in place of the Bourbon. You can also leave out the red pepper flakes for a less spicy, more kid-friendly version. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use white or apple cider vinegar.
How to Make Bourbon Chicken Step by Step
Prep: Gather up everything you need to make this bourbon glazed chicken recipe. Grate the ginger, mince the garlic, and dice 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Make the Sauce: 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. This will make enough sauce to coat the chicken. For a saucier meal, double everything!
Cook the Chicken: Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the diced chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the chicken will steam instead of browning. Cook in 2 batches if needed.
Simmer the Sauce: Add the bourbon sauce mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced.
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. Once the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat so it doesn’t turn sticky. Serve your brown sugar bourbon chicken over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover Bourbon chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet set over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Microwaving can make it too thick.
More Asian-Inspired Chicken Recipes to Try!
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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