Marinated Maple Bourbon Chicken Breasts are tender, juicy, and loaded with both sweet and savory flavor! This is an easy 30 minute dinner recipe that always hits the spot.
What’s in maple bourbon chicken breasts?
You only need a handful of simple, inexpensive ingredients to make this baked chicken recipe!
- Chicken Breasts: You can make this recipe with thighs if you prefer. They will take slightly longer to cook, so add an additional 10 or so minutes to the cooking time.
- Bourbon: Use your leftover bourbon to make my favorite Orange Bourbon Slush!
- Maple Syrup: Try to use a good quality maple syrup, not thick pancake syrup.
How long do you marinate chicken breasts?
Ideally, you want to marinate the chicken for one to two hours. This will give it enough time to take on the flavors as well as break down the fibers so that you have a tender and juicy bit of chicken.
Don’t leave the chicken for more than two hours or it will break down too much and can get tough when cooked. If you can only spare 15 minutes, that will be enough time for it to take on the flavor.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warmed all the way through. The air fryer also works great.
How to Freeze
Let the maple bourbon chicken fully cool to room temperature prior to freezing in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for a few hours prior to reheating.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
- I set aside glaze so I have some that hasn’t come in contact with the raw chicken. Although the glaze in the pan with the chicken is safe since it has been cooked.
- Chicken shouldn’t be poked or forked to marinade as it could dry out the chicken.
- The chicken can be grilled or cooked stovetop as well. Place a skillet (or grill) over medium heat and cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Top Reader Review
“It’s simple and easy. But I will say that the very quick 15mins doesn’t give it much flavor. Next time I will be sure to do the full 2 hours so it’s plenty flavorful, as I really enjoyed the little it took on. Also I broiled and glazed it twice for a prettier plating!” – Dianne K.
Maple Bourbon Chicken Breast Recipe (Marinade)
Ingredients
- 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ⅛ stick
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag, and set aside.2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- In a medium bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, then add in all of the other ingredients. Whisk together to combine. Reserve ¼ cup for additional glazing after cooking, and then pour in remaining glaze into the Ziplock bag, covering the chicken, and seal the bag.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ cup bourbon, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons apple juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Place the bag in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for 1-2 hours. In the last 30 minutes of the marinade time, preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and place the chicken in a casserole dish or pie plate. Leave a small amount of the marinade in the dish to bake with the chicken and discard the rest along with the bag.
- Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over halfway through cooking so the top half bakes in the marinade.
- When done, turn back over, and broil on high for an additional 2-3 minutes. This isn’t necessary as the chicken should be thoroughly cooked, but broiling it adds the extra crispness with the marinade and goldens the chicken.
- Using the reserved marinade, you can also add on another layer of glaze before serving. Broil for 2-3 minutes if you'd like the sauce to be sticky.
Notes
- Set aside glaze so you have some that hasn’t come in contact with the raw chicken. Although the glaze in the pan with the chicken is safe since it has been cooked.
- Chicken shouldn’t be poked or forked to marinade as it could dry out the chicken.
- The chicken can be grilled or cooked stovetop as well. Place a skillet (or grill) over medium heat and cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
How to Make Maple Bourbon Chicken Breast Step by Step
Marinate the chicken: Place 2-4 chicken breasts in a large bag. In a bowl, melt 1 tbsp butter in the microwave. Whisk in 1/4 cup bourbon, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp apple juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture for later. Pour the mixture into the bag with the chicken and mix so the chicken is fully covered. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Prepare for baking: Place the chicken in a baking dish. Leave a small amount of marinade in the baking dish. Discard the rest of the marinade. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake and flip: Bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Flip halfway through cook time.
Broil and glaze: Once cooked, flip the chicken back over. Broil for 2-3 minutes. Add another layer of glaze from the reserved marinade before serving.
Do you think I could cook in my Crockpot?
It’s simple and easy. But I will say that the very quick 15mins doesn’t give it much flavor. Next time I will be sure to do the full 2 hours so it’s plenty flavorful, as I really enjoyed the little it took on. Also I broiled and glazed it twice for a prettier plating!
Thanks for stopping by Dianne!
Amazing marinade I don’t have apple juice so I subbed apple cider vinegar (it worked great) then I did find the sauce was thin so when I was mopping the marinade on I squirted a little bbq sauce on too
The flavor was delicious
Thanks for sharing, Elaine!
Too bad you didn’t bother to include the oven temperature for baking— vital step…
Hi Nancy, in step 3, we state the following: “Place the bag in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for 1-2 hours. In the last 30 minutes of the marinade time, preheat your oven to 400°F.” Hope this helps!