These delicious marinaded maple bourbon chicken breasts are loaded with flavor and are perfectly juicy. Ready to serve in 30 minutes, this brown sugar baked chicken is perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
This is the perfect easy chicken dinner when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry! These maple bourbon chicken breasts are perfectly sweet with a rich depth of flavor.
Bake them in the oven for a hands off cook, or cook them in a skillet for a shorter cooking time. Either way, this is one delicious chicken recipe!
Why you will love this maple bourbon chicken recipe!
- 30 minute meal: It takes no more than 10 minutes to prep this chicken and 20 minutes to cook it.
- Hands off cooking: Because this chicken is baked in the oven, there’s no watching of pots to be done.
- Simple: You just need a few ingredients to make this yummy chicken dinner!
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How to make maple bourbon chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Marinate the chicken breasts in the sauce for 1 to 2 hours.
- Place the chicken in a baking dish with some of the marinade and bake.
- Serve!
Can you make this recipe with thighs?
Yes, you can easily 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.
You can check that the chicken is cooked through by using an instant read thermometer that should register at 165F.
What do you serve it with?
This maple bourbon chicken is great to serve alongside your favorite veggie, salad and potato sides. Try it with:
How long do you marinate chicken breast?
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.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- 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 165F.
Maple Bourbon Chicken Breast Recipe (Marinade)
Ingredients
- 2-4 chicken breasts 4-6 oz each
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons apple juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag, set aside. In a medium bowl, melt butter in the microwave, then add in all other ingredients. Whisk together to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup for additional glazing after cooking, and then pour in remaining glaze into the ziplock bag, covering chicken, and seal the bag.
- Place the bag in the refrigerator and let chicken marinate for 1-2 hours.
- Remove chicken from bag and place chicken in a casserole dish or pie plate. I leave a small amount of the marinade in the dish to bake with the chicken and discard the rest along with the bag.
- Bake at 400 degrees 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. Remove from the oven and serve.
- 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
- 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 165F.
Cassie says
Do you think I could cook in my Crockpot?
Dianne Keith says
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!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by Dianne!
Elaine says
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
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Elaine!