Bourbon Chicken

This delicious and easy Bourbon Chicken recipe combines tender, golden-brown chicken breast bites with a sweet, savory, sticky bourbon sauce with a hint of spice. The simple glaze is whipped up in a bowl and cooked in the same pan the chicken was browned in, making it an easy one-skillet supper and perfect for busy weeknights. 

You may have tried Bourbon chicken at one of your local restaurants or even Applebee’s. If you have, then you will love this. It is a delicious restaurant entree, but you can easily make it at home. Serve it over rice or, for a low-carb meal over zucchini noodles.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

• Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar. You can substitute white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar.
• Bourbon or whiskey: Either will work, but quality matters
• Ketchup: If you like lots of flavor, consider substituting barbecue sauce for the ketchup.
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or chicken thighs
• Ginger: Freshly grated or ginger paste. Ginger paste is sold in tubes in the refrigerated produce section of most grocery stores. It will keep for weeks stored in the refrigerator.
• Red pepper flakes: Can be omitted for sensitive stomachs

How To Make Bourbon Chicken

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cider vinegar, bourbon, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Set aside for a few minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Brown the chicken pieces with some space between them. Turn the pieces over as they brown. Once browned on both sides, transfer to a large plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the garlic and grated ginger for a minute.
4. Whisk the sauce mixture and pour it into the skillet. Bring the sauce to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
5. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Preparation Tips

• Cut your chicken into small, thin, bite-sized pieces so it cooks quickly. Think of what it would look like on the end of a set of chopsticks.
• Mix all your ingredients for your sauce in a bowl as written in the recipe. Do not add the bourbon to the pan on its own. Alcohol vapors are flammable, so play it safe.
• For a lower-carb version of this recipe, reduce brown sugar to 2 tablespoons, use sugar-free ketchup, and serve over zucchini noodles with fresh broccoli.
• You can substitute water or apple juice for the chicken broth if needed.
• My family loves a lot of sauce, so I always double the sauce portion of this recipe.
• The sauce will thicken a little more as it cools.

Serving Suggestions

Serve over basmati, jasmine, or brown rice. Or try lo mein or rice noodles. Other great choices are stir-fried green beans, Asian cucumber salad, bok choy, or Asian chopped salad.

More Stir Fry Recipes

On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf