Bourbon Chicken

This is a mouthwatering good recipe combining golden brown chicken breast pieces with a sweet and sticky bourbon sauce with a hint of spice. Serve it over rice, Chinese noodles, or zucchini noodles.

Course main meal chicken

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword bourbon chicken recipe, how to make bourbon chicken, what is bourbon chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 381kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Bourbon Sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup bourbon or whiskey see notes
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger or ginger paste
thinly sliced green onions
1-2 pinches crushed red pepper

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine cider vinegar, bourbon, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Set the bowl aside for just a few minutes.
In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides in a single layer. This usually takes several minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Once browned on both sides, move to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Reduce to medium heat and add more oil if needed. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring constantly so it does not burn. Cook for 1 minute.
Whisk the bourbon mixture and pour it into the skillet over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes adding the chicken back to the skillet after 1-2 minutes. Simmer the sauce and chicken for 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Garnish with green onions and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Notes

Cut your chicken into small thin bite size pieces so they cook quickly. Think of what they will look like on the end of a set of chopsticks.
Do not get hung up on the Bourbon or whiskey bandwagon. Either one will work.
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.
If you like lots of flavor, consider substituting barbecue sauce for the ketchup.
You can substitute water 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.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.

Nutrition