Bourbon Chicken

Chinese-Cajun inspired bourbon chicken with sticky sweet sauce and tender chicken packed with flavorful ingredients like soy sauce, apple juice, ginger and onion powder, and of course, bourbon.

Why this recipe works

Whether you know bourbon chicken from New Orleans or from your favorite Chinese take-out, this dish is brimming with loads of flavorful components. You’ll first take cubed chicken and cook it down in a skillet then bubble up your sauce to a boil and toss the chicken in the sticky-sweet thick glaze. It’s really quite easy to make and with the right ingredients.

Using bourbon in your dishes like this chicken or our bourbon glazed ham brings out the richness, enhances the flavors, and instills caramelized sweetness in your sauce and glazes.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BOURBON – While you are cooking with alcohol, most of the alcohol content cooks off. If you are concerned, you can omit the bourbon completely.

APPLE JUICE – This helps sweeten the sauce.

CORNSTARCH – The cornstarch will give your cubed chicken a nice brown sear in the skillet, as well as thicken the sauce.

How to Make Bourbon Chicken

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Using a chef’s knife, cut chicken into cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the chicken and using gloved hands, toss to coat well. Chicken will be a bit sticky.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
4. Add garlic and bourbon to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a rolling boil.
5. Meanwhile, mix together sauce ingredients. Once bourbon and garlic have reduced by about 1/4, add sauce mixture to the skillet. While stirring, bring to a boil and allow to thicken slightly.
6. Add some water to the remaining cornstarch and stir until no powder remains. You won’t need much water, just enough for the cornstarch to dissolve.
7. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce in pan and stir to combine.
8. Add chicken back to the skillet and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through. Turn off heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken more during the rest time.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Yes, you can omit the bourbon from this recipe if desired. If you don’t have bourbon on hand, you can simply leave it out entirely or substitute it with additional apple juice or a bit more chicken broth.

Store leftover bourbon chicken in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce back up.

Serving Suggestions

Serve bourbon chicken over a bed of rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions or chives if desired.

More Related Recipes

• Sesame Chicken
• Szechuan Beef
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Moo Goo Gai Pan
• Honey Walnut Shrimp
• Korean Fried Chicken

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