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chopstick lifting a bite of glazed bourbon chicken.

Bourbon Chicken

Renee' Groskreutz
This Bourbon Chicken is irresistibly crispy and coated in a sweet, savory, and slightly tangy bourbon sauce. Perfectly balanced flavors make it a takeout favorite you can easily recreate at home. Serve it over rice for a delicious dinner!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup neutral cooking oil vegetable, corn, or canola
  • 2 cloves garlic minced (or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic)
  • 1 cup water
  • ⅔ cup soy sauce low-sodium optional
  • ½ cup apple juice
  • ½ cup chicken broth low-sodium optional
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • ¼-⅓ cup bourbon use ¼ cup for a mild flavor or ⅓ cup for a bolder bourbon taste
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions
 

  • Trim any fat from the chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of the cornstarch with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
  • In a large skillet or pot, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half of the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Flip each piece and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Do not crowd the pan — if the pieces are touching, they steam instead of sear.
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil before you build the sauce, or the finished glaze will be greasy.
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add the water, soy sauce, apple juice, chicken broth, ketchup, bourbon, vinegar, brown sugar, ground ginger, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Leave the chicken out of the pan for this part. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook the sauce uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom, until it has reduced by about a third and coats the back of a spoon.
  • In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Stir it into the sauce and simmer for about 1 minute, until glossy.
  • Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the skillet. Toss for 2-3 minutes, just until every piece is coated and heated through.
  • Serve hot over steamed rice.

Notes

  • The chicken is done after the sear. One-inch pieces of breast come up to temperature in those 6 minutes, so it goes back into the pan at the end only to glaze — that is what keeps it juicy instead of stringy.
  • The sauce is sugar-heavy and will scorch once it tightens. Keep the simmer gentle and scrape the bottom of the pan through the last few minutes.
  • Three pounds of chicken is a lot for one skillet. If half a batch still crowds your pan, sear it in three rounds instead of two.
  • Use a splatter screen to minimize oil splatter while cooking the chicken.
  • For an extra kick, add additional red pepper flakes or a drizzle of Sriracha.
  • To make this lower in sodium, opt for low-sodium soy sauce and chicken broth.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!