Bourbon Chicken Recipe

A square, overhead shot of a grey plate of bourbon chicken with egg fried rice, topped with spring onions and sesame seeds. The plate has a pair of wooden chopsticks lying on it. On the left, below the plate of bourbon chicken, is a dark blue napkin. This is all set on a dark blue background.

5 from 1 vote

Bourbon Chicken - Crispy pieces of chicken in a sweet, soy, garlic, ginger and Bourbon sauce. An American food court favourite - ready in less than 25 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time16

Total Time26

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese-American

Keyword: chicken thighs, food court, quick dinner

Servings:

Author Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

Chicken:

750 g (1.65 lbs) skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (trimmed)
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
3 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tsp minced ginger

Bourbon Sauce:

3 tbsp light soy sauce (use low sodium if preferred)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce (use low sodium if preferred)
1 tbsp cornflour cornstarch in USA
180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock (use low sodium if preferred)
4 tbsp bourbon whisky replace with 4 tbsp apple juice + 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce if preferred
5 tbsp light brown sugar

To Serve:

boiled rice or egg fried rice
spring onions scallions thinly sliced
sesame seeds

Instructions

First, make the bourbon sauce. Add the light and dark soy sauce to a small bowl or jug. Stir in the cornflour until dissolved.
3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp cornflour, 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock, 4 tbsp bourbon whisky, 5 tbsp light brown sugar
Add the chicken stock, bourbon and sugar and stir together. Put to one side.
Place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour, salt and pepper. Toss together to thoroughly coat.
750 g (1.65 lbs) skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets, 2 tbsp cornflour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat.
3 tbsp oil
Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 8-12 minutes, turning a few times during cooking, until golden brown and cooked through.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and ginger.
3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger
Fry for a further 30 seconds, moving everything round in the pan, using a spoon or spatula, constantly.
Pour in the sauce and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is coated, and the sauce thickens.
Turn off the heat, remove the chicken from the pan, roughly slice and place back in the sauce, stir to coat (slicing is optional - but I like it for that 'food hall style').
Serve over rice, topped with spring onions and sesame seeds.
boiled rice or egg fried rice, spring onions, sesame seeds

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4 ), not including the serving suggestions.

Can I make it ahead?

This dish taste best cooked and served immediately, but you can make it ahead too if you prefer.
Make the whole dish, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
Reheat in a pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until piping hot throughout - about 7-10 minutes. Place a lid on the pan to keep the heat in during reheating. It’s a good idea to add a good splash (1/4 cup or so) of hot chicken stock to help loosen up the sauce again.

The chicken also tastes great cold for lunch the next day as part of a salad or wrap.

Ingredient swaps

You can swap out the bourbon for 4 tbsp of apple juice + 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce if preferred.
Chicken thighs are better at standing up to high heat cooking – like that on a griddle or BBQ – whilst staying juicy. However, you can replace them with chicken breast pieces if you prefer. Try to ensure you don’t overcook – as the chicken may become dry. But do ensure it’s cooked throughout and no longer pink in the middle.

How to scale up and scale down this recipe

This recipe can be doubled up for a crowd or halved for two people, sticking to the same ingredient ratios.

Nutrition

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