Name: Bourbon Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; ½ cup low sodium soy sauce; ½ cup low or no salt added chicken broth; ½ cup light (or dark) brown sugar; ¼ cup ketchup; ¼ cup bourbon; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; ½ teaspoon ground ginger ((or 1½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger root)); 2 tablespoons cornstarch; green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish ((optional)); cooked rice for serving ((optional))

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: The sauce is over-the-top delicious in this bourbon chicken. Skip the expensive take-out and make your own bourbon chicken at home with pantry ingredients. Cheaper, faster, and healthier!

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet, mixing bowls, whisk
Servings: 4

Close up of bourbon chicken on rice, topped with sesame seeds.

Bourbon chicken is one of my favorite take-out style dishes but this easy recipe is so much better than the mall food court or any restaurant. With a tangy, lip-smacking bourbon flavored barbecue sauce, bourbon chicken packs a serious flavor punch!

Named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, bourbon chicken has Creole and Asian influences. It’s easy to make and you’ll find yourself wondering how you lived without this recipe. I can’t wait for you all to try it!

P.S. If you like Chinese buffet-style or take-out dishes, be sure to try my creamy coconut shrimp, firecracker shrimp, orange chicken, Kung Pao shrimp, and fried rice.

Asian-style Bourbon Chicken

Easy to make! Bourbon chicken is really easy to prepare. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners and it’s also a great choice when you’ve invited guests for dinner.

All the flavor you love. With plenty of tangy garlicky sauce, a hint of sweetness, and a good shot of bourbon, this take-out copycat recipe is so boldly flavorful that simple sides are all that are needed. I like steamed jasmine rice (try Instant Pot jasmine rice, too) and crisp tender roasted broccoli. Roasted sweet potatoes are a great side, too.

Pantry ingredients. I’m pretty sure that most of you have everything you need to make this recipe already on your pantry shelves (except for the chicken!). Easy ingredients like soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, bourbon, garlic, and chicken broth make this recipe very accessible.

Overhead view of ingredients needed for recipe.

Ingredient Notes

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: If you prefer dark meat, boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted.
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil: Used to season the chicken, and to brown it.
Soy Sauce: Choose low sodium soy sauce or the chicken will get too salty.
Chicken Broth: Again, low sodium or no salt added chicken broth is best. If you don’t use low sodium chicken broth or if you’re watching your sodium intake, omit the salt in the recipe.
Brown Sugar: Dark or light, it doesn’t matter. Use what you have in the pantry.
Ketchup: I like to use ketchup that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup, but choose your favorite.
Bourbon: Take a look at the FAQs for more info about bourbon.
Apple Cider Vinegar: There’s lots of potent, bright flavor in this vinegar.
Garlic: Minced or pressed, fresh garlic is a major flavor booster. If you don’t care for a lot of garlic, use a bit less or substitute a half teaspoon of garlic powder.
Ground Ginger: Just a touch of ginger in the sauce. If you prefer fresh ginger, substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of grated ginger.
Cornstarch: Often used to thicken sauces, cornstarch is gluten-free.
Sliced Green Onions and Sesame Seeds: A lively garnish of sliced green onions and sesame seeds adds flavor and visual interest.
Rice: Fragrant jasmine rice is perfect to soak up all that flavorful sauce but it isn’t required. Choose any sides you enjoy. Cauliflower rice is a good low-carb option.

How to make bourbon chicken

Prep the chicken. Cut the boneless skinless chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken cut into small pieces in a clear glass bowl.

Cook the chicken. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken until it’s nearly done. Depending on how large the pieces are, it will take about 15 minutes or so.

Cooked chicken pieces in a large black skillet.

Make the sauce. While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or large measuring cup. Make sure there aren’t any lumps of cornstarch.

Dark brown sauce in a clear glass mixing bowl.

Add the sauce to the skillet. When the chicken is nearly done, give the sauce ingredients a quick whisk to ensure that the cornstarch hasn’t settle to the bottom. Pour the sauce ingredients into the skillet. Simmer until the sauce thickens and turns clear. It takes only a few minutes but I like to simmer it a little longer so the chicken really absorbs all that great flavor.

Chicken pieces coated in a dark brown sauce.

Serve. Spoon the chicken and sauce over rice if you like. Make sure everyone gets a good helping of the sauce. You for sure don’t want to leave any of it in the pan!

Garnish each serving of bourbon chicken with a sprinkle of sliced green onions (scallions) and sesame seeds. (I always leave the sesame seeds off because my kids are severely allergic.)

Plated chicken with a bottle of bourbon in the background.

Bourbon FAQs

What is the best kind of bourbon to cook with? Choose a bourbon that you like to drink because you will have a lot left over. One of my favorites is Woodford Double Oaked. Try a bourbon cocktail, a Maple Old Fashioned or a Vanilla Bourbon Fizz.
If you don’t want to buy a big bottle, mini bottles (50 ml) are available at stores like Walmart or most party shops.

What is the difference between bourbon and whiskey? The easiest way to explain the difference is that all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. There are many different types of whiskey. Bourbon is a whiskey made in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and it’s produced according to strict criteria.

Is there alcohol in bourbon chicken? There is a very small amount of alcohol in bourbon chicken. You may think that the alcohol is burned off during the cooking process but actually you would have to cook it quite awhile, up to three hours, for it to completely burn off. The recipe card has an alternative if you don’t want to use bourbon.

Recipe Variations

Oven baked: I like to use bone-in chicken thighs, with the skin removed (8 thighs). Arrange in a baking pan in a single layer and bake at 425°F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the chicken from the oven, pour the sauce over the chicken, coating each piece. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is done (internal temp of 165°F). Makes 4 servings (2 thighs each).
Grilled: If you simmer the sauce and thicken it, the bourbon sauce can be used just like your favorite BBQ sauce. Remove ½ cup of the sauce to use for basting the chicken; set the remaining sauce aside to serve with the chicken. Grill chicken (no need for marinade), brushing the chicken with the reserved ½ cup of the bourbon sauce when the chicken is nearly cooked.
Alcohol free: If you’d rather not cook with alcohol, you can make bourbon chicken without bourbon. Just substitute apple juice for the bourbon. The sauce will be a little sweeter and not quite as rich tasting but it’s still delicious. I’m not sure you’ll be able to call it “bourbon” chicken though! You might also enjoy orange chicken or baked honey mustard chicken.
Add a little spicy heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Sriracha, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Make bourbon pork. Substitute boneless cubed pork for the chicken if you like.

Close up of bourbon chicken on a wooden spatula.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Get a head start: Stir up the sauce ingredients up to a day in advance. Cover tightly and store in the fridge until ready to cook. Whisk to incorporate cornstarch before adding to chicken. The chicken can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge as well.

Make ahead: Because the sauce keeps the meat from drying out, bourbon chicken can easily be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. In fact, why not make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra for easy dinners in the future.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate/Freeze: Let the chicken cool slightly before putting it into a covered container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for one month. For best results, thaw frozen chicken in your refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheat: Simmer the chicken and sauce gently on the stove until heated through. If you prefer, reheat in the microwave, covered, in 30 second intervals.

Leftover Love

Make a fantastic BBQ handheld. Bourbon chicken makes a fantastic sandwich. The sauce is basically a bourbon flavored barbecue sauce! Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred it slightly with two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce, heat it, and pile it on a toasted bun. If you like, add toppings: shredded cheese, sliced green onions, shredded cabbage or coleslaw, or very thinly sliced tomatoes.

Meal plan 75, labeled gluten-free, preview image with text and photos.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #75. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

Browse Meal Plans

More Chicken Recipes

Browse All →

Bourbon Chicken Recipe