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Bourbon chicken served on rice with sesame seeds and green onions.
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4.43 from 7 votes

Bourbon Chicken Recipe

You have to try this bourbon chicken -- the sauce is over the top delicious! Everyone just raves about it!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

Chicken

Sauce

  • 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)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the chicken, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
    1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 15 to 18 minutes, until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, ketchup, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Add cornstarch and whisk until no lumps remain.
    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, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • When chicken is nearly cooked, whisk sauce again to make sure cornstarch hasn’t settled, and pour into the pan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until sauce is clear and thickened.
  • Garnish and serve immediately. Bourbon chicken goes well with steamed rice. As an alternative, shred the chicken, stir it back into the sauce, and serve on toasted buns (see the post for more information).
    green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish, cooked rice for serving

Video

Notes

  • If you don’t use low sodium soy sauce or low sodium chicken broth, omit salt from chicken. Nutrition information is based on low sodium soy sauce and chicken broth.
  • More spice: Add 1 tablespoon of Sriracha, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce.
  • Alcohol-free: If you prefer a no-alcohol version, substitute apple juice for the bourbon. The sauce will be slightly sweeter.
  • Storage: Bourbon chicken is great left over! It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. 

Nutrition

Serving: 6oz. chicken with sauce | Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1790mg | Potassium: 881mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

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