Description
A delicious copycat recipe of the beloved food court Bourbon Chicken, featuring tender chicken thighs cooked in a savory bourbon sauce. This American Chinese dish is easy to prepare and perfect served over rice for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lb chicken thighs, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (approximately 4 turns on the pepper mill)
Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup bourbon (or substitute with apple juice or cranberry juice)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar as substitutes)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces and trim away any excess fat or skin to ensure tender, lean meat.
- Mix Sauce Ingredients: In a small bowl, combine ground ginger, black pepper, soy sauce, bourbon (or juice substitute), water, garlic powder, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Stir well and set aside to blend the flavors.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes to prevent burning and to brown the meat evenly as the juices cook off.
- Add Sauce and Simmer: Pour the bourbon mixture over the browned chicken, stir well, and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes to reduce the sauce and cook off the alcohol if using bourbon.
- Thicken Sauce: Stir in the dissolved cornstarch mixture briskly into the pan. The sauce will thicken quickly, coating the chicken with a glossy finish.
- Serve: Spoon the bourbon chicken over cooked rice and enjoy this flavorful dish.
Notes
- If you don’t have bourbon or prefer not to use alcohol, apple juice is an excellent substitute with a similar flavor profile.
- Chicken breast can be used instead of thighs, but the original food court version usually uses thighs for juiciness.
- If substituting juice for bourbon, reduce the amount of brown sugar slightly to avoid overly sweet sauce.
- White wine vinegar or plain white vinegar can be used if rice vinegar is not available.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Meats & Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American Chinese
