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Bourbon chicken is the sweet, sticky, takeout-style favorite you can make at home in 40 minutes, with tender chicken bites glazed in a rich sauce of bourbon, brown sugar, soy, and ginger. This is the meal my kids cheer for, and it beats the mall food court every single time. Serve it over a bed of our coconut rice and watch it disappear.
The magic of bourbon chicken is searing the chicken first, then simmering it in a glossy sauce that thickens into the perfect sticky glaze.
Bourbon Chicken Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 404kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory, and sticky with bourbon, brown sugar, soy, and ginger
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our black pepper chicken
Quick Answer
To make bourbon chicken, toss bite-sized chicken thighs with cornstarch and seasonings, then sear them in a hot skillet until cooked through. Cook garlic in the pan, then add apple juice, chicken stock, bourbon, and soy sauce. Stir in brown sugar and ground ginger, whisk in a cornstarch slurry to thicken, and return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer until the sauce is glossy and sticky, then garnish with scallions and serve over rice.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Chicken thighs stay juicy. Boneless thighs hold up to the high-heat sear and stay tender and flavorful in the sauce.
- Cornstarch does double duty. Tossing the chicken in cornstarch helps it sear up crisp, and a slurry thickens the sauce into a sticky glaze.
- Sear in batches. Cooking the chicken in two batches keeps the pan hot so the pieces brown instead of steaming.
- Bourbon adds deep flavor. The bourbon cooks down with the brown sugar and soy into a rich, caramelized sauce, while the alcohol simmers off.
- Balanced sweet and savory. Brown sugar, soy sauce, apple juice, and ginger create that signature takeout-style sweet and savory glaze.
- One skillet, 40 minutes. Everything comes together in a single pan, faster and tastier than ordering takeout.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like your favorite mall food court bourbon chicken, only better.
- It comes together in one skillet in about 40 minutes.
- It is a sweet and savory crowd-pleaser, like our sweet chili chicken.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this bourbon chicken so sweet, sticky, and savory. See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicy and tender and soak up all the sauce.
- Bourbon: The star of the sauce, it cooks down into a deep, caramelized flavor as the alcohol simmers off.
- Brown sugar and soy sauce: Together they create that signature sweet and savory, sticky glaze.
- Apple juice and ground ginger: Add fruity sweetness and warm spice that balance the rich sauce.
- Cornstarch: Coats the chicken for a crisp sear and thickens the sauce into a glossy glaze.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this bourbon chicken your own.
- No bourbon: Swap in extra apple juice or chicken stock with a splash of vanilla for an alcohol-free version.
- Add heat: Stir in red pepper flakes or a squirt of sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Use chicken breast: Boneless breast works too; just be careful not to overcook it.
- Add veggies: Toss in steamed broccoli or peppers to make it a full meal, like our black pepper chicken.
- Serve it with fried rice instead of plain rice for a full takeout spread.
How to Make Bourbon Chicken
- Toss the bite-sized chicken with two tablespoons of cornstarch, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder in a bag until coated.
- Sear the chicken in oil over medium heat in two batches until cooked through, then set it aside on a plate.
- Cook the garlic until fragrant, then add the apple juice, chicken stock, bourbon, and soy sauce.
- Stir in the brown sugar and ginger, then whisk in a slurry of water and the remaining cornstarch to thicken.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and stir to coat every piece in the glossy sauce.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes until sticky, take off the heat, and garnish with sliced scallions.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cut the chicken evenly into bite-sized pieces so it cooks at the same rate.
- Sear in batches so the pan stays hot and the chicken browns instead of steaming.
- Use a good bourbon you would sip, since its flavor concentrates in the sauce.
- Whisk the slurry until smooth before streaming it in to avoid lumps in the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer a couple of minutes so it thickens into a glossy, sticky glaze.
- Garnish with scallions right at the end for fresh color and a mild onion bite.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days; the flavor only gets better.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Bourbon chicken is made to be served over rice so all that sticky sauce has something to soak into. Steamed white rice, jasmine rice, or our coconut rice are all perfect choices.
Round out the meal with a simple steamed vegetable or pair it with teriyaki fried rice for a full takeout-style spread at home.
If you love sweet and savory Asian-style chicken, try our sweet chili chicken and our beef chow ho fun next.
Bourbon Chicken FAQs
Bourbon chicken is a sweet and savory dish of bite-sized chicken pieces glazed in a sticky sauce of bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger. It is named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans and is a popular Chinese-American food court favorite.
The bourbon is cooked down as the sauce simmers, so most of the alcohol cooks off and leaves behind a deep, caramelized flavor. If you prefer to skip it entirely, you can substitute extra apple juice or chicken stock.
Yes. For an alcohol-free version, replace the bourbon with extra apple juice or chicken stock plus a small splash of vanilla extract for warmth. The sauce will still be sweet, savory, and delicious.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are best because they stay juicy and tender through searing and simmering. You can use chicken breast if you prefer, but watch it closely so it does not dry out.
Absolutely. Bourbon chicken reheats beautifully and the flavor deepens overnight. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Bourbon chicken is classically served over white or jasmine rice to soak up the sauce. It also pairs well with fried rice, steamed broccoli, egg rolls, or a simple stir-fried vegetable for a complete meal.
Craving more takeout at home? Try our black pepper chicken next.
Drizzle a spoonful of chili oil over this bourbon chicken for extra heat.
Round out a savory dinner of bourbon chicken with a head of roasted garlic on the side.
For another sweet and savory chicken win, try our sweet ginger Asian chicken marinade on hens, thighs, or wings.
Love a sweet and sticky slow cooker dinner? Our slow cooker chicken teriyaki belongs on your weeknight rotation.
Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup unsalted chicken stock
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons water
- Scallions thinly sliced for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pisces and place them in a zipper gallon sized plastic bag. Add 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Close the bag and shake the ingredients until the chicken is coated.
- Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add half of the oil, once hot, sear and the chicken in 2 batches until cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil and repeat with the remaining chicken, place it on the plate.
- Add the garlic directly to the skillet and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the apple juice, chicken stock, bourbon, and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add the brown sugar and ground ginger, stir to combine.
- In a small bowl whisk together the water and remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until dissolved.
- Stream in the cornstarch slurry while whisking it in until combined. Add the chicken back to the skillet and coat in the sauce.
- Bring to a simmer, simmer for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and add scallions if using.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional value is for chicken only.
- You can use chicken breasts or tenderloins instead of chicken thighs.
- The bourbon can be left out of this, see above on how to do that.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- You can substitute a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger for ground, I would cook along with the garlic.
- It makes a lot of sauce to pour over your rice, etc. If you don’t like as much sauce, just halve the garlic, apple juice, chicken stock, bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, water, and use just 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to make the slurry. Personally I find that no one can get enough of this sauce!
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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