Bourbon Chicken

5 from 1 vote

Yummy, sticky, bourbon chicken recipe tastes just like your favorite food court restaurant. Chicken is marinated overnight, then browned and simmered in a tasty homemade teriyaki sauce.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 8

Cook Time 15

Total Time 8 15

Servings people

Calories 425kcal

Author Lisa Bynum

Ingredients

Bourbon marinade:

1 cups chicken broth
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup bourbon

Teriyaki Sauce:

½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cold water

Additionally:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions thinly sliced,
Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Instructions

For the marinade:

Whisk all the marinade ingredients together and transfer them to a large bowl or plastic freezer bag.
Add the chicken to the marinade.
Marinate in the refrigerator for two hours or up to eight hours.

For the sauce:

Combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, mirin, white granulated sugar and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves.
In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce mixture.
Bring the teriyaki sauce to a boil until it thickens to the consistency of syrup. Remove it from the heat. It will continue to thicken as it sets.
Once the chicken has marinated, drain off all the excess bourbon sauce. Transfer the drained chicken to a medium bowl. Add the flour to your chicken and toss until it’s well-coated.
Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add part of the chicken to the skillet, brown it for 3-4 minutes per side, remove it from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the uncooked chicken and repeat until everything is browned and cooked through.
Add all the cooked chicken back to the skillet. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the top and stir until all the chicken pieces are coated with the sauce.
Serve bourbon chicken over hot cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Video

Notes

Storage. Transfer any leftover bourbon chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours. Consume within four days.

Freezing. Once the thickened teriyaki sauce has been added to the chicken, I don't recommend freezing this dish because cornstarch does not freeze well. However, that does not mean this recipe is completely out of the running as a freezer meal. I frequently freeze the raw chicken pieces in a freezer bag with the marinade. Likewise, you can also cook off the marinated chicken and freeze. You can also mix together and freeze the teriyaki sauce ingredients, leaving out the cornstarch and water. Consume within three months. Thaw the chicken and the sauce before reheating. Bring the thawed sauce to a boil in a saucepan and add the cornstarch slurry to thicken before serving.

Reheating. Bourbon chicken can be reheated for a few minutes in the microwave. However, I prefer reheating it over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove. The teriyaki sauce may be a little thick. If that's the case, add about ¼ cup of chicken broth to help smooth the sauce out.

Nutrition