Bourbon Chicken

by 30MinuteMeals
Prep: 10m
Cook: 20m
poultry
Bourbon Chicken - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:4
1 1/2lbboneless skinless chicken thighs
1tbspolive oil
1/4cupbourbon
1/2cupsoy sauce
1/4cupapple juice
1/2cupbrown sugar
2tbspketchup
1tbspapple cider vinegar
2garlic cloves
1/2tspground ginger
1/2tspred pepper flakes
1tbspcornstarch
1tbspwater
green onions
sesame seeds
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

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Instructions
  1. 1

    Mix the sauce

    Whisk together the bourbon, soy sauce, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set it next to the stove so it's ready to go.

  1. 2

    Brown the chicken

    Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and pat them dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and nearly cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Don't crowd the pan or it'll steam instead of brown.

  2. 3

    Simmer in the sauce

    Pour the sauce over the chicken, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then so everything gets coated.

  3. 4

    Thicken and finish

    Stir the cornstarch and water together into a slurry, then stir it into the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the chicken. Serve hot over rice and scatter green onions and sesame seeds on top.

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Bourbon Chicken

Created by: 30MinuteMeals

Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 20m
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water
  • green onions
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Mix the sauceWhisk together the bourbon, soy sauce, apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set it next to the stove so it's ready to go.
  2. Brown the chickenCut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and pat them dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and nearly cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Don't crowd the pan or it'll steam instead of brown.
  3. Simmer in the saucePour the sauce over the chicken, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring now and then so everything gets coated.
  4. Thicken and finishStir the cornstarch and water together into a slurry, then stir it into the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the chicken. Serve hot over rice and scatter green onions and sesame seeds on top.

Notes & Tips

This is the fast skillet version - no marinade, no waiting. The sauce does all the work: soy and brown sugar for that sticky-sweet backbone, bourbon for depth (swap in chicken broth if you'd rather skip it - nobody will miss it). Use thighs, not breasts; they stay juicy through the simmer and taste better with this sauce. Have your cornstarch slurry mixed before you need it - the sauce goes from thin to glossy in about a minute and you don't want to be scrambling. If you've got 20 extra minutes, tossing the raw chicken in the sauce to marinate first deepens the flavor, but it's optional and this works great straight through. Serve over rice to catch every bit of the sauce.