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Easy Bourbon Chicken Recipe

Easy Bourbon Chicken Recipe
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★★★★★

5.2 from 4 reviews

This Easy Bourbon Chicken recipe is a flavorful and satisfying dish that is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Tender chunks of chicken are cooked in a sweet and savory bourbon sauce, served over steamed rice for a complete meal.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken:

  • 3 pounds chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, chopped into 1-inch pieces)
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch (plus ½ – 1 tablespoon extra, see notes)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or use sesame oil for more flavor)

For the Sauce:

  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 cup chicken broth (use low-sodium if you prefer less salt)
  • ⅔ cup soy sauce (use low-sodium if you prefer less salt)
  • ⅓ cup apple juice
  • ⅓ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup bourbon (see notes for a kid-friendly version)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or less, to taste)
  • 1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, or use more for a spicy sauce!)

Instructions

  1. Toss chicken with cornstarch. In a medium bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons cornstarch with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the diced chicken and toss well to completely coat the chicken pieces.
  2. Brown chicken. In a large skillet or pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the coated chicken pieces and cook on one side without stirring for 3 minutes. Turn each piece of chicken and cook for an additional 3 minutes. The chicken does not have to be fully cooked here, just browned. Remove the browned cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside. You might need to do this in two batches to not crowd the chicken!
  3. Make the sauce. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through red pepper flakes). Stir well and bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat.
  4. Simmer the chicken. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken back to the sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce is reduced by half. Serve the bourbon chicken hot over steamed rice, or go on to the next step if you prefer to thicken the sauce
  5. Optional: thicken sauce. Optional step: Combine ½ – 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl or cup, then stir into the sauce to thicken, let it simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Notes

  • For a kid-friendly version, you can omit the bourbon or substitute it with a non-alcoholic alternative.

Nutrition

Keywords: Bourbon Chicken, Easy Chicken Recipe, Asian-inspired, Homemade Takeout

Find it online: https://yumwithmia.com/easy-bourbon-chicken-recipe/