We live about 30 minutes from an outlet mall, so we go there more often than we should. Becca absolutely loves the bourbon chicken at the Chinese restaurant in the food court, and I have made special trips to the mall just to get the chicken!
Most of the recipes out there are either attempts to copy the New Orleans original (this is really nothing like that) or some sort of barbecue type sauce.
After much tinkering, trial and error I finally came up with a recipe that is nearly identical (close enough) to what is served at our food court. We love it, I hope you do too.
If your house is like ours, there are probably some General Tso’s fans sitting next to the Bourbon Chicken fans. You can find my General Tso’s copycat recipe here. You might also want to try some of my delicious and easy homemade egg rolls.
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The full recipe card is at the bottom of this post, but I’ll walk you through the process with pictures. If you just want the recipe, scroll down.
Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky (or apple juice), water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
Add the chicken and cook until the juices have cooked off and the chicken starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the chicken every 1-2 minutes so it doesn’t burn and browns evenly.
Add the bourbon mixture and stir well. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Don’t rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
Add in the cornstarch/water liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly. (If the sauce doesn’t thicken up for you disolve another Tbsp of cornstarch in 2 Tbsp of water and stir that in)
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used 4 turns on the pepper mill)
1/3 Cup soy sauce
1/3 Cup Bourbon (or whatever brown whiskey you have sitting around. Dark rum would probably work too). If you don’t keep alcohol in your house you can substitute apple juice or cranberry juice. If you use juice, use a little less brown sugar. It really is delicious with just apple juice and no Bourbon.
1/2 Cup water
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar would do if you don’t have rice vinegar)
1/2 Cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water
Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky, water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
Add the chicken and cook until the juices have cooked off and the chicken starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the chicken every 1-2 minutes so it doesn’t burn and browns evenly.
Add the bourbon mixture and stir well. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Don’t rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
Add in the cornstarch liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly.
Serve over rice.
If you don’t have or don’t want to use whiskey in this recipe simply substitute apple juice. The taste is nearly identical. You may use chicken breast in place of chicken thighs, but the food court in my area definitely uses thighs.
But, at the end of the day, they are distinctly different. Bourbon chicken is an umami bomb that features sweet, nutty, toasty, and spiced notes.Teriyaki chicken, on the other hand, leans into sweet, tangy, and salty flavors.
Bourbon chicken is commonly found in Cajun and Chinese restaurants. They make it out of dark chicken meat, which are the chicken thighs and leg parts. This part of the chicken gives the dish soft and juicy bites. You can also use other chicken parts and cook them with the iconic bourbon glaze sauce.
If you use bourbon in your sauce, some of the alcohol will cook off, and you'll be left with a little bourbon flavor. If you plan to make this dish for children, the residual alcohol content is something to consider. You would need to cook the sauce for at least three hours to remove all traces of alcohol.
Vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar have often been used to mimic the taste of bourbon in recipes, but you can clearly tell when they are used as substitutes.
Why Is It Called Bourbon Chicken? Bourbon chicken is named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans (that's also why the “Bourbon” in Bourbon chicken” is capitalized). As the story goes, the dish was popularized in a Chinese restaurant that was located on Bourbon Street.
Panda Express Launches New Blazing Bourbon Chicken
The limited-time menu item is a crispy chicken coated in sweet and spicy sauce, made with soy sauce, real bourbon, honey, garlic, and Hot Ones The Last Dab Apollo hot sauce (which is the hottest sauce on the show).
Most stories claim that the dish originated on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with some further stating that it was specifically a Chinese restaurant on Bourbon Street that first came up with the recipe, due, perhaps, to its many Chinese elements.
Nashville is known for its food diversity, with examples including barbecue and pancakes . The legend of Nashville Hot Chicken goes back to Thornton Prince, the man who inspired the very first recipe . The chicken in Nashville Hot Chicken is spicier than most chicken around and is served with a variety of toppings .
The chicken is hand-breaded at individual KFC outlets with wheat flour mixed with seasoning in a two- to four-minute process. It is then pressure fried for between seven and 10 minutes (the timing differs between countries) in oil at 185 degrees Celsius.
Made with 100 percent white meat and hand-breaded with KFC's unique Original Recipe of 11 herbs and spices that made the fried chicken chain famous, the Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets can be enjoyed as a full meal, a snack on-the-go, complement to the bucket meal or even as an appetizer on the way home!
The heat will cook off any alcohol content from the bourbon making it safe to eat for children. If you prefer to have a non alcoholic sauce, just use the same ingredients excluding the bourbon itself.
In general, when parents allow it, foods containing alcohol are fine in small amounts and when not swimming in a drunken sauce. Kids who don't ordinary consume alcohol may find the taste disturbing as well.
The choice is up to you. You may choose to use cooking methods that help to reduce the alcohol content and use less alcohol in a dish to make it safer for your child. Otherwise the safer option is to choose to leave out alcoholic drinks when preparing food for babies and children.
Traditional Bourbon chicken is a stir-fry-style recipe that features pieces of fried chicken thighs in a sweet, sticky, and savory brown sugar bourbon glaze. It tastes sweet, a little salty, and tangy, similar to other popular Chinese-American dishes like General Tso Chicken and Healthy Orange Chicken.
Crafted from fermented cayenne peppers and aged apple cider vinegar, this hot sauce features a simple and clean recipe that enhances food with mild heat and tanginess. What makes it truly unique is the aging process – it's aged in reclaimed bourbon barrels, which mellows the sauce and adds aroma, hints of char and oak.
Savory bourbon sauce for grilled and smoked meats are made with bourbon, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and spices. And has notes of caramelized sugar and smoky flavors. Does bourbon sauce have alcohol? Yes, bourbon sauce has alcohol, but the alcohol cooks out as the sauce cooks.
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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