Easy Bourbon Chicken

This recipe for Bourbon Chicken is so easy to make, with tender, juicy bites of chicken and a gloriously sweet and sticky sauce that clings to each bite.  Make it in just 30 minutes, and you’ll have a weeknight dinner the whole family will love!

Skip the takeout and make your Asian-style dishes at home!  Not only are they super easy to make, they taste so much better. We love takeout/fake-outs like my Garlic Pork Stir Fry and Ginger Glazed Chicken Ramen. This is one of my Asian-Inspired recipes you’ll definitely want in your collection!

Bourbon chicken recipe

Well, we’re in the thick of winter folks, and I don’t know about you, but I’m getting more and more tired, so we’re relying on takeout wayyyy too much.

Not that takeout isn’t delicious, because ohhh it definitely is, but it’s not so great on both the wallet and the waistline, amiright?!

One thing that I crave a LOT, is bourbon chicken. It’s so crispy, sticky, and omg that sauce is to die for!

This recipe hits all those flavor notes of a traditional bourbon chicken (like the bourbon chicken from the food court at the mall!), but without any breading, frying, and a sauce with who knows what in it.

From beginning to end, this recipe will take about 30 minutes, or even less if you prep ahead! Definitely check out my “Making bourbon chicken ahead of time” section for my prep ahead tips. I’m all about prepping ahead whenever I can!

We love to serve this bourbon chicken with some fluffy white or jasmine rice and some steamed broccoli, but you can serve it up any way you want… it’s your meal 🙂

How to make bourbon chicken

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Toss chicken with cornstarch and seasonings. Coating the chicken in a light layer of the cornstarch is what gives it a slightly crisp exterior when browned and gives the sauce something to cling to.
2. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
3. Sear chicken. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, and cook in batches so the skillet doesn’t get overcrowded. Overcrowding the pan will lead to the chicken steaming and not getting golden brown.
4. Add garlic and ginger.
5. Pour in sauce. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 7-10 minutes, or until it’s reduced a little and is starting to thicken.
6. Make slurry. A slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and water that’s whisked together until smooth, and then added to the sauce to thicken.
7. Add chicken back to skillet.
8. Simmer until thickened. How thickened the sauce gets is a personal preference.
9. Serve.

Additional cooking tips

• Chicken type – our family (specifically the kids), prefers white meat chicken, so we normally use boneless skinless chicken as written in the recipe. If you like chicken thighs, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs and slice them into the same sized pieces as directed in the recipe.
• Bourbon – bourbon is an essential part of this recipe (there’s a reason it’s in the recipe name itself!), so I don’t recommend substituting it unless you truly have to. The alcohol content of the bourbon is cooked off when you cook the sauce, and it concentrates down into a rich amazing flavor. If you don’t have bourbon, regular whiskey will work as well.

Variations of this recipe

• Spicy – feel free to add more sriracha, or a pinch of red pepper flakes to this recipe to kick it up a notch.
• Mild – I don’t feel this chicken is that spicy, but if you’re sensitive to heat, you can omit the sriracha sauce.
• Honey – if you prefer a honey flavor, substitute an equal amount of honey for the brown sugar.
• Bourbon-less – the alcohol cooks out during the simmering process and gives the sauce that classic bourbon chicken flavor, but if you’d rather not use it, just substitute with an equal amount of apple juice.
• Instant Pot – if you’d rather use your pressure cooker, I’ve also included those directions down in the recipe notes.
• Slow Cooker – if you’d rather use your crockpot, I’ve also included those directions down in the recipe notes.

Making bourbon chicken ahead of time

I found that this sesame chicken tastes best when made right before serving, but you can absolutely prep ahead of time.

• Mince the garlic and ginger and store in the refrigerator. 
• Slice the green onions and store in the refrigerator.
• Cut up chicken and store in the refrigerator.
• Whisk sauce together and store in the refrigerator.
• Rice can be made ahead of time as well.

Storage

Leftover chicken should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 4 days.

Freezing

You can also freeze this bourbon chicken!  Let the chicken and sauce cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container.  Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently in a saucepan, skillet or microwave.

Shop the recipe

• Large Skillet – I love the big size of this skillet, and cleanup is a breeze!

Be sure to scroll down to check out other readers’ comments for tips and reviews.

And don’t forget, if you’ve made this recipe, leave a comment and please consider giving it a star rating letting me know how you enjoyed it 🙂

Any nutritional information shared is an estimate, and is automatically calculated through a program.  If calorie count is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer.  Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

The Chunky Chef is not a nutritionist and doesn’t provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error and we wouldn’t want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information.