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.
For zero-proof bourbon chicken that'll have even the most diehard fans fooled, skip the bourbon and simply add an extra ¼ cup of chicken stock or apple juice (which might have been included in your pan sauce recipe anyway).
In a medium bowl whisk together the soy sauce, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, hoisin sauce, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, sesame oil and the cup of water. Set aside. Coat the chicken things in a little canola oil and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
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.
That said, like most alcohol used in food, most of it boils off during the cooking process, leaving behind its sweet smoky flavor without the intoxicating side effects.
The Recipe - Bourbon is distilled from a fermented mash of grain, yeast and water. The “mash bill” must have a minimum of 51% corn. For most bourbons, the average is about 70%. Other grains such as rye, malted barley, and wheat are considered “flavor” grains.
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.
In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.
Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. The heat will cook off any alcohol content from the bourbon making it safe to eat for children.
Bourbon chicken is a dish named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, and for the bourbon whiskey ingredient. The dish is commonly found at North American restaurants serving Cajun-themed or American Chinese cuisine.
This dish is not a typical or traditional dish of New Orleans, of Creole cuisine, or of Cajun cuisine. This is a dish that appears at shopping mall food courts everywhere in the United States except, significantly, in Louisiana, where they know they'd never be able to pass this off as Cajun food.
Cattlemen's® Kentucky Bourbon® BBQ Sauce blends the smooth flavors of oaky bourbon, sweet molasses and warm, signature spices with a thick and rich tomato paste for a bold and smoky sauce that delivers regional character and consistent performance to your recipes.
For zero-proof bourbon chicken that'll have even the most diehard fans fooled, skip the bourbon and simply add an extra ¼ cup of chicken stock or apple juice (which might have been included in your pan sauce recipe anyway).
If you're looking to add a dose of flavor to your chicken or steak, then you may want to consider a marinade made with vodka. Clear liquors like vodka pair incredibly well with poultry and seafood, giving them additional complexity. However, you should use that bottle of vodka sparingly.
Bourbon tends to bring out a sweeter, balanced flavor while rye whiskey has a drier, more spicy kick. Other simple swaps include granulated sugar and a muddler over simple syrup or trading your orange garnish for lemon. Any of these variations can take a normal Old Fashioned into new flavor territory.
Next time you encounter a recipe with a boozy ingredient on the list, opt for a non-alcoholic spirit in place of vodka, cognac, or whiskey. Or you can try pickling liquid, fruit juice, purée, or a vanilla substitute instead.
This spirit is pretty much the same thing as bourbon as they both use a 51% corn mash in their production. Tennessee whiskey is similar to bourbon, a U.S. whiskey variation that is strictly regulated by the federal government.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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