Tired after a long day? Bourbon Chicken Skillet will save the day! One pot cooking at it's best, all you need is a 12" skillet. This Bourbon Chicken skillet recipe will warm you with it's comforting and familiar flavors.
Serve Bourbon Chicken over white rice and garnished with chopped green scallions. If you start our Perfect Foolproof Steamed White Rice recipe right before starting the chicken, both will be ready to put on your table in 30 minutes or less.
What Is Bourbon Chicken?
Bourbon Chicken is an amalgam of Chinese and American cuisine. Often found in the food courts of malls, with wafting aromas that entice hungry customers to their food counter. Bourbon Chicken is comforting and familiar.
While called "Bourbon" Chicken, it can be make with any whiskey or scotch. All the alcohol gets cooked off, leaving flavors that blend with the soy, garlic, and ginger.
Alternatively, if ANY alcohol is off limits, a Hoisin sauce would make an excellent substitution.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Why this recipe works
Any cook loves a quick and easy meal. But, to recreate that flavorful memory of a satisfying food court favorite is an even bigger bonus. If you start your rice at the same time as you start the Bourbon Chicken, you will have this meal on the table in 30 minutes or less.
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Ingredients needed for Bourbon Chicken Skillet
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- salt
- cornstarch
- vegetable oil
- garlic, minced
- fresh ginger root, grated
- crushed red pepper flakes
- chicken stock
- bourbon
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- vinegar
- toasted white sesame seeds
- green scallions for garnish (optional)
Not an ingredient, but you will want fluffy white rice to serve this on. Try our Perfect Foolproof Streamed White Rice recipe.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make Bourbon Chicken Skillet Saute
For the chicken:
- Lets start by preparing the chicken. Cut into chunks. Toss with the salt and the cornstarch.
- Add to a skillet with heated vegetable oil.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
3. Brown the chicken lightly. You are not actually cooking the chicken in this step, just browning the cornstarch tossed chicken so that there is some browning.
4. Transfer the chicken back to the bowl that you tossed it with cornstarch in. You will use the same empty skillet to now prepare the sauce.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the sauce:
- Cook the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add the liquids and the sugar.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
3. Cook until boiling, and reduce sauce volume until it coats the back of a spoon.
4. Add the chicken back to the skillet, and cook and additional 5-8 minutes until chicken cooked.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Putting it all together:
Your final product will be a chunky chicken skillet dish that the sauce coats the chicken. Add the toasted sesame seeds and mix in. Serve this Bourbon Chicken skillet dinner over white rice and garnish with chopped green scallion or chives.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this super easy Bourbon Chicken Dinner with a salad, some fruit, and rice. It would go perfectly with our Tropical Fruit Salad, Perfectly Steamed White Rice, and even Cinnamon Stewed Pears.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tips for success
- Be sure to use skinless thighs.
- Purchasing boneless thighs will save you a ton of work deboning.
- Non Alcoholic alternatives to Bourbon would be Hoisin sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Bourbon Chicken is a great freeze ahead dinner meal. Just use the microwave to reheat, or a medium low stovetop setting.
Look for a BBQ sauce that is whiskey or bourbon flavored.
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📖 Recipe
30 Minute Bourbon Chicken Skillet Saute
Equipment
- Roasted White Sesame Seeds (Iri Goma) 8 Oz by Shirakiku (8 ounce)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 " piece of fresh ginger root grated
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
- Chopped green scallions for garnish optional
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1" to 1 ½" chunks. Add chicken chunks to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and toss with the cornstarch.
- Heat a 12" skillet with the vegetable oil. When hot, add the chicken and lightly brown. Don't cook the chicken entirely, just get some browning for 2-5 minutes. Transfer partially cooked chicken back to the bowl.
- Using the same skillet, add garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Lightly cook on medium for 1 minute.
- Add in the stock, bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a bubbling simmer to reduce sauce about 6 to 8 minutes.
- After sauce has reduced so that is coats the back of a spoon, add the partially cooked chicken in the bowl. Cook chicken and sauce on medium to medium high about 5 minutes. Don't raise heat too high, as you don't want to scorch the sauce. Don't overcook the chicken, just cook until no longer pink and still tender.
- Reduce heat, check to ensure the chicken is cooked, and sauce thickened. The sauce should coat or glaze the chicken.
- Toss in toasted sesame seeds and mix well.
- Serve over white rice with chopped green scallion for garnish.
Notes
- Be sure to use skinless thighs.
- Purchasing boneless thighs will save you a ton of work deboning.
- Non Alcoholic alternatives to Bourbon would be Hoisin sauce.
Nutrition
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