Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Bourbon Chicken
Bourbon chicken has a glossy sweet-savory sauce that catches around the browned pieces. Ginger and garlic give it a fragrant edge, with a little red pepper warmth behind the sweetness. Spoon it over rice and enjoy some of that rich sauce with the next bite of chicken.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 18 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American · Asian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Coat the chicken evenly
Toss the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and the first cornstarch portion before starting the skillet cooking.
2. Brown in two batches
Cook half the chicken at a time, leaving it undisturbed for its first side before turning.
3. Smooth the thickening mixture
Mix the final cornstarch with cold water until smooth before stirring it into the simmered chicken and sauce.
Get to know the ingredients
Fresh ginger
Grated fresh ginger cooks with garlic after browning the chicken; the ingredient list also gives a dried ginger alternative.
Bourbon
Bourbon is part of the prepared sauce, which simmers with the returned chicken before the final thickening step.
Divided oil
Use part of the vegetable oil for each chicken batch before cooking garlic and ginger in the same skillet.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 10 steps completeMake room for Easy Bourbon Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Rice and optional garnish
Serve immediately with white rice, adding the listed sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish.
A little more help as you go
Thighs are allowed
You can use boneless skinless thighs cut into the same-sized pieces as the breasts in the main recipe.
Saving leftovers
The directions give airtight refrigerated storage for up to four days for the finished chicken and sauce.
A few questions you might have
When is the sauce mixed?
Whisk its ingredients in a separate bowl before cooking so it is ready after garlic and ginger become fragrant.
Does the chicken cook all at once?
No, brown it in two batches, moving each to a plate before preparing the sauce in the same skillet.
What indicates the final sauce thickness?
The directions call for a sauce that coats the back of a spoon after the cornstarch mixture cooks in.
Can I freeze bourbon chicken?
Yes, cool the chicken and sauce completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
When do the aromatics go in?
Add garlic and ginger to the skillet after both chicken batches are removed, and cook briefly until fragrant.
Any more cooking tips?
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 is an essential part of this recipe, 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, or you can add an additional 1/4 cup of apple juice instead of the bourbon (but this will change the flavor). 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. Slow Cooker Instructions: Cook chicken pieces as directed (although I’d recommend using chicken thighs instead – they’ll be juicier), then add to slow cooker. Divide all sauce ingredients in half (since they won’t be able to simmer and cook down in the slow cooker), and pour on top of chicken pieces. Stir, cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. Add the slurry to the slow cooker and increase heat to HIGH, cooking uncovered for about 20-30 minutes. Stir often. If you need or want to cook the chicken longer, you can cook whole boneless skinless chicken breasts on LOW for 6-8 hours, although this will likely be a shredded sesame chicken. Instant Pot Instructions: Omit cornstarch from chicken. Add cubed chicken, salt, pepper, and all sauce ingredients to the Instant Pot, stirring to combine. Secure lid, making sure the valve is set to “sealing”. Select manual or pressure cook and use the +/- buttons to set it to 3 minutes. Once pressure cooking is finished, turn the valve to “venting” to perform a quick pressure release. Open lid and select “saute”. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into chicken and sauce. Continue cooking, stirring with a wooden spoon until sauce is thickened to your liking. This usually takes me about 2-3 minutes.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thechunkychef.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
