Last Updated on September 27, 2025 by Soul Food Cooking
This Easy Bourbon Chicken Recipe taste just like your local restaurant. Bourbon chicken is a popular Chinese-American takeout favorite made up of juicy and tender chicken breast in a sweet and savory delicious flavored sticky sauce. While this is a classic dish, recreating Bourbon Chicken at home is so great because it allows you to elevate the flavors and construct a perfectly balanced meal that can quickly become one of your family’s favorite.
This recipe is made with tender chicken breast that is simmered in a sweet and tangy bourbon-infused sauce. The combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, and a touch of bourbon gives the dish a complexity that is deeply satisfying. You can control the taste to suit your preferences and create a dish that is all your own. Follow along as I share this classic Asian recipe.
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Ingredients for Easy Bourbon Chicken
- Chicken breast: This recipe can be made with either chicken breast or chicken thighs. Chicken breast offers a lean option.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch aids in thicken the sauce, offering a smooth textured sauce.
- Garlic: Garlic adds a fragrant depth to the dish’s overall flavor.
- Ketchup: Ketchup adds both a tanginess and sweetness ultimately balancing with the savory elements.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is used to sauté the garlic and chicken, adding a mild richness to the dish.
- Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds acidity, enhancing the brightness and balance of the sauce.
- Apple juice: Apple juice brings a subtle sweetness to complement the bourbon.
- Bourbon: Bourbon adds a rich, smoky depth with a slight hint of caramel to the sauce.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce delivers savory umami flavor and a touch of saltiness to the dish.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar provides sweetness and a hint of molasses to balance the tangy and savory notes.
- Red pepper flakes: Red pepper flakes add slight heat to give this dish a subtle kick.
- Ground ginger: Ground ginger brings a warm flavor and a spice, enhancing the complexity of the sauce.
- Water: Water helps dissolve the ingredients and creates the base for the sauce to reduce.
What You Will Need:
Watch the Video for Easy Bourbon Chicken
Instructions for Bourbon Chicken
Step 1: Preparing the Chicken for Bourbon Chicken
Clean and pat dry the chicken breasts. Slice the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Chicken
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes until the chicken starts to brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
In the same pan, add the water, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, and bourbon.Stir in the ketchup, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, and ground ginger. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.Add the brown sugar and whisk until it dissolves into the sauce.
Step 4: Coating the Chicken
Return the browned chicken to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce.
Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking.
How to Store Leftover Bourbon Chicken
Bourbon Chicken can be stored easy in both the refrigerator and freezer. To refrigerate, transfer the room temperature Bourbon Chicken into an airtight container. Bourbon Chicken can be safely stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Once you’re ready to eat, reheat it in a pan over medium heat, adding a little bit of water or chicken broth to keep the sauce from drying out. Another reheating option is the microwave. Use a microwave safe dish and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and heat it until it reaches your desired temperature.
To freeze your Bourbon Chicken, let it cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag. Bourbon Chicken will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it again, allow the chicken to thaw in the refrigerator overnight then follow the same instructions used for when reheating from the fridge.
Bourbon Chicken gets its unique taste from a sweet, savory, and slightly smoky sauce made with bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and sometimes a bit of apple juice or vinegar. The bourbon adds a rich depth and warmth to the dish, giving it a Southern twist. While Teriyaki Chicken has a more predictable, sweet and salty flavor profile, made with soy sauce, sugar and rice wine.
Yes, children can enjoy the delicious taste of Bourbon Chicken without the fear of alcohol consumption. During the cooking process the alcohol in the bourbon cooks off leaving only the rich flavor behind. The Bourbon adds a deep, smoky sweetness to the sauce while the alcohol is eliminated making it perfectly safe for kids to enjoy. If you still have concerns, you can always reduce or substitute the bourbon with apple juice or a similar alternative for peace of mind!
Other Great Recipes
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
6
servings15
minutes30
minutesIngredients
2 lbs chicken breast
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps ketchup
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
¼ cup apple juice
2 tbsps Bourbon
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ cup water
Directions
- Clean and pat dry the chicken breasts.
- Slice the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes until the chicken starts to brown.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the water, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, and bourbon.
- Stir in the ketchup, cornstarch, red pepper flakes, and ground ginger. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
- Add the brown sugar and whisk until it dissolves into the sauce.
- Return the browned chicken to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce.
- Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking.
