Sweet, Sticky Bourbon Chicken Is a Weeknight Winner
No one will ever say no to this super-easy chicken stir-fry dressed in a sticky-sweet glaze of bourbon and brown sugar. It only takes a handful of ingredients, and it cooks all in one pan so quickly and easily you’ll want to make it every night. It tastes just like something you’d order at a restaurant, but you can make it at home in just 15 minutes. It’s perfect with rice (just make sure to start the rice before prepping the chicken, or the chicken will finish first and you’ll be stuck sitting around waiting for the rice cooker to go off and trying not to eat all the chicken before it’s ready).
Bourbon is the traditional spirit for this easy pan sauce, but the author says you could easily use another whiskey like rye or Scotch if that’s what you have on hand or prefer to drink. If you don’t want to use alcohol at all, the author says apple cider makes the best substitute.
Start with chicken chopped into bite-sized pieces. Whether you use thighs or breasts is up to you. Breast meat has less fat, but thigh meat is juicier. Both are fantastic in a sticky-sweet glaze like this one.
Cook the chicken in olive oil until browned. While it cooks, whisk together a quarter cup of bourbon with soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. Whisk together some corn starch and water and add that to the sauce as well. The corn starch will help thicken up the sauce in the pan.
Pour the sauce right over the chicken in the pan and bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through. Then it’s ready to serve over rice. If you have some scallions, finely chop the green parts and sprinkle them over the top for a nice finishing touch.
Get the recipe: Bourbon Chicken from The Recipe Critic
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