August 2025
Recipe from Cook's Country, August 2021
I learned about this recipe from an episode of Cook's Country on PBS. Bourbon chicken is apparently served in many mall food courts and some chain restaurants, though I don't recall seeing it. However it looked good on the TV show, the recipe had no exotic ingredients, and it looked to be easy to prepare so it was worth trying.
The recipe is for 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs . For the two of us I bought 1.15 pounds of chicken and halved the other ingredients. For the sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, bourbon, toasted sesame oil, and pepper were whisked in a measuring cup, heated in the microwave, then whisked again to ensure all the sugar was dissolved. The chicken was cut into bit-sized pieces then tossed with cornstarch and some of the soy mixture, a process called velveting which helps keep the chicken tender and thickens the sauce. The chicken was browned in a 10" skillet. Grated ginger and minced garlic were cooked until just fragrant and the soy sauce mixture was added. It was brought to a boil and cooked until syrupy. Off heat some cider vinegar was added. The preparation time was 40 minutes.
This recipe made chicken for two dinners. It lived up to its promise of being easy and quick to prepare. Moreover it tastes good. The teriyaki-like sauce has a lot of flavor and the chicken is tender and juicy. It was a little salty, probably from the soy sauce; this could be addressed by using a low-sodium soy sauce.
