Straight off of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, this tender bourbon chicken is covered in a slightly sweet sauce with a little kick. It’s a true taste of the South you won’t be able to resist.
I had my first taste of bourbon chicken in a mall in Florida. I walked around for 20 minutes looking at all the different food court options, not feeling like any of them, and I finally gave in to the lady that had tried to hand me a sample of this chicken three times. Twice, I looked at the giant aluminum pan full of some watery brown liquid and sloshy chicken and though “nope”. But I was beat down, and hungry, so I gave in. And it was freaking incredible.
I got a giant plate of it, ignored my inner cricket that was telling me there was no way to know how long that chicken had been sloshing there, and I inhaled the entire plate in record time. It became something I looked forward to every trip to Florida.
In the last couple of years we got a chain up here in Canada that sells it too… but they aren’t that common, and the closest mall to me that has it is always a DISASTER to go to – way too damn busy to be enjoyable at all (yeah, I’m looking at you Vaughan Mills).
Ingredients
- food recipes
I had my first taste of bourbon chicken in a mall in Florida. I walked around for 20 minutes looking at all the different food court options, not feeling like any of them, and I finally gave in to the lady that had tried to hand me a sample of this chicken three times. Twice, I looked at the giant aluminum pan full of some watery brown liquid and sloshy chicken and though “nope”. But I was beat down, and hungry, so I gave in. And it was freaking incredible.
I got a giant plate of it, ignored my inner cricket that was telling me there was no way to know how long that chicken had been sloshing there, and I inhaled the entire plate in record time. It became something I looked forward to every trip to Florida.
In the last couple of years we got a chain up here in Canada that sells it too… but they aren’t that common, and the closest mall to me that has it is always a DISASTER to go to – way too damn busy to be enjoyable at all (yeah, I’m looking at you Vaughan Mills).
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" bite size pieces
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium is best)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup Jack Daniel's or Southern Comfort
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, minced
- 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
- 1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom pot (I use a dutch oven). Add the chicken pieces and brown until lightly golden on all sides. This will take about ten minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. It will not be fully cooked yet.
- In the now empty pot, add the water, sugar, chicken broth, soy sauce, ketchup, Jack Daniel's, apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and ginger. Bring to a boil, and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken pieces back into the pan with the sauce, along with any accumulated juice on the plate. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, and the sauce has started to thicken.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple juice and corn starch. Stir into the pot with a wooden spoon, then turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to thicken up the sauce.
- Serve while hot, and remember, this goes great with rice and corn (and a glass of bourbon).
