Easy Bourbon Chicken Recipe

Tender pieces of chicken smothered in a homemade bourbon sauce and garnished with green onions.

5 from 8 votes

This 20 Minute, One Pan Easy Bourbon Chicken Recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. A healthier version of the mall food court favorite with tender chicken and that signature sticky-sweet sauce. Serve it with rice and veggies for a complete meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dinner | Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Nancylynn

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces, can sub chicken breasts
avocado oil cooking spray
salt to taste
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger minced
2 Tbsp bourbon or sub apple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar or sub maple syrup
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp naturally sweetened ketchup
1 tsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup coconut aminos or tamari can sub soy sauce if not gluten free
1 Tbsp cornstarch can sub arrowroot for grain free
2 Tbsp green onions sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Spray a large skillet or cast iron pan liberally with avocado oil spray. Place on medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with salt, then add the chicken pieces to the hot skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the bourbon, brown sugar, maple syrup, ketchup, vinegar, water, coconut aminos and cornstarch in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup.
Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately, over rice if desired.

Notes

21 Day Fix: 1 RED, 2 sweetener TSP (per serving)

WW: 7 points (per serving) [Calculated using brown sugar, rice vinegar, and coconut aminos]

Storage and Reheating:

- Leftover bourbon chicken can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

- To reheat, heat chicken and sauce in a small pan on low until heated through. If the sauce thickens too much, you can add a teaspoon or two of water to thin it out. You could also use chicken broth or veggie broth for this.

- - You can freeze leftover chicken for up to three months in an airtight freezer container. You could also prep this as a freezer meal - just chop your chicken and place it a large ziplock bag. Mix sauce, except for the cornstarch, then add it to the bag. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before preparing and add the cornstarch to the chicken mixture before heating.

Nutrition