Bourbon Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese bourbon chicken made of? ›

In a medium bowl whisk together the soy sauce, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, hoisin sauce, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, sesame oil and the cup of water. Set aside. Coat the chicken things in a little canola oil and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

That said, like most alcohol used in food, most of it boils off during the cooking process, leaving behind its sweet smoky flavor without the intoxicating side effects.

Why Is It Called Bourbon Chicken? Bourbon chicken is named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans (that's also why the “Bourbon” in Bourbon chicken” is capitalized). As the story goes, the dish was popularized in a Chinese restaurant that was located on Bourbon Street.

But, at the end of the day, they are distinctly different. Bourbon chicken is an umami bomb that features sweet, nutty, toasty, and spiced notes. Teriyaki chicken, on the other hand, leans into sweet, tangy, and salty flavors.

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

This sauce uses molasses, lemon juice, bourbon and Worcestershire sauce as its main flavors. It has that tart, sweet, salty, rich and spicy combination that I think all great barbecue sauces need.

Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. The heat will cook off any alcohol content from the bourbon making it safe to eat for children.

The alcohol will cook down and evaporate making it safe to eat by children.

If you're looking to add a dose of flavor to your chicken or steak, then you may want to consider a marinade made with vodka. Clear liquors like vodka pair incredibly well with poultry and seafood, giving them additional complexity. However, you should use that bottle of vodka sparingly.

Rule #1 –To be called bourbon, it must be made in the United States. (Crown Royal is Canadian, and doesn't , so that's definitely not bourbon.) Rule #2 – Bourbon must be made from a fermented mash of at least 51% corn. (Anyone else thinking of the old TV Show “Moonshiners” right about now?)

Is bourbon chicken from Louisiana? ›

This dish is not a typical or traditional dish of New Orleans, of Creole cuisine, or of Cajun cuisine. This is a dish that appears at shopping mall food courts everywhere in the United States except, significantly, in Louisiana, where they know they'd never be able to pass this off as Cajun food.

The Myth about Kentucky Bourbon Debunked. One of the most pervasive myths about Bourbon is that it has to be made in Kentucky. While Kentucky produces 95% of the world's Bourbon, there are no regulations that prevent it from being made anywhere else in the United States.

This easy-to-make dish is a culinary chameleon of sorts—it can be found on menus at Cajun joints, American Chinese restaurants, and even mall food courts. The main ingredients are simple: soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and, of course, bourbon.

Most stories claim that the dish originated on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with some further stating that it was specifically a Chinese restaurant on Bourbon Street that first came up with the recipe, due, perhaps, to its many Chinese elements.

Cattlemen's® Kentucky Bourbon® BBQ Sauce blends the smooth flavors of oaky bourbon, sweet molasses and warm, signature spices with a thick and rich tomato paste for a bold and smoky sauce that delivers regional character and consistent performance to your recipes.

Back to the task at hand, Bourbon Chicken. This chicken is so deliciously sweet and sticky and has a deep bourbon flavor with hints of the apple juice.

1/4 cup Bourbon whiskey. 1/4 cup brown sugar. 1/3 cup soy sauce. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (optional)

This dish contains shellfish, soy and is gluten-free.