We live about 30 minutes from an outlet mall, so we go there more often than we should. Becca absolutely loves the bourbon chicken at the Chinese restaurant in the food court, and I have made special trips to the mall just to get the chicken!
Most of the recipes out there are either attempts to copy the New Orleans original (this is really nothing like that) or some sort of barbecue type sauce.
After much tinkering, trial and error I finally came up with a recipe that is nearly identical (close enough) to what is served at our food court. We love it, I hope you do too.
If your house is like ours, there are probably some General Tsoâs fans sitting next to the Bourbon Chicken fans. You can find my General Tsoâs copycat recipe here. You might also want to try some of my delicious and easy homemade egg rolls.
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The full recipe card is at the bottom of this post, but Iâll walk you through the process with pictures. If you just want the recipe, scroll down.
Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky (or apple juice), water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
Add the chicken and cook until the juices have cooked off and the chicken starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the chicken every 1-2 minutes so it doesnât burn and browns evenly.
Add the bourbon mixture and stir well. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Donât rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
Add in the cornstarch/water liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly. (If the sauce doesnât thicken up for you disolve another Tbsp of cornstarch in 2 Tbsp of water and stir that in)
1/4 tsp black pepper (I used 4 turns on the pepper mill)
1/3 Cup soy sauce
1/3 Cup Bourbon (or whatever brown whiskey you have sitting around. Dark rum would probably work too). If you donât keep alcohol in your house you can substitute apple juice or cranberry juice. If you use juice, use a little less brown sugar. It really is delicious with just apple juice and no Bourbon.
1/2 Cup water
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar would do if you donât have rice vinegar)
1/2 Cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water
Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky, water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
Add the chicken and cook until the juices have cooked off and the chicken starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the chicken every 1-2 minutes so it doesnât burn and browns evenly.
Add the bourbon mixture and stir well. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Donât rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
Add in the cornstarch liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly.
Serve over rice.
If you donât have or donât want to use whiskey in this recipe simply substitute apple juice. The taste is nearly identical. You may use chicken breast in place of chicken thighs, but the food court in my area definitely uses thighs.
The main ingredients are simple: soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and, of course, bourbon. When combined, they create a delicious blend of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors. Bourbon chicken is a family favorite in our house, and I bet it will be in yours too.
Editor's Note: Named Bourbon Chicken because it was supposedly created by a Chinese cook who worked in a restaurant on Bourbon Street. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
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.
Panda's new Blazing Bourbon Chicken combines Southern American tradition with Taiwanese-style popcorn chicken, all amped up by the inclusion of "Hot Ones" spiciest sauce, Last Dab Apollo.
This sauce includes natural ketchup, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, fresh orange juice, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and liquid smoke. The liquid smoke is optional, but is essential for smoky bourbon bbq sauce!
The choice is up to you. You may choose to use cooking methods that help to reduce the alcohol content and use less alcohol in a dish to make it safer for your child. Otherwise the safer option is to choose to leave out alcoholic drinks when preparing food for babies and children.
Something for everyone. Now here is something for the bourbon lover in your life and if that so happens to be you, well you just scored a batch of bourbon caramel popcorn all to yourself đ. The alcohol in the bourbon is cooked off, so it's ok for the kids to eat it, if that is a concern.
Panda Express Launches New Blazing Bourbon Chicken
The limited-time menu item is a crispy chicken coated in sweet and spicy sauce, made with soy sauce, real bourbon, honey, garlic, and Hot Ones The Last Dab Apollo hot sauce (which is the hottest sauce on the show).
Why is Panda Express chicken so soft? Chinese restaurants use a cooking technique called velveting. One method is to marinate the meat with cornstarch to create a moist, velvety soft texture. Another method is to coat the meat in baking soda for about 20 to 30 minutes, rinse, and use in the recipe as directed.
Distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky, Chicken co*ck Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a rich, elegant mahogany hue color, a nose with a nice balance of oak tones with sweet notes of dried fruit, caramel and vanilla.
Cattlemen'sÂź Kentucky BourbonÂź 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.
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.
Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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