Well, let me tell you, if you ever been to one of them food courts at the mall, you’ve probably seen them folks makin’ that bourbon chicken. You know, the one with the sweet sauce and that nice smoky taste. It don’t matter where you from, that smell just grabs ya, don’t it? Now, I ain’t no chef or nothin’, but I can tell you how to make this here dish just like them folks in the food court, but in your own kitchen. It ain’t hard, you just gotta have the right stuff, and a little patience, that’s all.
First off, let’s talk about what you gonna need. Ain’t no fancy ingredients, just things you probably got already sittin’ in your cupboard. For the chicken, I like to use boneless thighs, but you can use chicken breasts too if you want. You need about a pound or so. After that, here’s what you’ll need for the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (don’t get fancy, just use the regular kind)
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (that stuff gives it a little zing)
- 2 tablespoons of bourbon (now, don’t go cheap, get the good stuff)
- 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced up real fine
- 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped up nice
- 1/2 cup of chicken stock (the real deal, not that powder stuff)
Now, you might be thinkin’, that sounds like a lot of stuff, but trust me, it all comes together real nice. You mix them ingredients up in a bowl and set it aside for now. Don’t be rushin’, we ain’t in no hurry.

Next thing, get yourself a skillet or a nice big frying pan. Heat it up on medium-high, and once it’s hot enough, toss in your chicken. You just want to sear it on both sides, till it’s nice and brown. Don’t cook it all the way through yet, just get that color on it. Once it looks all pretty, take it out and set it aside for a minute.
In the same skillet, throw in a little more oil if you need to. Add your garlic and ginger, and cook it just a minute till it smells real good, but don’t burn it, ’cause that’ll ruin it. Once it’s all fragrant, pour in that sauce you made earlier. Stir it up and let it start simmering. You’ll see the sauce start to thicken up a bit, that’s when you know it’s workin’ right.
Now, take your chicken and put it back in the pan with the sauce. Give it a good stir so the chicken gets all covered in that sweet, tangy sauce. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, till the sauce cooks down nice and thick. By the time that’s done, your chicken should be cooked all the way through, and you’ll be smellin’ just like the food court.
Once it’s ready, you can serve it up. I like to serve mine over some steamed rice, makes it all nice and filling. But you can put it with whatever you like—no one’s gonna tell you how to eat your food. And if you want a little extra flavor, you can sprinkle some green onions or sesame seeds on top.
Now, I gotta say, this here recipe is a real good one for when you got folks over, or just when you feel like treatin’ yourself. Ain’t nothin’ too complicated about it, but the flavor? Well, it’ll knock your socks off, I tell ya. It’s got that sweetness from the brown sugar, a little kick from the ginger, and that bourbon… oh, that bourbon gives it that smokey kick that makes it taste like somethin’ special. Give it a try next time you’re feelin’ like somethin’ different, but don’t be surprised if you end up makin’ it every week after that!
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