I'd made General Tso's Tofu before and really liked how it came out. Not everyone loves tofu, but many people like a breaded protein item and when you fry firm tofu up like that it comes out a little crispy and has a good, solid texture inside. The breading is done the same for Bourbon Chicken.
The chicken is breaded in cornstarch rather than flour, and it is much more fine in texture. No egg wash was required - I chopped the chicken into smaller pieces and tossed them in some corn starch to start.
I love the sauce. It was slightly sweet but also mildly salty. Does it actually taste like bourbon? No, it's definitely not like drinking a glass of Bulleit, but it does have a slight flavor. I decided to have mine with cauliflower rice and was super happy with the result.
The neat thing about cooking the chicken this way is that it is dynamic. As I mentioned before, I'd made General Tso's Tofu, which can be done with chicken the same way. It's just a matter of changing out the sauce. And better yet, it's a chicken recipe that doesn't take long to cook. Take out perfection at home.
Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons cooking oil (I used avocado)
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup water
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and in a large bowl toss in the mixture to lightly coat the chicken. Heat about half the oil over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Add about half the pieces of chicken and fry for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the breading is lightly golden. Remove from pan and cook the remaining chicken, removing once completed. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute, then stir in bourbon, water, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, and crushed red pepper. Heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce reduces. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir. Stir in the cornstarch and lower heat. Sauce will thicken. Toss chicken in sauce and serve with a rice or vegetables as desired.
I then pan-fried it in some avocado oil. You can use other oils, but I generally use avocado oil for everything. Good fats and a high smoke point make it my go to.
The sauce was made in a small saucepan from a combination of garlic, ginger, bourbon, water, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, and crushed red pepper. I did not have apple juice as called for in the original, but played with adjusting quantities a bit to compensate for the loss of sweetness.
I love the sauce. It was slightly sweet but also mildly salty. Does it actually taste like bourbon? No, it's definitely not like drinking a glass of Bulleit, but it does have a slight flavor. I decided to have mine with cauliflower rice and was super happy with the result.
The neat thing about cooking the chicken this way is that it is dynamic. As I mentioned before, I'd made General Tso's Tofu, which can be done with chicken the same way. It's just a matter of changing out the sauce. And better yet, it's a chicken recipe that doesn't take long to cook. Take out perfection at home.
Bourbon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons cooking oil (I used avocado)
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup water
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces and in a large bowl toss in the mixture to lightly coat the chicken. Heat about half the oil over medium-high heat until the oil is hot. Add about half the pieces of chicken and fry for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the breading is lightly golden. Remove from pan and cook the remaining chicken, removing once completed. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute, then stir in bourbon, water, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, and crushed red pepper. Heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce reduces. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and stir. Stir in the cornstarch and lower heat. Sauce will thicken. Toss chicken in sauce and serve with a rice or vegetables as desired.
adapted from easy bourbon chicken
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