This honey bourbon chicken features juicy coated chicken and tender broccoli in the most incredible honey bourbon sauce! Serve this hearty chicken over hot rice with lots of green onions and sesame seeds on top.
This is otherwise known as crack chicken in our house. It’s just so insanely good that you can’t help but get addicted.
I mean, we’ve got juicy breaded chicken, tender broccoli, and the most incredible bourbon sauce ever all hanging out in one pan so it’s not really hard to see why.
So maybe consider cancelling those takeout plans for the foreseeable future?
What is bourbon chicken? Traditional bourbon chicken stems from Bourbon Street in New Orleans and is named after both the street and the bourbon that’s used in the sauce.
P.S. Don’t worry, the alcohol cooks out of the sauce!
Typically, bourbon chicken is lightly breaded chicken that’s pan fried, tossed in a soy sauce-based bourbon sauce, and served over rice. Our version today uses a little creative freedom, but it’s still amazing!
This Honey Bourbon Chicken features…
- Juicy breaded chicken cubes
- Tender broccoli florets
- A sweet and spicy honey bourbon sauce
- Made entirely in one pan in only 40 minutes
Making the Honey Bourbon Chicken
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Apple juice
- Bourbon
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Red pepper flakes
- Broccoli
Choosing Your Chicken
We recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because we found that this cut cooks up super juicy and tender. It’s got that signature rich, juicy chicken texture that you’ll find in most chicken from Asian restaurants.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken breasts? Yes, you can! Be aware that chicken breasts won’t cook up quite as juicy as thighs, but it will still be delicious.
Tips for Perfect Bourbon Chicken
- Cut chicken in uniform size – cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and try to get them all the same size so they cook evenly.
- Coat chicken in cornstarch – a light coating of cornstarch creates that signature Chinese restaurant-style breading on the chicken.
- Pan-fry chicken and broccoli separately – the chicken and broccoli will cook at different time rates and it’s important not to overcrowd the pan.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger in sauce – fresh makes a huge different flavor-wise here!
- Simmer chicken and broccoli in sauce – once the chicken and broccoli are pan-fried, combine them and allow them to simmer in the sauce until the sauce is thickened (the cornstarch from the chicken coating will thicken the sauce!)
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe!
- Skip the alcohol – feel free to use chicken broth or additional apple juice in place of the bourbon for an alcohol-free version.
- Try another veggie – mushrooms, sweet pepper, asparagus, snow peas, or zucchini would be great in place of the broccoli.
- Make it beef – use thinly-sliced beef round steak in place of the chicken.
- Adjust the heat – you can use more or less red pepper flakes in the sauce depending on your personal spice preference.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for make-ahead options!
- Cut chicken and broccoli – these can be cut and stored in fridge up to 3 days.
- Make the sauce – the sauce can be stored in fridge up to 1 week (be aware the honey will solidify – it will melt back to liquid state once heated)
- Storing leftovers – once the chicken is assembled, leftovers may be stored in fridge up to 6 days and reheated in the microwave.
This bourbon chicken and broccoli really is just one for the takeout-fakeout record books. The flavorful bourbon sauce coats every INCH of the chicken and broccoli with the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy.
Your weeknight dinner game is looking top-notch as right now, you’re welcome.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More skillet chicken dinners to make next!
Honey Bourbon Chicken and Broccoli
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups broccoli, cut into 1-in florets
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Hot rice, green onions, and sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, cornstarch, salt, and pepper together, tossing until chicken is evenly coated in cornstarch.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil, and swirl to coat bottom. Begin adding chicken to skillet, shaking off excess cornstarch back into bowl. Cook chicken until golden brown on all sides, turning occasionally. Transfer chicken to a clean plate and set aside for a moment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together apple juice, bourbon, soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until combined. Set aside for a moment.
- Add broccoli to same skillet you used for the chicken and sauté in pan drippings over medium-high heat until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
- Pour sauce into skillet over broccoli and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 3-5 minutes until heated through and sauce is thickened and clinging to chicken.
- Remove bourbon chicken from heat and season sauce with salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve warm over hot rice with green onions and sesame seeds garnished on top. Enjoy!
Chris says
Can I make this ahead and serve later to quests?
Sarah says
Yes, you can! Refer to the blog post for all the make ahead options. 🙂