Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe (2024)

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 Tso’s fans sitting next to the Bourbon Chicken fans. You can find my General Tso’s 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 I’ll walk you through the process with pictures. If you just want the recipe, scroll down.

  1. Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
  2. In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky (or apple juice), water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
  3. In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
  4. 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 doesn’t burn and browns evenly.
  1. 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. Don’t rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
  2. Add in the cornstarch/water liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly. (If the sauce doesn’t thicken up for you disolve another Tbsp of cornstarch in 2 Tbsp of water and stir that in)
  3. Serve over rice.

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Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe

Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe (1)

Category: Main Dish, Entree

Cuisine: American Chinese

A copycat recipe for the bourbon chicken served at many food court Chinese restaurants. This may not be authentic Chinese food, but it is delicious.

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 LB chicken thighs, skinless.
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 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 don’t 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 don’t have rice vinegar)
  • 1/2 Cup brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water
  1. Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
  2. In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky, water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
  3. In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
  4. 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 doesn’t burn and browns evenly.
  5. 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. Don’t rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
  6. Add in the cornstarch liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly.
  7. Serve over rice.

If you don’t have or don’t 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.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: 8 bowls

Serving Size:1 bowl

Calories per serving:573.07 kcal

Fat per serving:36.4 g

Saturated fat per serving:10.16 g

Carbs per serving:15.28 g

Protein per serving:43.73 g

Fiber per serving:0.17 g

Sugar per serving:13.4 g

Sodium per serving:749.43 mg

Trans fat per serving:0.22 g

Cholesterol per serving:172.5 mg

Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe (3)

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Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat 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.

What is the difference between teriyaki chicken and bourbon chicken? ›

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.

Does the alcohol cook out of bourbon chicken? ›

If you use bourbon in your sauce, some of the alcohol will cook off, and you'll be left with a little bourbon flavor. If you plan to make this dish for children, the residual alcohol content is something to consider. You would need to cook the sauce for at least three hours to remove all traces of alcohol.

Does bourbon chicken have sugar in it? ›

Bourbon chicken is a dish with New Orleans roots that's easy to make with chicken thigh pieces cooked in a sweet brown sugar, bourbon, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce glaze.

Why is Chinese chicken so juicy? ›

“It might seem counterintuitive to marinate before boiling, but the velveting marinade tenderizes the meat, keeps it moist, and adds flavor. The meat ends up juicy and flavorful, a result you don't get with a standard blanching process.”

What makes chicken in Chinese food so tender? ›

How do the Chinese make chicken so tender? Corn starch is the secret. The meat is cut into bite sized pieces, most often thin slices or diced cubes, for example. Put a teaspoonful of corn starch for each cup of meat, flavor with salt, pepper, etc. Mix the starch and meat by hand until well coated and absorbed.

Why is bourbon chicken called bourbon? ›

Bourbon chicken is a dish named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, and for the bourbon whiskey ingredient. The dish is commonly found at North American restaurants serving Cajun-themed or American Chinese cuisine.

What is bourbon marinade made of? ›

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

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.

Can children eat bourbon chicken? ›

This recipe isn't booze forward despite the name. The alcohol in the bourbon completely cooks off as the sauce simmers and it's safe to serve to children, but if you are concerned or don't have bourbon on hand, you can substitute the 1/4 cup of bourbon for 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce.

Is it safe to marinate chicken in alcohol? ›

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.

Can kids have bourbon caramel? ›

The alcohol in the bourbon is cooked off, so it's ok for the kids to eat it, if that is a concern.

Does Chick Fil A use sugar in their chicken? ›

Ingredients: Chargrilled chicken breast filets containing up to 18% solution of water, seasoning (sugar, salt, dextrose, garlic powder, onion powder, maltodextrin, autolyzed yeast extract, spice, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, flavor, paprika [color]), seasoning (salt, sugar, spices, and paprika), butter ...

Does bourbon have more sugar than whiskey? ›

Straight distilled spirits like bourbon, rye, and other whiskeys have a lower sugar content than any other alcoholic drink. True bourbon—that is, bourbon with no flavorings or sweetener—contains virtually no sugar. The USDA nutrition facts for whiskey register 0 grams of sugar in a 1.5 oz serving.

How many calories are in bourbon chicken from Chinese restaurants? ›

Results for "chinese bourbon chicken"

Other sizes: 1 serving - 503kcal, 100 g - 266kcal, 1 oz - 75kcal, more...

What does bourbon chicken taste like? ›

Traditional Bourbon chicken is a stir-fry-style recipe that features pieces of fried chicken thighs in a sweet, sticky, and savory brown sugar bourbon glaze. It tastes sweet, a little salty, and tangy, similar to other popular Chinese-American dishes like General Tso Chicken and Healthy Orange Chicken.

What is bourbon sauce made from? ›

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.

What are the ingredients in Oriental wok bourbon chicken sauce? ›

Sugar , Water , Soy Sauce ( Water , Soybeans , Wheat , Salt , Sodium Benzoate ( as a Preservative ) ) , Rice Vinegar ( Water , Rice ) , Cornstarch , Minced Garlic ( Garlic , Water , Citric Acid ) , Ground Ginger ( Ginger , Water , Phosphoric Acid , Xanthan Gum ) , Bourbon and Sodium Benzoate ( as a Preservative ) .

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