Bourbon chicken is a favorite at Chinese takeouts and the mall food courts. It's made with juicy, marinated chicken thighs fried until golden brown and tossed in a thick, sticky, sweet and savory "bourbon" sauce. It's an incredibly delicious and easy dish to make at home that takes only 30 minutes, and it pairs perfectly with a side of steamed white rice or egg fried rice, egg rolls, and crab rangoons!
๐Fun fact: Unlike what the name suggests, Chinese takeout style bourbon chicken usually does not contain any bourbon! Instead, many Chinese restaurants use fermented sweet rice, which has a low percentage of alcohol but enough to give it its needed flavors.
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Ingredients needed
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
To marinate the chicken:
- Chicken thighs - We recommend using chicken thighs because they are the juiciest and most flavorful.
- Water and baking soda - The water ensures that the chicken is as juicy as it can be while the baking soda tenderizes the chicken and promotes water retention in the chicken.
- Soy sauce and salt- Both seasons the chicken and the soy sauce also adds an extra touch of umami and color.
- Ginger and garlic - These aromatics makes the chicken fragrant and adds to the unique flavor of bourbon chicken.
- Egg - It is added to give the chicken another layer of protection to keep it juicy. The egg also adds to the flavor, make the chicken more flavorful and aromatic.
- Cornstarch - This is the binder for the chicken which also becomes a thin coat of batter.
- Oil - Any neutral oil is fine. We usually use avocado oil or canola oil. It makes separating the chicken pieces easier.
For the "bourbon" sauce:
- Water, soy sauce, sugar - These three makes the base of the "bourbon" sauce. Since this recipe does not use bourbon, the soy sauce also gives the sauce color since the fermented glutinous rice is clear.
- Ginger and garlic - These two are the aromatics of the sauce.
- Cornstarch slurry - This is make by mixing together equal parts cornstarch and cold water. It's for thickening the bourbon sauce.
- Oil - Any neutral oil for cooking is fine.
- Fermented glutinous rice (้ ้ ฟ - jiu niang)- Since many Chinese restaurants do no actually use bourbon in bourbon chicken, they use fermented glutinous rice, which is sometimes called sweet rice wine/paste. It's made by fermenting glutinous rice and has a low alcohol percentage (around 1-3 percent) which is just enough to give takeout style bourbon chicken the caramelized flavor it needs for the bourbon flavor.
How to make bourbon chicken from Chinese takeout:
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
Prepare the chicken:
1. Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken thighs, water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined and most of the liquid is absorbed by the chicken. Then, add the egg and mix well.
Add the cornstarch and mix until no more dry cornstarch is visible. Finish by mixing in the oil and mix. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 3 days in the fridge.
2. Fry the chicken. Heat about 2 inches of oil to 350ยฐF and maintain the temperature. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken one piece at a time. Fry the chicken for about 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. Break up the chicken if they start clumping together. Once cooked, remove the chicken and allow it to drain for a moment on a prepared sheet pan with a wire rack or a plate with paper towels.
๐Pro tip: Make sure to NOT overcrowd the oil! Overcrowding can drastically drop the oil's temperature and it will make your chicken soggy, greasy, and undercooked. So fry in batches if needed.
Make the bourbon chicken:
3. Prepare the sauce base. In a bowl, combine water, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
4. Make the "bourbon" sauce. In a large nonstick pan over medium high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
Add the fermented glutinous rice (liquid and all) and cook until all the alcohol has been cooked off, about a minute.
Then add the prepared sauce base to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a medium and let the sauce simmer for about 10 seconds, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve.
To finish, give the cornstarch slurry a good stir then add it to the sauce by drizzling in while stirring the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 seconds, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
๐Note: The amount of cornstarch slurry used creates a fairly thick sauce so that the chicken can be well coated. If you prefer your sauce thinner, use about ยฝ tablespoon less cornstarch.
๐Pro tip: The cornstarch slurry can get lumpy if it does not get properly incorporated into the sauce before the starch is cooked. So if needed, take your pan off of the heat when drizzling in the slurry.
5. Finish. Add the fried chicken to the bourbon sauce and toss until everything is well coated. Enjoy while hot over steamed white rice or fried rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
What to do with leftover oil
Leftover oil can be reused for cooking or more frying. Transfer the leftover oil into a heatproof bowl, jar, or container. Let the oil cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid. If you're uncomfortable with handling hot oil, set the oil aside to cool first!
If you plan on reusing the oil again, make sure to strain it through a fine mesh strainer or a couple layers or cheesecloth to remove any debris. Keep the oil in a cool, dark place and use within a couple of weeks.
If you're disposing oil, pour it into a jar or a container that can be sealed. Dispose of it in your trashcan. DO NOT pour it down your drain! It may damage your pipes and also cause damage to the environment!
Storage
Leftover bourbon chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
If the chicken is fried by not tossed in sauce yet, it can be refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Raw, marinated chicken can be frozen up to 2 months in an airtight container. Just make sure to thaw in the fridge completely before frying and make sure to give the chicken a good mix in case there's any liquid separations.
Reheating
Refrigerated, leftover bourbon chicken can be reheated in the microwave, loosely covered, or on the stovetop with a small amount of water over medium heat. If the sauce has thinned out, you can re-thicken it with some cornstarch slurry (start with 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1-2 teaspoons water).
Refrigerated chicken without the sauce can be reheated in the air fryer at 400ยฐF for about 5 minutes. If frozen, heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.
FAQ
Fermented glutinous rice can usually be found at most Asian markets. If you cannot find it, you can substitute every ยผ cups of fermented glutinous rice for 2 tablespoons of bourbon, sake, or Chinese white wine (bai jiu).
Yes! If you prefer not using so much oil to deep fry, you can pan fry the chicken on each side with less oil.
Potato starch is a good substitute for cornstarch in both the chicken marinade and the bourbon sauce. Use in equal amounts.
๐ Recipe
Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 1ยฝ tablespoons ginger peeled and grated
- 1ยฝ tablespoons garlic minced
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- ยฝ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil
For the sauce:
- โ cup water
- โ cup regular soy sauce
- โ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced (about 1 inch per TBSP)
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (about 2-3 cloves per TBSP)
- 1 tablespoon oil or as needed for cooking (any neutral oil)
- ยผ cup fermented glutinous rice use a mix of both liquid and rice *see notes
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (mix every 4 TBSPs of cornstarch with 4 tablespoon of cold water to make slurry)
Optional for garnish:
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken:In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken thighs, water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt and baking soda. Mix until everything is well combined and most of the liquid is absorbed by the chicken. Next, add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add the cornstarch and mix until no more dry cornstarch is visible. Finish by adding in the oil and mix until well combined. If you have time, let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge (up to 3 days) for best flavor.
- Fry the chicken:When the chicken is done marinating, prepare the fry station. In a wok or tall pan, add about 2 inches of oil and heat it to 350ยฐF (180ยฐF). Also prepare a sheet pan with a cooling rack or a plate lined with paper towels.*If you prefer, you can pan fry the chicken instead of deep frying.*
- When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken into the oil one piece at a time. Make sure to NOT overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches if needed. Fry the chicken for about 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. Make sure to keep the oil temperature maintained around 350ยฐF and break up the chicken if they start clumping together. Once cooked, remove the chicken and allow it to drain for a moment on the prepared sheet pan or plate.
- Make the "bourbon" sauce:While the chicken is draining, prepare the sauce base. In a bowl, combine water, soy sauce, and sugar.
- In a large nonstick pan over medium high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. Then add the fermented glutinous rice (liquid and all) and cook until all the alcohol has been cooked off, about a minute. Add the prepared sauce base to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to a medium and let the sauce simmer for about 10 seconds, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. To finish, give the cornstarch slurry a good stir then add it to the sauce by drizzling in while stirring the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 seconds, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and glossy.*If you prefer your sauce thinner, hold back about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch slurry.*
- Finish:Add the fried chicken to the bourbon sauce and toss until everything is well coated. Enjoy while hot over steamed white rice or fried rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
Notes
- Fermented glutinous rice (้ ้ ฟ) - In lieu of actual bourbon, Chinese takeout often use fermented glutinous rice (sometimes called sweet rice wine/paste) for this dish. It has a very low alcohol content but enough to give bourbon chicken the flavor it needs. You can find it at most Asian markets in the refrigerated aisles. See our post above for a photo reference!
Ryan says
Made this one last night with bourbon. Have not had this as a take out dish, so had no reference point. We were quite happy with how it turned out overall. I had a bit of trouble with the recipe wrt the sauce base, but back tracked and figured that out (my suggestion was going to be to add the prep for that as a separate step, but, looking at it online now, it's either been updated already, or, I should not have poured bourbon for myself LOL).
Paired well with the egg fried rice (which has become our go-to side.
Mei says
Hi Ryan! Thank you for you giving our recipe a try! It sounds like you guys had a blast in the kitchen =)
Not every Chinese restaurant offers bourbon chicken, but it's definitely one of our favorites from my parents' restaurant. So very happy to hear you all enjoyed it! Also, yes, definitely recommend that the base sauce is prepped separately.
Mei โค๏ธ
Julie says
The recipe came out well, but I think there was too much sugar. Iโm going to try it again with less of the sugar and corn starch.
Mei says
Hi Julie! Thank you for trying it out! We had created this recipe based on how bourbon chicken tasted from Chinese takeouts and my parents', but you can definitely adjust the sweetness to your preference =)
Mei โค๏ธ