Mike’s Famous Bourbon Chicken
As an angsty teenager (many, many years ago), nothing was “cooler” than endlessly wandering the corridors of the mall, and hitting up the food court was always essential. I made sure to get the free sample of bourbon chicken on a toothpick and inevitably ordered a big Styrofoam tray of it. Well, now you can have that nostalgic bite at home, and this time without all the sugar! This recipe is now on weekly rotation at my house, and I suspect it will be at yours too. It’s easy, ridiculously tasty and really fun to make—Styrofoam optional.
Fun Fact: The bourbon chicken name comes from Bourbon Street in New Orleans, not the liquor, so adding the bourbon in the recipe is totally optional.
Macros per serving
- 397 calories
- 50.9 g protein
- 17.2 g fat
- 2.7 g net carbs
Serves4
Cooking Time20 min
Total TimeUnder 30 minutes
Dietary RestrictionsGluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (54 g) granulated sweetener (I recommend allulose)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar-free ketchup
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) bourbon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons (4 g) sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoon (12 g) garlic powder
- 2 lb (907 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced into ½" (1-cm) cubes
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) avocado oil
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced, for garnish
Directions
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In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, sweetener, ketchup, water, bourbon (if using), salt, black pepper, ginger, paprika and garlic powder. Stir in the diced chicken until it’s evenly coated in marinade, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set it in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 5 minutes. Optionally, you can make this a day ahead and let it marinate overnight to get even more flavor.
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Heat the avocado oil in a large (12-inch [30-cm]) nonstick pan over high heat. Once the oil is smoking hot, add the chicken, including all of the marinade. Spread the chicken in an even layer and let it sear for 5 minutes. Once the liquid has mostly evaporated, cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is nicely browned. You’ll know it’s done when the edges are turning a darker brown color and the liquid in the pan is completely gone. Turn off the heat and spoon the chicken into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the sliced scallions on top for garnish.
Pro Tip:
If you prefer white meat chicken, you can cube boneless chicken tenders or breasts. Just shorten the overall cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes, as white meat cooks slightly faster than dark meat. You can also try this with salmon or shrimp!
