Bourbon Chicken
A friend emailed this recipe from the web somewhere. Tried and was very good, I made some tweaks along the way.
A friend emailed this recipe from the web somewhere. Tried and was very good, I made some tweaks along the way.
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup celery chopped
- 3 boneless chicken breast halves cut into small bite size pieces
- 2 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup apple juice i used sugar free apple sauce and was fine
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar i was fine using splenda brown sugar
- 2 tbs ketchup
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbs corn starch use less i thought it got a little thick
- 1/4 cup carrot chopped
- Carbohydrate 44.8492982137654 g
- Cholesterol 83.52 mg
- Fat 19.1220496416838 g
- Fiber 1.52308879921955 g
- Protein 49.059530842923 g
- Saturated Fat 4.4531522880066 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (546g)
- Sodium 22306.6542145801 mg
- Sugar 43.3262094145458 g
- Trans Fat 1.33141762504032 g
- Calories 545 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat Oil in Large Skillet or Pot (enough to coat bottom)
- Add Chicken and cook till lightly brown (Cook to almost complete - you will finish cooking when you add back to sauce) Remove chicken from Pan (leaving oil and drippings)
- Add Celery and Carrots to pan and cook till soft
- Add Garlic and Red Pepper flakes to Pan. Cook 30 seconds - don't burn the garlic - this will also bring out the heat in the pepper flakes
- Add remaining ingredients to the pan. heating on medium heat until well mixed and dissolved.
- Add chicken back in - bring to hard boil
- Mix a little water and cornstarch together so it wont clump in pan (2 tbs water at most) add to pan
- Reduce heat and simmer 10 mins. Make sure sauce doesn't get to thick and chicken doesn't dry out (that's why you should only cook to 75% complete in step 2)
Beyond the Label
The ingredient list hides the foundational chemistry happening inside the skillet. Combining brown sugar, apple juice, and soy sauce creates a high-sugar glaze that requires careful thermal management to prevent scorching. When garlic meets hot oil alongside red pepper flakes, thirty seconds is the absolute limit before bitterness sets in. Controlling this phase unlocks capsaicin solubility without burning the alliums.
Sequencing for Texture
Separating the cooking stages prevents the poultry from turning rubbery. Searing the bite-sized pieces until they reach roughly seventy-five percent doneness leaves room for them to finish braising in the sauce without drying out. Whisking the cornstarch into a cool liquid slurry before adding it to the simmering pot prevents lumpy starches from ruining the mouthfeel of the reduction.
Balancing the Plate
Sauces driven by soy, vinegar, and sugar demand starches capable of absorbing aggressive liquids without collapsing. Steamed jasmine rice provides neutral starch granules that soak up the heavy reduction, while plain mashed potatoes offer a creamy counterweight to the sharp acidity of the apple cider vinegar. Maintaining a gentle simmer during the final ten-minute reduction phase ensures the glaze clings properly to the protein instead of pooling in a watery mess at the bottom of the bowl.
