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This recipe is delicious. One of my go-to’s to take to a family that needs a meal. It is even great without the bourbon!
Amy Johnson
Hiiii.
That? That’s my life right there. That sticky bourbon chicken with rice on a blue plate/bowl basically sums it all up. No further comment. See it and believe it.
Mardi Gras? Um, didn’t even know it was, like, now. Or yesterday. When was it again? This bourbon sauce has me all in a tizzy. As fun and coordinated and themey as it might seem with the timing of Mardi Gras and me making bourbon chicken, the real me is more of an I-ate-it-at-Leeann-Chins-and-it-totally-surprised-me-with-yum-and-now-I-need-to-make-it-at-home kind of a cook. And oh, by the way, Mardi Gras. It was probably meant to be anyways.
The number one thing I love about this recipe? Spending about five minutes of hands on time and eventually walking out to the table with a gorgeously saucy golden platter of chicken, like so.
Like as if it’s fancy or something. Er, I don’t make chicken a lot – maybe that’s not even fancy looking. Don’t tell me.
But seriously, the five minute thing? You do have to have a tiny bit of planning ahead because it marinates the night before, but just try to find something as delicious and as simple to prepare that has a fun name like sticky bourbon chicken. With rice.
Speaking of rice, what the heck. It’s tasting so good lately. For most of my life I have been one of those girls who said the dumbest thing: “I don’t like rice”. UM WHAT. That’s a) weird, and b) annoying. Maybe the Philippines is finally breaking through to my food soul, or maybe the loooong drizzle of oil and thick sprinkle of salt is helping. But thankfully I’m over that non-rice-liking weirdness now, and when I smell the fragrant basmati cooking away in that little red rice cooker, I get extremely food happy.
Plus rice is basically your sponge for the sticky sweet bourbon soy garlic brown sugar-y sauce, so how can you not love it? Treat yourself right. Sticky Bourbon Chicken with Rice now.
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Bourbon Chicken:
Sticky Bourbon Chicken with Rice
- Total Time: 13 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This sticky bourbon chicken is so easy to make! Perfect served with rice, green onions, and a drizzle of extra sauce. So yummy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs (I used boneless skinless – delish!)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon crushed or sliced ginger (fresh, not dried)
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 4–5 green onions, cut into thirds or sliced
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
Instructions
- THE NIGHT BEFORE: Combine the soy sauce, oil, vinegar, bourbon, and brown sugar in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Place the chicken in a baking dish (a casserole pan or something with high sides) with lid and pour the sauce over the chicken. Toss in the ginger, garlic, and half of the green onions. Cover and marinate overnight (or for as many hours as you have before baking).
- THE DAY OF: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the chicken and bake directly in the marinade for 45 minutes, basting the chicken with the sauce periodically and/or turning the pieces upside down to get them baking in the sauce on both sides. Cook the rice according to package directions.
- When the chicken is done, turn the oven temperature to broil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to get a nice, browned exterior on the chicken. Remove and serve whole or cut, with extra sauce and scallions, over the rice.
Notes
Nutrition facts are for the chicken and rice with most but not all of the sauce. I was pretty generous with my saucing and still had some sauce left in the pan.
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bourbon chicken, sticky bourbon chicken, chicken recipe, chicken dinner, baked chicken
Nutrition facts include the rice.
Oh my goodness! Yes, that does look mighty fine. How can anyone say no this chicken, especially when bourbon is involved?
Yummy
What kind of oil, vegetable or olive oil?
Hi, Kaelin. We used vegetable oil, but any mild-flavored oil would be fine.
Bourbon chicken is an absolute yum fest. Especially when it’s homemade and sticky and includes sauce soaked rice and only 5 minutes of hands on time! What? Is that even a real sentence.
So much goodness.
Pinned!
I love your comments Taylor. lolz 🙂
I’m totally with you on the rice! I always thought of it as a lame alternative to pasta, but now I kind of love it. This chicken looks so good!
It’s weird, I don’t know what made me change my mind but I can’t get enough lately.
That looks delicious and fancy in the same time!
5 minute hands on time is pretty much the only way to go when it comes to making chicken! this recipe is definitely a must make =) YUM!
Sticky sauce, sticky chicken, and soon to be my sticky fingers digging right in! You may want to avert your eyes…
This is one meal that I know the whole family will enjoy!
That looks like it has a really, really favorable effort-to-yum ratio 🙂
Going on my list for this weekend for sure! I’m always looking for ways to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
effort to yum ratio! That is the best phrase ever.
I’ve never ate bourbon chicken before, but I think I need to try it 😉 I love easy chicken recipes and too often I fall back on the same tried & true recipes. Time to change it up! Thanks Lindsey (and gorgeous pictures! I want to eat it off the screen!)
Wha? Only 5 minutes? I’m all for it. This is going on next week’s menu.
Oh I know this will be a hit! Love the photos they make me want to reach through the screen and devour the dish 🙂
My goodness Lindsay everything about this dish is right up my alley. Making this asap!
This looks amazing!!!!
Wow-this looks incredible! I love that the hands on time is only 5 minutes, this is definitely going on my ‘to-make’ list!
Hi. Is this recipe slow cookerable? I made that word up. But, the question still stands.
Oh yes, I would think so. Cook those up in the crock and enjoy your dreams coming true. 🙂
This smells AMAZING and is done, but I don’t have a sticky sauce. It’s very runny, but I’m not sure where/how I messed it up. Where did I go wrong?
Btw. Sauce is DELICIOUS!
I think you’re the only person in the comments who’s actually tried to make the recipe … I just made this too and found the sauce to be runny as well … were you ever able to get the sauce sticky like in the picture?
I take it back … the only person who make in the first batch of comments that appeared on the page … my bad
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times and love it. I do however remove half of the sauce after marinading and cook it down on the stovetop. That way when I’m basting the chicken I’m adding the thickened sauce. Makes it EXTRA sticky! Maybe not extra healthy, but yum!
This is my kind of food. Seriously.
I think I just drooled on my keyboard. This looks so insanely good!
This. Looks. Awesome. (DROOL).
My goodness, could that chicken look any more appetizing? I totally forgot about Mardi Gras too (we call it Pancake Day in the UK!) and there wasn’t a pancake in sight at our house. Oh well, next year!
This looks fantastic! Question: does it matter what type of vinegar? White wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, just good ‘ole Heinz white vinegar? Thanks!
Heinz white for me! 🙂
What about apple cider vinegar?
Hi Sydna! Apple cider vinegar would likely work, but you may end up with a slightly sweeter end result.
This looks waaaay too delicious!! I’m definitely trying this on the weekend!!
xo Andrea
Wonderful and Marvelous
Ok, every time I see bourbon chicken I think of the mall and the little men walking around with trays full of the stuff for you to try. Of course, I always do because its delicious! Now I can make it at home! YUM! Love this and the pics are da bomb!
Oh geez. This looks…well…you know. AWESOME. I started making Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken a while back and the recipe is quite similar to this. SO easy and delicious I can hardly stand it. Lovely as always! -Rachael
That sounds amazing! I need to check your blog for the recipe!
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it. Even more, to eat it. I do have one question – What type of vinegar?
white vinegar will work fine!
I used Apple cider vinegar, and skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins. It is marinating NOW! Kids are coming over for dinner. So hope they love it! I will let you know…
Ahhhh please don’t mention Leann Chin unless you plan on same day shipping some to the east coast. True life–I have a reminder in my phone to go there on my next visit back home to MN. Cream cheese puffs haunt my dreams.
Hahahah! I haven’t eaten there for at least 8 years but then there I was, with a plate of bourbon chicken in front of me. Smiling.