I spent so many Saturdays at the Mall growing up. And when it was time to eat, I’d head to the food court and get the bourbon chicken and friend rice. If I had no money, I’d walk by the person handing out samples 100x to get full. This recipe is a tribute to the days of my youth. The recipe is a continuation of my Perfect Chicken Thighs recipe. The chicken thighs get baked, cut up and added to a deliriously decadent sweet and a little spicy sauce in a wok. The dish is sweet and sticky, just as I remember it. Pair with fried rice and it’s a meal the whole family will get excited about. It’s one of my most viral recipes for a reason.
Tips for the Best Bourbon Chicken
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. If you didn’t know, thighs are dark meat and more flavorful. This recipe needs the thighs to mimic what we all remember from the mall. Still trim the excess fat off, though.
- Use a wok to cook the chicken. I also use a wok to make friend rice. It’s definitely a pan you want to have in your kitchen.
- Serve with fried rice from either Trader Joe’s (vegetable fried rice), my family of 6 eats 4 bags at a time. Or if Costco has it in the frozen section, I’ll use that too. That’s what’s in the picture.
Bourbon Chicken
Bourbon Chicken is a tribute to the Castleton Mall food court where I would frequently dine at as a teenager. If I had no money I would walk by and grab the Bourbon Chicken samples a worker would always be handing out. This is definitely a step-up from the mall favorite, but the flavors and textures take me right back.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 6-7 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 packets good season’s zesty Italian salad dressing mix
- Olive oil
Sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 3/4 C low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 TB chili paste or sriracha
Instructions
- Trim extra fat off chicken thighs. Place in a bowl with zesty Italian dressing mix and olive oil. Mix and lay in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
- Add the oil to a wok over medium heat and cook the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and whisk. Turn the heat to high and let it thicken for 3-4 minutes.
- Turn heat back down to medium and add chicken to the wok. Stir and allow it to heat through before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!