Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese bourbon chicken made of? ›

Mix the sauce ingredients by combining the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, dark brown sugar, chicken stock or water, bourbon, sesame oil and white pepper and set aside. Heat ¼ cup of neutral oil in a wok or large frying pan on high heat until smoking, then add half of the chicken to the pan.

But, at the end of the day, they are distinctly different. Bourbon chicken is an umami bomb that features sweet, nutty, toasty, and spiced notes. Teriyaki chicken, on the other hand, leans into sweet, tangy, and salty flavors.

That said, like most alcohol used in food, most of it boils off during the cooking process, leaving behind its sweet smoky flavor without the intoxicating side effects.

Why Is It Called Bourbon Chicken? Bourbon chicken is named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans (that's also why the “Bourbon” in Bourbon chicken” is capitalized). As the story goes, the dish was popularized in a Chinese restaurant that was located on Bourbon Street.

“It might seem counterintuitive to marinate before boiling, but the velveting marinade tenderizes the meat, keeps it moist, and adds flavor. The meat ends up juicy and flavorful, a result you don't get with a standard blanching process.”

This sauce uses molasses, lemon juice, bourbon and Worcestershire sauce as its main flavors. It has that tart, sweet, salty, rich and spicy combination that I think all great barbecue sauces need.

Most stories claim that the dish originated on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with some further stating that it was specifically a Chinese restaurant on Bourbon Street that first came up with the recipe, due, perhaps, to its many Chinese elements.

Combine all the ingredients—bourbon, brown sugar, oil, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce—and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved.

This dish is not a typical or traditional dish of New Orleans, of Creole cuisine, or of Cajun cuisine. This is a dish that appears at shopping mall food courts everywhere in the United States except, significantly, in Louisiana, where they know they'd never be able to pass this off as Cajun food.

This recipe isn't booze forward despite the name. The alcohol in the bourbon completely cooks off as the sauce simmers and it's safe to serve to children, but if you are concerned or don't have bourbon on hand, you can substitute the 1/4 cup of bourbon for 1/4 cup of hoisin sauce.

Is it safe to marinate chicken in alcohol? ›

If you're looking to add a dose of flavor to your chicken or steak, then you may want to consider a marinade made with vodka. Clear liquors like vodka pair incredibly well with poultry and seafood, giving them additional complexity. However, you should use that bottle of vodka sparingly.

The alcohol in the bourbon is cooked off, so it's ok for the kids to eat it, if that is a concern.

McCormick Grill Mates® Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning allows you to add the sweet taste of quality bourbon to your food: McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning is naturally flavored with brown sugar, bourbon, molasses, red bell pepper, and extractives of paprika, garlic, onion and salt.

Rule #1 –To be called bourbon, it must be made in the United States. (Crown Royal is Canadian, and doesn't , so that's definitely not bourbon.) Rule #2 – Bourbon must be made from a fermented mash of at least 51% corn. (Anyone else thinking of the old TV Show “Moonshiners” right about now?)

It can if you want it to, but bourbon chicken is actually named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, so no need to buy any bourbon at all. If you want to add bourbon, just swap it for half of the apple cider.

The Bourbon Chicken sauce has a hint of sugar for sweetness and vinegar for acidity and of course bourbon! Soy sauce is also added for an Unami flavor. It is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. The heat will cook off any alcohol content from the bourbon making it safe to eat for children.

This dish contains shellfish, soy and is gluten-free.