With tender items of hen stir-fried in a candy and tangy sauce over a mattress of fluffy steamed rice, nobody complains when sticky Bourbon Hen is on the menu! This simple recipe is a lighter twist on the unique New Orleans Chinese language-American recipe.
Conventional Bourbon hen is a stir-fry-style recipe that options items of fried hen thighs in a candy, sticky, and savory brown sugar bourbon glaze.
It tastes candy, slightly salty, and tangy, much like different fashionable Chinese language-American dishes like Basic Tso Hen and Wholesome Orange Hen.
Whereas the unique recipe originated in New Orleans, nowadays, you will discover Bourbon hen properly past the French Quarter.
It’s a frequent menu merchandise at shopping center meals courts and at many Chinese language takeout eating places across the nation.
And with this simple Bourbon hen recipe, you’ll be able to carry all of its deliciousness into your very personal kitchen.
5 Star Overview
“This was completely the very best Bourbon hen I’ve ever had. It’s higher than take-out.”
— Becky —
Why Is It Referred to as Bourbon Hen?
Bourbon hen is known as after Bourbon Avenue in New Orleans (that’s additionally why the “Bourbon” in Bourbon hen” is capitalized).
- Because the story goes, the dish was popularized in a Chinese language restaurant that was situated on Bourbon Avenue.
Bourbon hen does even have alcohol within the sauce, although most of it cooks off.
- In line with the title, bourbon is utilized in Bourbon hen. It helps steadiness the sauce and retains it from tasting too candy.
About this Bourbon Hen Recipe
The meals court docket Bourbon hen recipe you discover in purchasing malls is battered and fried, and the sauce incorporates a hefty quantity of brown sugar and different thriller sweeteners.
- I needed to create Bourbon hen just like the meals court docket in style and spirit, however I needed mine to be evenly pan-fried as a substitute of deep-fried.
- I additionally needed to cut back the quantity of sugar within the authentic Louisiana Bourbon hen sauce.
- For instance: many genuine Bourbon hen mall recipes name for 1 full cup of brown sugar or extra, which to me is extra akin to dessert.
With the assistance of my reader-favorite Crockpot Bourbon Hen recipe as a place to begin, I arrived at right now’s lighter Bourbon hen recipe.
The sauce is thick and sticky (among the best components of this dish!), the meat is fork tender and juicy, and it has sufficient sweetness to fulfill that meals court docket craving with out going overboard.
How you can Make Bourbon Hen
The Bourbon hen sauce makes use of candy, salty, and acidic substances to attain the best steadiness.
Usually, it’s served with rice, although you’ll be able to actually flip it into lettuce wraps, combine in sautéed greens or Roasted Broccoli (what we often do), or serve it with a crisp salad, like this Asian Cabbage Salad.
The Substances
- Hen Thighs. Bourbon hen thighs are mouthwateringly juicy! The thigh meat stays tender, is extra flavorful, and received’t dry out throughout cooking.
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch helps the surface of the hen brown to imitate the deep-fried authentic, and it thickens the sauce.
- Soy Sauce. Provides the sauce a lift of umami taste.
- Bourbon. This recipe’s namesake. Whereas the flavour isn’t robust, it helps steadiness the sauce and is the key to the BEST Bourbon hen with genuine taste.
- Maple Syrup. Helps make the sauce candy, sticky, and scrumptious.
- Brown Sugar. A modest quantity for extra sweetness. It additionally helps thicken the sauce.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Provides essential acidity to the sauce combination.
- Inexperienced Onions. Provides shade, crunch, and a light onion taste. Excellent for a garnish.
TIP!
On the lookout for some further pizzaz? Toss in some sesame seeds for texture and crimson pepper flakes for slightly kick!
The Instructions
- Stir the hen and a part of the cornstarch collectively.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the sauce substances and remaining cornstarch collectively.
- Prepare dinner the hen.
- Pour within the sauce and stir. Simmer for two to 4 minutes, then garnish with inexperienced onions. Serve with rice, and ENJOY!
Storage Ideas
- To Retailer. Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm hen in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low warmth or within the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an hermetic, freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
As much as 1 day prematurely, lower the hen and retailer it within the fridge till you’re prepared to complete the recipe.
Leftover Concepts
In fact, leftovers are scrumptious served over a mattress of rice or noodles, however they’re additionally tasty served in lettuce leaves (a spin on my beloved Lettuce Wraps).
What to Serve with Bourbon Hen
Whereas a aspect of steamed white or Instantaneous Pot Brown Rice (or Cauliflower Fried Rice) is actually all this dish must really feel full, I usually like to finish our takeout expertise with a number of of those different tasty Asian-inspired aspect dishes or starters.
Advisable Instruments to Make this Recipe
- Liquid Measuring Cup. You’ll be able to measure and blend substances on this glass measuring cup.
- Massive Skillet. Excellent for making this recipe. May even use a wok!
- Measuring Spoons. This recipe has a number of substances to measure, and these measuring spoons are up for the job.
My Favourite On a regular basis Skillet
This massive cast-iron skillet is a high-quality, versatile, and easy-to-clean possibility. It’s oven-safe, so you should use it for quite a lot of totally different recipes.
Incessantly Requested Questions
A lot of the alcohol does cook dinner out of the sauce, however I like to recommend avoiding the recipe if you’re involved about having any consumption in anyway (being pregnant, abstaining, and so on.).
Whereas I’m partial to creating this sauce with bourbon (I promise it’s value it!), you could possibly experiment with swapping the bourbon for 1/4 cup apple juice or hen broth. It should have a barely totally different taste however ought to nonetheless be tasty.
It’s slightly little bit of each! Born in New Orleans at a Chinese language restaurant, the dish is a hybrid that brings collectively the substances and cooking strategies of each cuisines and cultures.
To make this recipe gluten free, it would be best to decide on your favourite model of tamari quite than conventional soy sauce. Additionally, regardless of many bourbons being distilled with wheat, barley, or rye, most are thought of protected for individuals with celiac illness due to the distillation course of. Nonetheless, if you’re significantly delicate to gluten or have issues, I like to recommend consulting with a doctor earlier than making this recipe with bourbon.
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
- 1/4 cup bourbon something adequate to combine right into a cocktail (Bulleit is my go-to)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic minced (about 4 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon recent ginger minced
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 kilos boneless skinless hen thighs lower into bite-sized items (or boneless, skinless hen breast)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil
- 1/3 cup chopped inexperienced onions plus further for serving
- 2 cups ready brown rice for serving
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Place the hen in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cornstarch excessive, then with a spoon, stir to evenly coat the hen within the cornstarch.
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In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir collectively the soy sauce, bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
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In a big, deep skillet, warmth the oil over medium excessive warmth on the range high. As soon as the oil is scorching and shimmering, fastidiously add the hen, breaking up any items that stick collectively. Brown on all sides, stirring on occasion, till the hen is golden and cooked by way of.
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Add the bourbon sauce. Cooking, stirring usually, till the sauce is shiny and thickened, 2 to 4 minutes (you will nonetheless have loads of further sauce, excellent for spooning over the rice). Stir within the inexperienced onions. Serve scorching over rice, with further inexperienced onions sprinkled on high.
- Tailored from my Crockpot Bourbon Hen.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic storage container for as much as 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm hen in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low warmth or within the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an hermetic, freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Serving: 1(of 4), with out riceEnergy: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 34gFats: 12gSaturated Fats: 2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 3gMonounsaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 162mgPotassium: 525mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 126IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
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