Food Court Famous Bourbon Chicken

This is my recipe for Bourbon chicken. I’m calling is “Food Court Famous Bourbon Chicken” because it tastes just like the ones you could get at the mall food court.

This is one of the best copycat recipes I’ve tried.

Here’s the recipe (Most of mine are for single or two person servings because I’m either cooking for myself or for my fiancé and I- but feel free to double or triple it)

Ingredients (for 2 chicken thighs):

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp brown soy sauce (for seasoning the chicken)

• 1 tbsp oil (for searing)

• 1/2 tbsp butter

• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

• 1/2 tbsp ginger paste

• 1 tbsp soy sauce (for the sauce)

• 2-3 tbsp brown sugar (adjust sweetness to taste)

• 1-1.5 tbsp bourbon (alcohol cooks off). I used Angel’s Envy

• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce

Instructions:

Instructions:

1. Prep & Season Chicken:

• Clean and pat dry your chicken thighs.

• Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and 1 tbsp of brown soy sauce.

• Mix well and let sit for at least 10 minutes.

2. Sear Chicken:

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan over high heat.

• Sear chicken thighs for about 2–3 minutes per side.

• Transfer to a 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until cooked through.

• Once done, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

3. Make the Sauce:

• In a clean pan, melt 1/2 tbsp butter.

• Add 1/2 tbsp minced garlic and 1/2 tbsp ginger paste.

• Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Add Flavor Base:

• Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2-3 tbsp brown sugar, and 1-1.5 tbsp bourbon.

• Stir in 1 tbsp hoisin sauce- this adds a rich, slightly sweet umami flavor that balances the soy and bourbon.

5. Simmer:

• Let everything cook for 5-8 minutes so the alcohol evaporates and sauce thickens.

6. Finish:

• Add the chopped chicken back to the pan.

• Toss to coat and cook together for 1-2 more minutes.

7. Serve hot ❤️ over rice, noodles, or as is!

Tips:

- the sauce may look thick at first. But let it Cook for a few minutes. The brown sugar will thicken it up

- You can use other types of chicken. But chicken thighs are so easy to make and hard to mess up. They don’t dry out when cooking and they taste amazing

- Keep the sauce’s heat to medium or low

- Try the sauce with other types of meat like steak or even as a wing sauce. SO good

- dont overdo the soy sauce! It seems like a lot but trust me. It gets SALTY if you add too much. If you do accidentally add too much soy sauce you can balance it out with a little more brown sugar

- for the garlic and ginger- fresh is better if possible but I use the paste a lot. It works just as good. If I don’t have to go to the grocery store I’m saving myself a trip

I have been doing short form content for a while and even though I post the recipes- I feel like it doesn’t give the full picture of how to make something. Especially if someone can’t cook. I tried doing long form content but the algorithms on social media don’t reward that and it was hard to grow an audience. Plus it can be so time consuming.

Trying the recipe blog route so that people who are interested in the details and get those details and ask me questions etc.- without having to bore those who don’t care much for the details.