We live about 30 minutes from an outlet mall, so we go there more often than we should. Becca absolutely loves the bourbon chicken at the Chinese restaurant in the food court, and I have made special trips to the mall just to get the chicken!
Most of the recipes out there are either attempts to copy the New Orleans original (this is really nothing like that) or some sort of barbecue type sauce.
After much tinkering, trial and error I finally came up with a recipe that is nearly identical (close enough) to what is served at our food court. We love it, I hope you do too.
If your house is like ours, there are probably some General Tso’s fans sitting next to the Bourbon Chicken fans. You can find my General Tso’s copycat recipe here. You might also want to try some of my delicious and easy homemade egg rolls.
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The full recipe card is at the bottom of this post, but I’ll walk you through the process with pictures. If you just want the recipe, scroll down.
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
- In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky (or apple juice), water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook until the juices have cooked off and the chicken starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the chicken every 1-2 minutes so it doesn’t burn and browns evenly.
- Add the bourbon mixture and stir well. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Don’t rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
- Add in the cornstarch/water liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly. (If the sauce doesn’t thicken up for you disolve another Tbsp of cornstarch in 2 Tbsp of water and stir that in)
- Serve over rice.
Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe
Notes
If you don’t have or don’t want to use whiskey in this recipe simply substitute apple juice. The taste is nearly identical. You may use chicken breast in place of chicken thighs, but the food court in my area definitely uses thighs.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 LB chicken thighs, skinless.
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (I used 4 turns on the pepper mill)
- 1/3 Cup soy sauce
- 1/3 Cup Bourbon (or whatever brown whiskey you have sitting around. Dark rum would probably work too). If you don’t keep alcohol in your house you can substitute apple juice or cranberry juice. If you use juice, use a little less brown sugar. It really is delicious with just apple juice and no Bourbon.
- 1/2 Cup water
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (white wine vinegar or plain white vinegar would do if you don’t have rice vinegar)
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1 inch pieces, and remove any excess fat or skin.
- In a small bowl combine the ginger, pepper, soy sauce, whisky, water, garlic, vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan or skillet heat the oil on medium high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook until the juices have cooked off and the chicken starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the chicken every 1-2 minutes so it doesn’t burn and browns evenly.
- Add the bourbon mixture and stir well. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Don’t rush this as you want the alcohol to cook off from the whiskey.
- Add in the cornstarch liquid and stir briskly. The sauce will thicken quickly.
- Serve over rice.
Nutrition Facts
Food Court Bourbon Chicken Copycat Recipe
Serves: 8 bowls
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 bowl
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 573.07 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 36.4 g | 55.4% | |
| Saturated Fat 10.16 g | 50% | |
| Trans Fat 0.22 g | ||
| Cholesterol 172.5 mg | 57.3% | |
| Sodium 749.43 mg | 31.2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 15.28 g | 5% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0.17 g | 0% | |
| Sugars 13.4 g | ||
| Protein 43.73 g | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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I’m not a huge fan of the spice ginger so I omitted the ginger and replaced with cayenne pepper (by half). My whole family loved the kick 🤗
Great way to adapt to your personal preferences. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Quite a few years ago I had bourbon chicken and rice in Columbus Ohio at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. The vendor there had an amazing sauce and people lined up for it. I’ve tried a few different recipes since them and they were all blah. Lacked flavor, the sauce consistency wasn’t right etc.
Your recipe is better than the vendor famous for his!!!!!! I added some sesame oil to the sauce and stuck my chicken in it in the fridge for the day. When I got home, popped some rice in the cooker and browned off my chicken and then kept my burner on high and added the sauce a little bit at a time. It made the sauce sticky and amazing! Added just a touch of corn starch (it didn’t need much).
I’m saving this recipe as a regular for me! 5 stars!
Wow! What an amazing review for this recipe. I’m delighted it was just the thing you were looking for all this time. It took me quite a while to replicate that food court chicken taste. I hope you enjoy for many years to come.as a side note, I’m just about an hour north of Columbus, so it must be an Ohio thing, lol.
Love it! I just used 1/4 brown sugar this time. I’ve used this recipe a lot, thank you!
Making this for dinner tonight, almost done. It smells amazing!!!! Thank you
Making this into a vegan dinner. What veggies do you think would compliment the sauce best? I’m definitely going with broccoli, but I’d like at least 2-3 more options.
Great question Kristen. I think broccoli is a good call for sure. Green beans or snow peas would be good. You could also try some thinly sliced carrots, and maybe some water chestnuts. Are you using tofu or faux chicken? If not perhaps add some mushrooms as well.
My sauce was a little thick
How can I thin it out some?
Add more water?
Hi Karen – it’s a little tricky to thin once it has set. You can try adding less cornstarch next time, or adding more liquid. It thickens as it heats so be sure to add the cornstarch at the very end and remove from heat as soon as it thickens to the desired level.
I added a tad more water to my sauce and a little more with cornstarch
Also watched more carefully after I added cornstarch
It was perfect
The time I made it I may have left it on heat a little too ling.
Was delicious both times
Will continue to make
Tastes just like I remember from the mall
Hi Karen – glad those little changes fixed the problem for you! Thanks for the update.
I would try zucchini or maybe eggplant. I just wouldn’t cook too long so it wouldn’t get too soft and soggy.
This is an amazing recipe! I changed the dry ginger and garlic to fresh. Added an onion and some carrots. I will definitely make this again!
I really like using fresh garlic and ginger as well! This version is just a touch easier for cooks of all skill levels. Enjoy! Thanks for leaving a comment.
I’m not sure what I did. There’s no way if I did another round of corn starch and water it would look dark and thick like your photos. It came out very thin and light colored. I used and measured out every ingredient you called for. The overall taste was good.
Hi Heather – I can offer a couple of suggestions to help. Make sure the sauce is hot and simmering before you add the cornstarch liquid. Also make sure the cornstarch didn’t settle to the bottom (and stay in the container). Once the cornstarch is added to hot contents of the pan keep stirring and leave it on the heat until it thickens.
I made this last night and already want to make it again! I feel like this sauce would be so delicious on everything. I am thinking next time to make it with bite size pieces of pork instead of chicken thighs.
Glad you enjoyed it so much! If you try it with pork let me know how it goes!
Has anyone used chicken breasts
Yes, they work well. Just cut into 1 inch pieces.
The main reasons thighsnarenused is because breasts cost more, and they tend to be dry once they cool down.. thighs are cheaper and stay tender after cooling down a bit.
Could you create a slurry for the cornstarch and then mix it in? TIA!
That’s how I made mine it worked perfect!
Has anyone ever tried serving this with mashed potatoes instead of rice
Hi Kelly – great question. I have served this with riced cauliflower (lower carbs), but never tried mashed potatoes. Perhaps one of our many blog visitors can chime in if they have tried it this way.
Making this tonight 🤞 can’t wait to try.
Overall, this was a big win at my house. A little too sweet for my taste but still good. I’ll cut back on the brown sugar next time, but I will make it again.
Glad you and the family enjoyed it. Feel free to play with the ingredients and make it your own
At first I wasn’t to sure if I liked it or not, but the more I ate the better I liked it! Lol However I will probably decrease the brown sugar a bit. I served over riced cauliflower & sprinkled with chopped green onions! Yum!
So glad it “grew on you” as grandma used to say. It is definitely sweet, feel free to tweak it so that it is perfect for you. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I’m making this tonight and I am SO looking forward to it!
Great to hear! It is by far my most popular recipe. It is sweet, so feel free to reduce the sugar if you don’t like sweet chicken.
Just made it and used apple juice instead of bourbon and the cornstarch made it way thick and you could taste the cornstarch?
Hi Joyce – the cornstarch should just barely thicken the sauce, and you definitely shouldn’t be able to taste it. Is it possible you reduced the total amount of liquid or added more than the recipe called for? Did you dissolve the cornstarch first in cold water?
Fantastic. Made a double batch of the sauce so that if I thickened it too much I could thin it with sauce. Also used some of the sauce to simmer-fry some broccoli-cabbage-onion to accompany it. I am going to try this with cubed pork tenderloin soon.
Hi Chris – thanks for the note, glad you enjoyed the recipe. It is a great sauce with vegetables, and should pair nicely with pork as well. Let me know how that experiment goes!
Hi…Would this be ok to make a day ahead? My son-in- law loved the food court chicken, am anxious to try this recipe..thanks!
Hi Christine – since the chicken is not breaded this recipe holds up great if you make it a day ahead. If you plan to serve over rice I would make the rice right before you plan to serve it – rice does not hold up great over night.
Thank you. Wondering also if I could marinate it. ( minus the cornstarch ).
Absolutely. Works great as a marinade
At What part do you make a corn starch and water to add after cooking and how much? Im not finding measurements…maybe ive overlooked it but i was wondering if you can let me know….
Hello Hector. The cornstarch goes in at the very end. I dissolve 1 Tbsp cornstarch in about 3 Tbsp of cold water, then stir that into the sauce/chicken mixture while it is simmering. Stir well to avoid lumps. It should thicken up the sauce pretty quickly.
I have been cooking bourbon for a while but this is the best recipe I have used yet. I use apple juice instead of whiskey just so my son can eat this meal too and it still turns out great. I have experimented and used pork belly strips, thinly sliced and I honestly think it’s much better than with chicken!
Hi Sophi – thanks for dropping a note on your experience with the recipe. Love the pork belly change up, might have to try that myself.
This was AMAZING!!! Darn, the only bourbon we had in the house was Makers Mark! 🙂
I’m sharing this recipte with my friends and family! THANKS! Mmmmmm!!!!!
Wow! What a glowing review 🙂. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing it
Great recipe!! Loved it added Jim Beam Devils Cut!!
Thanks Robin – great choice on the Bourbon. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hi, I used Devils cut as well, it didn’t give it as much as a darker sauce as I expected. Have you always used apple juice? If not what kind of bourbon do you use? Thanks
Hi Miranda – I have made it both ways. I have used gentleman jack, makers mark and several other whiskey varieties. I have been happy with all of them. It doesn’t have to be bourbon.
I love the flavor, but the color isn’t the same as yours. My is pame.
Hi Fany – I’m glad the flavor turned out well. The darker brown color has a few factors. First, cooking the chicken until it browns helps to create that caramel color. Adding a darker colored whiskey or apple juice also helps.
Can this be made in the crockpot
Hello – full transparency, I have not tried it in the crock pot. That being said, I think you could. I would put everything but the cornstarch into the crockpot and set on low for at least 6 hours. Once the chicken is cooked I would put the crockpot on high, and make sure you still have at least one cup of liquid left. If it looks low, add some water and stir well. Then add the corn starch dissolved in a small amount of cold water. Stir very well until completely blended. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Hello , if I do not use the alcohol do I still have to simmer for the whole 15 min? I am using apple juice instead.
If you don’t use alcohol you just need to get the liquid up to a simmer so the cornstarch will thicken properly. No need to hold for 15 min.
Great recipe! It’s a favorite of my 7year old!
That is music to my ears! So glad your family is enjoying it 😊
Decent recipe but a bit sweet for us. Mine came out thicker but I might have cooked off to much of the liquid when I simmered. Will definitely make again with less sugar and add some heat. Thanks for the great start.
Glad you found a good start, definitely adjust to your own tastes! Enjoy.
Whoa! Why have I never made this before? Followed directions exactly except used Ginger paste. Perfection! This is going in my rotation!
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our favorites at home as well
I made this the other night and was impressed. Both my husband and I liked it very much. It was so flavorful. We had it over rice of course, with steamed broccoli on the side because I have to have veggies every night if possible. Its definitely a keeper. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment.
My just won’t thicken I try the corn starch 3 times
Hi Paige – sounds like something unusual is happening here. I’ll cover some basic tips that generally solve this problem for people. 1) mix the cornstarch in just enough cold water to dissolve. 2) stir the cold cornstarch mixture just before adding to the sauce. Sometimes it settles out and sticks to the container. 3) make sure the ingredients in the pan are hot (simmering) when you add the cornstarch and keep the heat on after adding the cornstarch until the sauce thickens. 4) keep stirring the pan until the sauce thickens. If you have a lot of sauce in the pan you may have to add slightly more cornstarch mixture to compensate, but it should not take 3 tablespoons. Hopefully this resolved the problem for you.
Can you adapt this to an instapot. And what setting do I need. reply to lanhamwi@juno.com
If I can write like you, then I will be very happy, but I can’t write like you, where is my luck, in fact people like you are an example for the world. You have written this comment very beautifully, I am very glad that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Can you pressure can this recipe to have meals in a jar?
I honestly don’t know how it would hold up. I know it’s possible to can chicken so theoretically it should work, but unfortunately I can’t offer much in the way instructions as pressure canning is not an area where I have much experience.