Honey Bourbon Chicken

This Honey Bourbon Chicken is the most delicious way to bring restaurant-quality flavors to your weeknight dinner table! It's sweet, savory, and has that perfect bold flavor that makes every bite amazing.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Honey Bourbon Chicken
• Ingredient Notes
• How to make it
• Expert Tips
• Storage
• Cooking with Bourbon
• 📖 Recipe
• Chicken & Turkey Main Dishes

Here in the South, we love cooking with bourbon almost as much as we love eating it! When you combine that smooth bourbon flavor with sweet honey and savory soy sauce, you get this incredible sticky sauce that coats every piece of chicken perfectly.

This bourbon and honey chicken recipe has become one of our go-to meals when we want something special but don't have a lot of time. I love serving it over fluffy white rice.

It's also fantastic that you toss in whatever vegetables you have on hand, whether that's fresh stir-fry veggies or even a frozen stir-fry vegetable mix from the freezer section.

This dish is so easy and is way better than takeout. The chicken is coated in cornstarch, which leaves it only lightly breaded and perfectly thickens the delicious sauce. The whole family will love this bourbon glazed chicken!

Why You'll Love This Honey Bourbon Chicken

• So incredibly easy - one pan, 30 minutes, and you're done! No complicated techniques needed
• Made with simple ingredients - pantry staples like honey, soy sauce, and bourbon create amazing flavor
• Perfect weeknight meal - this is a great way to make dinner feel special without spending hours in the kitchen

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless Chicken Thighs - These stay so much more tender and juicy than chicken breasts! The dark meat holds up beautifully to the cooking process and soaks up all that delicious sauce.
• Cornstarch - This is what gives the chicken that light coating and creates sort of a cornstarch slurry as it cooks that helps thicken the sauce to the perfect consistency. Don't skip this step!
• Bourbon - Use whatever bourbon you have on hand - you don't need anything fancy here. The alcohol cooks off, leaving just that rich, complex flavor.
• Orange Juice - Fresh squeezed is always best, but store-bought works perfectly fine. This adds brightness and helps balance the richness.
• Soy Sauce - Regular soy sauce works great, but low-sodium gives you more control over the salt level.
• Honey - This creates that beautiful glossy coating and balances out the salty and tangy flavors perfectly.
• Fresh Ginger - Grated fresh ginger has so much more flavor than dried! If you only have ground ginger, use ½ teaspoon instead of the 2 teaspoons fresh.
• Asian Stir Fry Vegetables - I love using the pre-cut mix from the produce section for convenience, but frozen vegetables work great too. Feel free to use whatever you have - broccoli, baby carrots, and red bell peppers are all delicious options.
• Red Pepper Flakes - Start with less if your family doesn't like heat - you can always add more!

See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

1. Prep the chicken - cut your chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and toss with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. This coating gives the chicken that perfect texture and helps thicken the sauce later!
2. Cook the chicken in batches - heat half your oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook half the chicken until golden brown on all sides, then remove to a plate. Add the remaining oil and repeat with the rest of the chicken. Don't overcrowd the pan!
3. Cook the vegetables - add your stir fry vegetables right to the same pan and cook for about 5 minutes until tender-crisp. While they're cooking, whisk together all your sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Bring it all together - pour the sauce into the pan with the vegetables and let it come to a boil. Lower the heat and add the chicken back in, stirring gently for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and beautifully coats everything.
5. Serve and enjoy - spoon over fluffy white or brown rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds for the perfect finishing touch!

Expert Tips

• Cook the chicken until truly golden - resist the urge to move it around too much in the pan. Let it get that beautiful golden crust for maximum flavor
• Make the sauce while the vegetables cook - this saves time and ensures everything comes together quickly at the end when the pan is hot
• Keep the heat medium-high throughout - too low and nothing will brown properly; too high and things will burn before cooking through
• Taste before serving - if you want more heat, add extra red pepper flakes; if it needs more sweetness, drizzle in a touch more honey

Storage

This dish will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. We have not tried freezing it, so if you do let us know how it goes!

📖 Recipe