Bourbon chicken is a popular dish made with boneless chicken marinated and cooked in a sauce containing bourbon whiskey. It is available in many fast food outlets, barbecue and Chinese restaurants in the US. The dish is characterized by tender meat, a rich, spicy-sweet flavor, and a thick sauce. The recipe has variations depending on the style, such as Cajun, barbecue, or Chinese. Bourbon chicken is usually cooked in a pan or wok, but it can also be baked or grilled.
Bourbon chicken is a dish usually made with bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken that have been marinated, cooked, and served in a special sauce that usually contains bourbon whiskey. The dish’s name is generally thought to refer to the main ingredient in the sauce, but some argue that the recipe is Cajun in origin and named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Bourbon chicken is generally available in the United States in fast food outlets in many malls, many barbecue restaurants, and some Chinese restaurants. It is characterized by tender meat, a rich, spicy-sweet flavor and, in most cases, a thick sauce. Bourbon chicken is always a standout dish and is accompanied by very simply prepared rice and vegetables.
When served in restaurants, bourbon chicken is usually made from the dark meat of the thighs and thighs, and is tender and juicy. When using chicken breasts, they should be stocked, the Chinese method of marinating the meat in a mixture of egg white and cornstarch, to prevent the white meat from drying out during cooking. Also, while some recipes don’t call for a marinade, the flavor of the dish always benefits from marinating for at least a few hours, and preferably overnight.
Unless the chicken is to be grilled, it is cut into chunks first; if marinated, the marinade becomes the cooking sauce. The marinade or sauce is bourbon-based and the alcohol content evaporates as the meal cooks; apple juice can be substituted if desired, but the flavor will be significantly different. Soy sauce is sometimes added, but no more than bourbon. Barbecue sauce appears in a few recipes, and many call for ginger and chili flakes.
Depending on the style – Cajun, barbecue or Chinese – there are variations in the ingredients of the marinade or sauce. The spiciness is imparted with ingredients such as garlic, chillies and paprika. Recipes for a sweeter dish, such as might be served at a barbecue restaurant, call for more brown sugar and sometimes molasses. Onions or shallots feature prominently in some versions, and those with a Cajun flavor often call for Andouille sausage.
Usually cooked in a pan or wok over the stove, bourbon chicken is sometimes baked or grilled. If they are to be grilled, the drumsticks and thighs are left whole, marinated in advance, and basted with the marinade every few moments while grilling. Baked Bourbon Chicken is placed in a roasting pan and cooked uncovered in the sauce. When prepared on the stovetop, bourbon chicken is first seared, with the sauce added after a few moments, after which the mixture is cooked until the chicken is done and the sauce has thickened. Chicken can be crispy by dusting it with cornstarch before cooking; dragging it in cornstarch will make it very sharp.
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