Here’s a Bourbon Chicken with Broccoli recipe that hits all the notes: sweet, savory, sticky, and glossy—just like mall-style bourbon chicken, but upgraded with tender-crisp broccoli.
🥢 Bourbon Chicken with Broccoli
⭐ Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs boneless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oil (for cooking)
Sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup bourbon (or apple juice for alcohol-free)
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
- ¼–½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (for slurry)
Broccoli
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- ½ cup water (for steaming)
- Optional: sesame seeds, green onions for garnish
⭐ Instructions
1. Prepare the chicken
- Toss chicken pieces with 2 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp soy sauce and let sit 10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
- Sear chicken until browned and mostly cooked through (6–8 min).
- Remove to a plate.
2. Make the sauce
In the same pan, whisk together:
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- bourbon
- ketchup
- vinegar
- garlic
- ginger
- crushed red pepper
Simmer 2–3 minutes.
Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch + ¼ cup water into a slurry, stir into the sauce, and simmer until thickened and glossy.
3. Steam the broccoli
In a separate pan (or microwave), cook broccoli with ½ cup water for 3–4 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp.
Drain well.
4. Combine everything
Add chicken back to the sauce and stir to coat.
Fold in the broccoli.
Simmer 1–2 minutes to warm through.
⭐ Serve With
- Steamed rice
- Fried rice
- Cauliflower rice
- Noodles
- Or eat as a low-carb bowl
⭐ Variations
Spicy Bourbon Chicken
Add 1–2 tsp sriracha or extra red pepper flakes.
Sticky Bourbon Chicken (Extra Thick Sauce)
Use 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch slurry instead of 1 tbsp.
Healthier Version
Use chicken breast, reduce sugar to ¼ cup, and steam broccoli without added water.
Sheet Pan Version
Roast chicken + broccoli, then toss with simmered bourbon sauce.
If you want, I can give you:
- Slow cooker bourbon chicken
- Instant Pot version
- Bourbon chicken fried rice
- No-alcohol version (tastes very close to original)
