Easy Bourbon Chicken Mall Recipe (20 minutes)

5 from 35 votes

Easy Bourbon Chicken Mall Recipe (20 minutes)

Delicious! Put this on your blog!" said my enthusiastic husband after the first bite. So here it is - an easy bourbon chicken mall recipe just like you get at the food court. A quick simple dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings (change as needed): or 10-12 as appetizers

Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound (0.68kg) boneless, skinless chicken, Note 1
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoon cornstarch (only needed if stir frying chicken)

Sauce

1/3 cup (75 ml) low sodium soy sauce e.g. Kikkoman
1/2 cup (120ml) water
1/4 cup (60g, 2 ounces) apple sauce, apple juice or orange juice
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Bourbon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (for low-medium spice)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1 clove or frozen cube or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon mince or grated fresh ginger (or 1 frozen cube (or 1/4 tsp ground ginger powder)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Garnish (optional)

2 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

HEAT GRILL OR OVEN if using. See cooking options for chicken below.
PREPARE SAUCE: Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to mix well.
COOK CHICKEN USING ONE OF THESE OPTIONS. In all cases, transfer to a plate after cooking and keep warm. Note that recipe will take longer with some cooking methods.
° Stir fry bite size chicken: Cut up chicken into bite size pieces, place in bag with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt, shake until lightly coated. Sauté in oil in a skillet on medium high heat in two batches until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes depending on size of pieces.
° Stir fry full size chicken pieces: Dust chicken with cornstarch and salt. Sauté chicken in a bit of oil in pan on medium high heat, transfer to a board, let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into bite size pieces. Keep warm.
° Grill chicken (my preference if you have a grill handy - quick and easy): Toss the larger pieces of chicken with a bit of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on medium high for a 3-4 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite size pieces.
° Bake chicken: drizzle breasts or thighs with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Baked in pan lined with parchment (for easy clean up) at 425F/218C for about 18 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite size pieces.
° Sous vide chicken: at 144F/62C for 1.5 to a maximum of 4 hours. Here is a recipe to follow for sous vide chicken if you need one.
COOK SAUCE AND TOSS WITH CHICKEN: Heat skillet to medium high. Add sauce and cook, stirring, until it starts to boil and thicken about 3-4 minutes. Add chicken and stir to coat. Lower heat and cook for another 2 minutes just until chicken is well coated with sauce and heated through. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two or water or juice. Serve over rice if desired. Garnish with chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds if you like.

Notes

What chicken to use: boneless skinless chicken thighs (my preference - juicier and more flavorful) or skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Make ahead:
- You can make the sauce and chicken ahead of time. Ten minutes before you're ready to serve, heat the sauce and add the chicken to heat through.
- You can also make the full dish ahead of time and warm it on the stove or in the microwave.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Nutrition values are estimates using boneless skinless chicken breasts, the minimal bourbon and no garnishes.