Copycat Mall Bourbon Chicken

Bourbon chicken served in a vintage blue and white bowl with steamed white rice.

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This Copycat Mall Bourbon Chicken is sweet, savory, and coated in a rich sticky bourbon glaze. Made with juicy chicken thighs and simple pantry ingredients, it tastes just like your favorite mall food court classic.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine: American, Asian, Fusion

Servings: Servings

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Jeremy Klae

Equipment

1 Wok

Ingredients

For the Chicken

4 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs cubed
Mushroom Soy Sauce A few splashes
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
Cooking Oil

Onion, Garlic, and Ginger

1 Large Yellow Onion diced
2 tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
1 tablespoon Minced Ginger

Bourbon Chicken Sauce

⅔ Cup Thin Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Bourbon
2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
4 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
⅔ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
½ Cup White Sugar
2 teaspoon Roasted Sesame Oil
2 Cup Water

Slurry

1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 tablespoon Water

Instructions

Cube the chicken and place the cubes in a mixing bowl.
Add a splash of thin soy sauce and stir until every piece is evenly coated.
Season the chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper giving it another good stir.
Set the chicken aside while you dice the onion.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, white sugar, hoisin sauce, thin soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, roasted sesame oil, bourbon, and water until everything is fully combined. Set the sauce aside.
Heat your cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, begin cooking the chicken until lightly browned and cooked through to an internal temp of 165°f.
Once all of the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate and set it aside.
Using the same wok, cook the onions until they become translucent and begin picking up a little color while also deglazing the wok.
Add the garlic and ginger to the wok and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, just until fragrant.
Pour the prepared sauce into the wok and stir everything together.
Bring the sauce to a boil.
Once it’s boiling, slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry.
Once the sauce has thickened, return the cooked chicken to the sauce stirring everything together until every piece is evenly coated in that thick, glossy bourbon sauce.

Video

Notes

Slightly frozen chicken thighs are easier to cut into uniform pieces.
Don't overcrowd the skillet or the chicken will steam instead of brown.
Let the sauce simmer long enough to develop its signature sticky glaze.
Chicken thighs produce the most authentic food court flavor.
Double the sauce if you like extra over your rice.
Make it your own: top with roasted peanuts for crunch, a drizzle of sriracha or a pinch of crushed red pepper for heat, or sliced green onions for a pop of color.
For the slurry I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoon or water.

Nutrition