November 6, 2022

Bourbon Chicken Vegetable Bowls

Bourbon Chicken Vegetable Bowls are one of our favorite Chinese-inspired dinners. I start these bowls by deep frying chicken for just about a minute. Then, I stir fry the chicken with bourbon, soy sauces, and brown sugar. Finally, I serve the bourbon chicken on top of rice, along with pickled cucumbers and radishes, and stir-fried carrots. We like this bowl for several reasons. First of all, I like that I can make this whole dish in less than one hour. Secondly, I like that this bowl is a complete meal. I don’t need to make a single side dish to serve with this. And, lastly, we all love the tender bourbon chicken, the tangy vegetables, and the fluffy rice.

The Equipment I Used

A Deep-Frying Thermometer- I always use this when I deep fry.
A Dutch Oven- I like to deep-fry in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, but you can use any four quart or larger pot.
A Colander- You’ll need this to drain the oil from the chicken.
A Skillet- Use this to stir fry the chicken.

The Ingredients Needed for Bourbon Chicken Vegetable Bowls

Chicken- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I always use Bell and Evans chicken thighs, because I find them the most tender.
Ginger- Use fresh ginger. This can be stored in the freezer.
Dark Soy Sauce- You can find this in a market with a good Asian foods section.
Chicken Stock- I always use my homemade chicken stock, but I think canned chicken stock would be just fine here.

How I Made my Bourbon Chicken

First, I deep fry the chicken just until it turns white. It’s important to use the deep fry thermometer for this.
Next, I stir fry the chicken with bourbon and soy sauce.
Finally, I serve the chicken on top of rice, along with the veggies.

If you like sweet, tender chicken, you need to try these delicious Bourbon Chicken Vegetable Bowls.

Bourbon Chicken and Vegetable Bowls

Tender fried chicken breast strips enveloped in a sweet bourbon sauce. Served with rice, crisp radishes and cucumbers and stir-fried carrots.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings

Calories 525 kcal

Equipment

deep frying thermometer

Ingredients

For the Rice:

1 cup long grain white rice
1½ cups water
½ tsp. kosher salt

For Deep-Frying the Chicken:

3 cups vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced in half inch strips

For the Stir Fry:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil (reserved from the deep-frying )
3 dried chilis or ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. sliced ginger
1 sliced scallion
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. bourbon
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. dark soy
1 tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp. water
1 tsp. sesame oil

For the Carrots:

1 tsp. olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp. each soy sauce and sugar

For the Radishes and Cucumbers:

1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 cup cucumbers, sliced
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar

For the Garnishes:

¼ cup sliced scallions

Instructions

Begin by making the rice: In a three quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice and salt and cover and simmer it for 16 minutes. Remove it from the stove and let it sit covered for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done.
Also, prepare the cucumbers and radishes: Sprinkle each with a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt and let sit ten minutes. Squeeze each dry. Stir in one tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to each vegetable.
Also, cook the carrots: In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the carrots with the soy sauce and sugar, on medium heat, for a few minutes, just until they're crisp tender. Cover to keep them warm.
Also, make the Bourbon Chicken: Heat a Dutch Oven or large pot with an inch and a half of the vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 300 degrees. In four batches, fry the chicken just until it turns white. Drain each batch in a colander set over a bowl. In a large skillet, on medium heat, heat two tablespoons of oil from frying the chicken. Add the ginger, scallion, and brown sugar and stir until everything is combined. Add all the chicken to the pan, along with the bourbon, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Cook for thirty seconds. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Cook until thick and syrupy for about five minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with water and the sesame oil.
To serve: Put some rice in four bowls. Top the rice with some chicken and sauce. Also, add the cucumbers, carrots, and radishes. Sprinkle the bowls with the scallions.