Description
Pineapple Bourbon Chicken brings tropical sweetness and smoky bourbon notes together in a delightful dinner that’ll make your taste buds dance. Perfectly glazed and packed with flavor, this dish turns an ordinary weeknight meal into a memorable culinary adventure.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1.5 chicken thighs or breasts, boneless, skinless, chopped
Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup pineapple juice, unsweetened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup soy sauce, low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated or powdered
Cooking Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon oil, vegetable or olive
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water (slurry)
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Sear your 1.5 lbs chopped chicken thighs in 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat at 375°F for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
- Pour ½ cup pineapple juice into the same skillet. Add ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce for 4-5 minutes until slightly reduced and fragrant.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl to create a smooth slurry.
- Stir cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce. Cook for 2 minutes until sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Return seared chicken to the skillet. Coat each piece thoroughly with sauce and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Garnish with optional pineapple chunks.
Notes
- Always use high heat when first cooking chicken to get a nice golden brown exterior that locks in flavor and moisture.
- Use fresh pineapple juice if possible, as it provides a brighter, more vibrant taste compared to canned versions.
- Let the sauce simmer slowly to develop deep, rich flavors, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and ensure even reduction.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and double-check your cornstarch is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 223 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 315 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg