Grilled Bourbon Chicken
User Reviews
4.9
Grilled Bourbon Chicken
Description
This recipe focuses on boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded even for uniform cooking. The marinade is a mixture of soy sauce, unsweetened applesauce, finely chopped onion, grated ginger, minced garlic, canola oil, bourbon whiskey, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Marinating for at least 30 minutes and ideally overnight allows the flavors to penetrate and tenderize the meat thoroughly.
Chicken breasts are grilled over medium-high heat, approximately for 4 minutes per side, to achieve a cooked-through interior with a caramelized surface. The leftover marinade is not discarded; instead, it is combined with chicken broth and boiled down to thicken, creating a glossy sauce to serve over or alongside the grilled chicken.
This dish benefits from resting the cooked chicken covered with foil briefly before serving, which helps retain moisture. The combination of bourbon and barbecue sauce flavors gives a smoky sweetness balanced with the acidity from vinegar and slight heat from red pepper flakes. It pairs well with simple sides like rice, salads, or grilled vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts 4, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup soy sauce low sodium or gluten-free
- 1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger grated
- 4 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg’s)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- scallions for garnish, sliced
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts, 1 at a time, in a Ziploc bag. Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness, being careful not to puncture the bag. Put breasts in the bag.
- In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, apple sauce, onion, ginger, garlic, oil, bourbon, BBQ sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and red pepper flakes.
- Reserve and refrigerate 1/3 cup of the marinade and transfer the remainder to the Ziploc bag with the chicken. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight (the longer the better!! I marinated mine 12 hours).
- Preheat outdoor grill over medium high heat. Discard the marinade in the bag and grill the chicken for 4 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to a plate, tent with foil and allow to rest while you make the sauce.
- Put reserved 1/3 cup marinade in a small sauce pan. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduced heat to medium-low until sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Slice chicken breast, top with sauce, scallions and serve.
Notes
- Reserve 1/3 of the marinade before adding chicken to use as a base for the sauce; discard the marinade that touched raw chicken for safety.
- Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes; longer marinating (up to 12 hours) improves flavor and tenderness.
- After grilling, tent chicken with foil to rest and keep juicy before serving.
- This recipe's nutrition information considers only the marinade used as sauce, not the discarded one.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 381 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1breast | |
| Calories | 381kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 12.5g | 4% |
| Protein | 51g | 102% |
| Fat | 9.5g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.3g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 130mg | 43% |
| Sodium | 724.5mg | 30% |
| Fiber | 0.3g | 1% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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