Food Court Bourbon Chicken
Bourbon Chicken is similar to teriyaki since it's sweet, sticky, and salty. There are a several different ingredients like apple juice, vinegar, ketchup that make this taste distinctly different than teriyaki chicken. In my recipe, I will be using a bit of heat to balance out the sweetness, you course you can adjust the heat to your liking.
Servings: 6 large skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders thighs or breasts work instead
- 1 heaping teaspoon grated garlic clove
- 1 heaping teaspoon grated ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup or Sriracha ketchup go easy on the red pepper flakes if using spicy ketchup
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch make a slurry by diluting in 1-2 teaspoons of water, whisk until smooth
- sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium low, combine all of the sauce ingredients (except the cornstarch slurry). Bring it to a low boil.
- Slowly drizzle the cornstarch into the sauce as you whisk. Allow the sauce to thicken, then turn off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooling, cut chicken into 3" pieces and get them into a zip-top bag or bowl.
- Add in 1/3 cup of cooled sauce and work it into the chicken, being sure to coat all sides.
- Separate remaining sauce into the containers, one for basting uncooked chicken and one for basting cooked chicken and for drizzling (to prevent cross-contamination).
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers, packing them together. This recipe should make about 6 large skewers.
- Get the skewers, a few at a time, loaded into the air fryer and cook for 12-15 minutes total (or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees) flipping them and basting with sauce every 4 minutes until they are cooked through.
Notes
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking them.
Your air-fryer may require pre-heating based on the model. My recipe does not include any pre-heat time.
Oven Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken skewers on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and cook for 14 minutes, flipping half way through and basting with the sauce a few times throughout the baking process.
Switch the oven to broil and cook an additional 2 minutes so get the tops golden brown and the sauce gets bubbly. Remove from the oven and baste it one last time with the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Grill Preparation:
Preheat your grill to medium-high. Place the prepared skewers over direct heat and cook each side for 5-6 minutes each, basting with butter throughout the cooking process.
Remove from the grill and baste it one last time with the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.