This bourbon chicken is a crowd favorite. The two top comments I get on this recipe are #1: I just made this and my whole family loved it, we ate the whole thing, and #2: where is the bourbon? Bourbon chicken was invented on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Many people like to put bourbon in their bourbon chicken recipes, but I prefer to leave it out. However, if you want to add some go ahead and add it after pressure cooking while using sauté mode to make sure that the alcohol cooks off. I don’t recommend adding high-proof alcohol to your pressure cooker before pressure cooking!
For time’s sake, I’ve decided to make this a dump recipe. No need to sauté before pressure cooking but we will be turning on sauté at the end for the cornstarch slurry to activate!
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Table of Contents
The Process
Start by adding the onion, garlic, soy sauce, apple juice, honey, ketchup, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and salt.
Stir and add your boneless skinless chicken thighs making sure to coat both sides in the mixture.
Pressure cook for 15 minutes, let it natural-release for five minutes then you can quick-release the pressure. (If you want to make this recipe using the pot-in-pot method to make rice check out the FAQ below!)
When it’s fully depressurized, take off the lid and remove the chicken to dice. Hit cancel and turn on sauté. At this point, you can add 1/4 of a cup of bourbon if you’d like.
Next add the cornstarch slurry, salt, pepper, and Sriracha. Oh and don’t forget the chicken! Add that back in and take a little tester bite, you deserve it.
My go-to garnish is green onion and it works perfectly with this dish to give it just a bit of refreshing crunch. Serve over white rice, my favorite is Jasmine!
FAQ
How can I make this recipe Pot-in-Pot with rice?
You can make this recipe pot-in-pot with rice using a separate bowl above the chicken. I used a silicone bowl for this. You will pressure cook for 13 minutes instead of 15, and instead of doing a delayed quick release, you will let it natural-release. Keep in mind that the reason my rice wasn’t overcooked is that cooking it above the heat source and in a silicone pan made it take longer than normal.
Normally jasmine rice takes 4 minutes with a natural release to be cooked to my liking. If you do that amount of time with this recipe the rice will still be crunchy and watery.
Why isn’t there Bourbon in your Bourbon Chicken recipe?
Bourbon Chicken originated on Bourbon Street in New Orleans! Although bourbon chicken often does include Bourbon it is not a necessary ingredient and I decided to leave it out. Personal preference!
Can I add Bourbon?
Of course! I recommend adding your desired amount of bourbon after pressure cooking, while sauteéing. Pressure cooking high-proof alcohol is never recommended for safety reasons, and because the alcohol may not be able to evaporate out of the pressure cooker. We aren’t going for tipsy bourbon chicken here! Just sauté long enough that the alcohol can evaporate out of the mixture.
Can I use frozen chicken in this recipe?
Yes, as long as it’s boneless you can add frozen chicken and you will need to increase the pressure cook time by about 3 minutes. If you have bone-in it may take a bit longer. Make sure to always check the internal temperature of the chicken in your Instant Pot. It should be at least 165 F.
What can I serve Bourbon Chicken over?
- White Rice (I like Jasmine!)
- Chow Mein
- Fried Rice
- Cabbage Lettuce Wraps
Can I turn this recipe into a freezer meal before cooking?
Yes! I personally like to make freezer meals for the Instant Pot using Souper Cubes. That way it can fit in the Instant Pot without needing to defrost straight from a ziplock bag.
Can I freeze this Bourbon Chicken?
Absolutely! I like to freeze this in 1 cup portions using Souper Cubes. You can freeze rice and chicken together or the chicken alone. Eat within 3 months for the best flavor!
Tools
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The Recipe
Add 1 onion, 1 tbsp garlic, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup apple juice, ketchup, honey, and brown sugar, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1.5 lb chicken, and a dash of salt to the Instant Pot. Stir ingredients together.
Pressure Cook for 15 minutes. When it's done let it natural-release for 5 minutes and then you can release the pressure. (See FAQ for pot-in-pot rice instructions!)
Remove and dice the chicken then turn on sauté normal (to adjust temperature you either click adjust or click the sauté button until you reach the temperature you want).
Mix 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water together in a small bowl until it forms a slurry. Add to the Instant Pot.
Add 1 tsp sriracha, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Add 1 onion, 1 tbsp garlic, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup apple juice, ketchup, honey, and brown sugar, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1.5 lb chicken, and a dash of salt to the Instant Pot. Stir ingredients together.
Pressure Cook for 15 minutes. When it's done let it natural-release for 5 minutes and then you can release the pressure. (See FAQ for pot-in-pot rice instructions!)
Remove and dice the chicken then turn on sauté normal (to adjust temperature you either click adjust or click the sauté button until you reach the temperature you want).
Mix 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water together in a small bowl until it forms a slurry. Add to the Instant Pot.
Add 1 tsp sriracha, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot. Enjoy!