The Best Whiskey Chicken
on May 13, 2020, Updated Oct 11, 2020
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Whiskey chicken is a simple meal that looks fancy and complicated. This dinner surprises our readers all the time when they learn how to make this chicken in only 30 minutes using just a handful of ingredients.
This is one of our best chicken recipes because it tastes just as good as it looks! Read on and I’ll show you exactly how to make it.
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What is Whiskey Chicken?
This is not your typical bourbon chicken because it isn’t chopped up and fried. Instead, we use whole chicken parts for this family recipe. It’s a one-pot wonder that stars with a good searing of the chicken.
Then, the meat is cooed off in a savory chicken and bourbon sauce with lightly caramelized onions. It’s hard to think of a better chicken dinner for company or family.
If you’re a fan of easy chicken recipes, we have over 70 of them! A few of my favorites include this New York Fireman’s Chicken, Roast Chicken by Thomas Keller, and if you ever wondered how to make Smoked Chicken, we can show you the way!
What’s in it
- Bone-in chicken pieces with skin on
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Bourbon whiskey
- Peas
- Italian parsley (optional)
How to Make Whiskey Chicken
You’ll need a heavy skillet for this recipe, or a Dutch oven. I love making recipes with either of these kitchen pans. Maybe because it makes me feel like a real cook?
- Start by using some paper towels to pat the chicken dry and then season with salt and pepper.
- Drying the thighs first will help to get a crisper finish on the sear.
- Next, give the thighs a nice sear in a hot skillet, using butter and olive oil.
- Sautée a sliced onion and handful of crushed garlic cloves.
- Add bourbon and chicken broth to the pot and simmer for a bit.
- Finally, return chicken to skillet and cook, skin side up, for about 20 more minutes.
During the cooking process, the broth will reduce and thicken up a bit, making for a velvety sauce. Toss in some frozen green peas and a simple garnish of chopped parsley are added, just before serving.
I love to serve this whiskey chicken recipe with some seared Brussels sprouts, fortified with a little garlic and pancetta. It alk goes together well on a bed of quinoa that was soaked in the sauce from the pan.
Give this whiskey chicken recipe a try soon. Keep it warm and keep it delicious! Finally, thanks for reading Platter Talk, it means the world to us.
Recipe Questions and Answers
We love to serve this chicken dinner with healthy quinoa and Brussels sprouts on the side. The whiskey and chicken broth add great flavor to both of these dishes and tie the whole meal together.
There’s no reason you can’t use any parts of the chicken for this whiskey chicken. Many people prefer the dark meat from the chicken thigh because of its deeper flavor. Using the same part for this recipe helps you end up with uniform portions. This also ensures that all of the pieces are done at about the same time.
You can wrap and seal the leftovers from this dinner. They will keep in the refrigerator for five days if stored properly. You can easily reheat for lunch later in the week or take to work with you. Finally, we have a terrific leftover chicken recipe that you will love!
The only real way to know if your chicken is cooked throughout is to measure its temperature. If you get a reading of 165° F., you are good to go! Akitchen thermometer will take the guesswork out of this every time.
Pro Cooking Tip: Sprinkle some chopped and fried pancetta over this plate as a garnish.
Cooking Tip: Did you know that chicken thighs are often a better choice for chicken recipes?
Chicken thighs have a higher fat content than chicken breasts. Besides giving them more flavor, it also makes them impossible to mess up, unlike chicken breasts! Often times chicken breasts will turn out dry and flavorless, this seldom happens if you use chicken thigh instead. And, did you know you can buy boneless chicken thighs? Skin-on, or skin-off!
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Whiskey Chicken
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs with skin on.
- Salt and Pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Use paper towels to pat dry the chicken thighs and then season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil to large skillet and heat on medium high stove top. When butter and oil are hot, place chicken thighs in skillet, skin side down and sear for 10 minutes. Flip pieces and sear for 2 more minutes then remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add remaining butter to skillet and over medium add onions and stir for about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and stir and sauté for another minute. Next, add broth and bourbon and simmer for 5 minutes and then add chicken back to skillet, skin side up. Simmer for another 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce begins to thicken.
- Add peas at the end, allow to simmer another minute or so and then garnish with parsley immediately before serving.
Video
Notes
- Using the same parts of the chicken helps to ensure cooking time will be the same for all of the pieces.
- For food safety, always make sure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Updated from the original post of January 22, 2017
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I tried this, it was surprisingly bland. A lot of the whiskey flavor is lost during the simmering and really all this ends up as is chicken and peas in a reduced chicken broth. It needs more flavors in there and is frankly a waste of whisky.
I love quick dinners that turn out looking amazing! Is there a suitable alcohol free substitute for whisky?
Oh that sounds AMAZING! I do love a good whisky, and this sounds like just the sort of meal I would really enjoy.
Totally a chicken dish full of great flavors!
This dish is gorgeous, and so-so spring!
Looks SO good! I bet the bourbon gives this dish a really complex flavor, and I love the addition of the peas to lighten things up!
Whiskey chicken? This looks fantastic. MUST TRY