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Bourbon Chicken Thighs

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: apple cider vinegar, bourbon, chicken thighs, garlic, gluten free, light brown sugar, worcestershire
Servings: 2 thighs/person
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 9-12 chicken thighs bone -in, skin on, trimmed
  • cup bourbon whiskey
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • Cornstarch Slurry - 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the whiskey, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic.
  • Pour the marinade into a sealable bag, add the chicken thighs to the bag and seal it shut. Place in the refrigerator either in a bowl or with a paper towel underneath the bag in case of leakage. Allow the chicken to marinate at least an hour.
  • While the chicken is marinating, heat the grill to medium high. Spray the grill with oil. Before placing the chicken on the grill, lower the heat to medium.
  • Remove chicken from the marinade and transfer remaining marinade to a small pot.
  • Grill chicken for approx. 10 minutes on each side, total cooking time approx. 20 mins. An instant-read thermometer when inserted into the chicken should read 165 degrees. (Note: Because the marinade has a lot of sugar in it, the grill can have flare-ups. It's important to lower the temperature and move the chicken around if this happens to avoid burning the chicken.)
  • While chicken is cooking, heat the reserved marinade over medium-low heat. Keep an eye on it to avoid having it boil over. Keep the marinade at a full simmer for 5-7 minutes to burn off some of the booziness from the alcohol, then add the cornstarch slurry one teaspoon at a time (you may not need to add the full tablespoon), making sure to keep mixing until desire sauce thickness is reached.
  • Place chicken on a platter, spoon over bourbon sauce, and garnish as desired. Dig in and serve with extra napkins😉!

Notes

Other chicken cuts can be used:
-Boneless, skinless thighs (12-15 thighs) will cook in approx. 10-12 mins, depending on the size of the thighs.
-Boneless breasts (approx, 6-8 breasts) will cook in less time. I haven’t tried it with breasts but 3 mins on one side, and 2 mins on the other sounds right to me, total 5 mins.