Give Your Bourbon Chicken A Much-Needed Thai Twist

Out of the many ways to season and cook poultry, bourbon chicken is one flavorful way to make an Asian-inspired dish. Many Chinese-American eateries have bourbon chicken on the menu along with other mainstay poultry dishes like orange chicken. However, there's a strong case to put a Thai twist on your next batch of homemade bourbon chicken with an elevated sauce.

We find inspiration for the Thai touch from our original bourbon-chile barbecue grilled chicken recipe. Expect various sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors blended together that will make you forget about the traditional bourbon chicken you might typically cook or order out. It all comes from this bourbon-chili barbecue sauce that combines ingredients including a Thai chile for varying levels of heat, brown sugar and peach preserves for that sweetness, and apple cider vinegar for an acidic touch.

The reason it works so well is because all of the flavors balance each other out, and chicken easily takes on the flavors of marinades and sauces. When you put the sauce on the chicken and throw the pieces on the grill, the smoky flavor and charred marks elevate the flavor even further.

Both the grilled chicken and barbeque sauce recipes are straightforward for any level of home cook, but here are some useful tips. First, prepare to marinate the chicken overnight so it has plenty of time to soak up all of those flavors. You'll also want to divide the homemade sauce so you can baste more onto the chicken as it grills. You might even want to set aside any extra sauce for dipping purposes. Our recipe suggests six to eight minutes of cooking time, but the safe bet is to check the internal temperature until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. And if you aren't a grill expert already, check out these essential grilling tips and tricks.

You'll need some sides to turn this bourbon-chile barbecue grilled chicken into a complete meal. A refreshing salad offers a nice balance with the rich chicken, so consider this summer turnip salad with lemon-herb dressing or lean into the Thai inspiration with this Thai smashed cucumber salad. And if you prefer more traditional sides with grilled chicken, try this Hawaiian macaroni salad with grated carrots or cook our creamy dill potato salad. And if you have any leftover chicken, repurpose it and make a grilled chicken sandwich, quesadillas, or use it in your next pot of soup.