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Pineapple Bourbon Chicken

Pineapple bourbon chicken with glossy, sticky chicken thigh pieces coated in a deep amber bourbon-pineapple glaze. This skillet chicken recipe simmers a sweet bourbon sauce until thick, then tosses with pineapple chunks for caramelized, glistening edges.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Salt and black pepper
Bourbon pineapple sauce
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 0.25 cup bourbon
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with water
  • 2 tbsp water for slurry
Serving
  • Pineapple chunks
  • green onions
  • sesame seeds

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and brown the chicken
  1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper, then heat the vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes until cooked through and golden; remove and set aside.
Simmer the bourbon pineapple sauce
  1. In the same skillet, combine pineapple juice, bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, and ginger. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
  2. Whisk cornstarch with water into a slurry, then stir it into the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns sticky, about 1–2 minutes with a glossy look.
Glaze and finish
  1. Return the browned chicken to the skillet and toss to coat in the thick bourbon-pineapple glaze. Add pineapple chunks and cook for 2 more minutes until hot and lightly caramelized around the edges.
Serve
  1. Serve the bourbon pineapple chicken over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Spoon extra glossy glaze from the pan over the top so the pineapple chunks glisten.

Notes

For the stickiest glaze, keep the sauce at a steady simmer after adding the cornstarch slurry and stir until it looks glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months (pineapple texture may soften). For a lower-sugar swap, reduce brown sugar to 2 tablespoons and increase ketchup to 3 tablespoons for a similar sweet-tang balance.