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America's Melting Pot
Bourbon Chicken hero image coming soon
1980s-present - Chinese American restaurant cooks and mall food-court operators popularizing Bourbon Street-style chicken
Bourbon chicken is modern American fusion food: bite-size chicken in a sticky sweet-savory sauce, associated with Bourbon Street in New Orleans and later with mall food courts and American-Chinese steam tables. Some versions include bourbon whiskey; others keep the name and skip the liquor.
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Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
20 minutes
Total time
35 minutes
Servings
4 servings
Region
New Orleans, malls, and American-Chinese restaurants
Era introduced
1980s-present
Introduced by
Chinese American restaurant cooks and mall food-court operators popularizing Bourbon Street-style chicken
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Bourbon chicken belongs to the era when mall food courts turned regional and immigrant cooking into fast, glossy, sample-on-a-toothpick meals. The dish is generally linked to Bourbon Street in New Orleans and American-Chinese or Cajun-themed counters rather than to a single settled tradition. A practical home version browns chicken pieces and glazes them in a sauce of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and bourbon or apple juice.
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