Wow, the holidays are already upon us! It’s been quite the year and I’m insanely behind on my posts. A small moment of free time (I literally have a baby sleeping next to me on my leg…we’ll see how long she’ll give me) and I bring you a new post! I’m actually hoping I can squeeze in a few more posts to aid you on your Thanksgiving and holiday journey. I have a huge list planned out, and I’m shooting for at least three more posts before the big Tday hits! It’s not a ton, but I’ll be able to show you some of my favorite recipes I make for my Thanksgiving that you might like to make for your own.

This is not a Thanksgiving day post however, so we’re going to move on! This is a holiday entertaining, small gathering, Sunday dinner, any day of the week you want to have your tastebuds do backflips, impress your friends kinda of meal. This is bourbon chicken.

Bourbon chicken is quite possibly my favorite chicken recipe. Ever. Whenever I make this, I am constantly asked for the recipe and if I forget to send it, I’m badgered until I finally get it in their hands. It’s one of the most requested recipes my husband asks for, and a dish I like to make for small dinner parties because it’s easy and delicious. So I thought, why not for the holidays? It would be absolutely perfect. One of these years I might actually try to alter the recipe to work for a turkey…one of these days…

The flavors of bourbon chicken are rich and sweet, the skin is crispy, and the meat moist. Containing butter and brown sugar how could you really go wrong? There has been nothing to beat its deliciousness just yet. So until then, I will continue to sing its praises.

Before we begin, one of the most important ingredients of this recipe is the celery rib. You might be thinking, okay…what is so crucial about a piece of celery? The secret is, if you take a rib of celery and place it in the chicken cavity while cooking, your chicken will remain moist. This works for any recipe for a chicken roast. Hasn’t failed me yet! So make sure you have your celery!

Bourbon Chicken

Print Recipe

Description

An amazingly rich and sweet flavored chicken with crispy skin and moist meat.

Ingredients

1 Chicken, cleaned
1 Celery Rib

For the sauce

1/2 cup Bourbon
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
3 TBSP. Real Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F
Mix all ingredients for the sauce together and set aside
Place your cleaned chicken in your backing dish and separate the skin from the breast meat with your hands (make sure you do not remove the skin from the bird)
Pour some of the sauce underneath the skin and on top of the breast meat
Pour remaining sauce over the entire bird
Take celery rib and insert into chicken cavity
Place chicken into the oven and cook uncovered for 15-25 minutes
Once the skin has browned, take the temperature down to 375F
Continue to cook until internal temperature of chicken is 160 (about an hour), basting every once and a while
If your chicken is getting too brown, place a sheet of foil over the bird
When the chicken reaches 160, pull out of the oven and let sit and allow the internal temperature to reach 165 (the meat will continue to cook once you pull it out of the oven for a small bit)
Cut and enjoy!