Where Can I Get Bourbon Chicken? Your Ultimate Guide

Bourbon chicken is a popular Chinese takeout dish that combines the sweet and savory flavors of bourbon, soy sauce, and brown sugar. With its crispy breaded chicken coated in a sticky bourbon sauce, it’s easy to see why this dish is so addicting!

If you’re craving bourbon chicken but don’t want to order takeout, you may be wondering where you can get it. The good news is that there are plenty of places to find high-quality, ready-to-eat bourbon chicken. In this article, I’ll go over the best places to buy pre-made bourbon chicken, as well as how to choose the tastiest option.

Order Bourbon Chicken Takeout from a Restaurant

The most obvious place to get bourbon chicken is to order takeout or delivery from a Chinese restaurant. Most restaurants that offer Americanized Chinese food will have bourbon chicken on the menu. Some popular chains known for their bourbon chicken include:

• Panda Express – Their bourbon chicken is a signature menu item. It’s coated in a sweet soy glaze with flavors of bourbon, garlic, ginger and brown sugar.

• Pei Wei Asian Diner – Their bourbon chicken is crisp, sweet, and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions. You can order it as part of a bowl, plate, or lettuce wrap.

• PF Chang’s – Their chicken is first marinated, then coated in a bourbon glaze made with soy sauce and ginger. It’s garnished with toasted almonds.

The benefit of ordering from a restaurant is that you’ll get freshly made bourbon chicken cooked to order. The downside is that you’ll likely have to order it with other dishes since most places don’t allow single-item takeout orders.

Purchase Bourbon Chicken from the Grocery Store

If you want the convenience of ready-to-eat bourbon chicken without ordering takeout, check your local grocery store. Many supermarkets now sell prepared bourbon chicken in the frozen food aisle. Some popular brands to look out for include:

• Ling Ling Potstickers – Their bourbon chicken comes with 12 breaded chicken pieces and sauce packets. Just heat and serve.

• Panda Express – Just like the restaurant, they sell bags of their signature bourbon chicken in the freezer section.

• PF Chang’s – You can purchase the same bourbon chicken entree from their restaurants in the frozen aisle. It comes with chicken, rice, and broccoli.

The benefit of buying frozen bourbon chicken from the grocery store is that you can keep it stocked in your freezer for quick meals. The quality won’t be quite as good as fresh takeout, but it’s certainly more convenient.

Order Bourbon Chicken for Delivery

These days, we can get just about any food delivered with services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub and more. These apps allow you to order bourbon chicken and have it conveniently delivered right to your door.

A few tips for ordering bourbon chicken delivery:

• Stick to restaurants known for good bourbon chicken so you don’t end up with poor quality. Panda Express and Pei Wei are safe bets.

• Make sure the restaurant uses tamper-evident packaging and seals entrees properly so the sauce doesn’t leak out.

• Opt for contactless delivery if the service allows so your food arrives hot and fresh.

• Add a side dish or two so your meal feels complete. Steamed rice, crab rangoon, and chicken egg rolls all pair nicely.

While pricier than takeout or frozen, delivery is the ultimate in convenience. In just a few taps on your phone, bourbon chicken comes right to you!

Purchase Bourbon Chicken from Online Retailers

You can also buy shelf-stable bourbon chicken online from retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Some popular brands available include:

• Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken – This product contains pouches of bourbon chicken that just need to be heated and served over rice.

• Lee Kum Kee Bourbon Chicken – The frozen meal kit comes with breaded chicken and sauce to be prepared at home.

• Annie Chun’s Bourbon Chicken Bowl – This shelf-stable meal includes chicken, rice, broccoli and sauce. Just microwave to eat.

Buying online allows you to get bourbon chicken shipped right to your home without leaving the house. However, check the shipping costs first, as they can sometimes negate the convenience factor.

Make Bourbon Chicken at Home

Okay, so buying pre-made bourbon chicken is convenient. But if you have the time, making it at home can be fun and rewarding! Here are some tips for a homemade version:

• Use chicken breast or thigh cutlets pounded to an even thickness, then bread them with flour, egg, and panko.

• Fry the breaded chicken in oil until crispy and golden brown. Make sure to cook the chicken all the way through.

• For the sauce, combine soy sauce, bourbon, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and spices in a pan. Simmer until thickened.

• Toss the fried chicken in the sauce until coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions for garnish.

• Serve the chicken over steamed white rice.

The advantages of homemade is that you control the quality of ingredients. The main downside is it takes more time and effort than grabbing takeout.

How to Choose the Best Bourbon Chicken

Now that you know the various places to get bourbon chicken, here are a few tips for choosing the tastiest option:

• Look for crisp breading on the chicken – It should be crunchy from frying, not soggy or greasy.

• Check for sufficient sauce coverage – Each piece of chicken should be coated in sauce, not dry or sparse.

• See that the sauce is thick and glossy – It should cling nicely to the chicken, not appear thin or watery.

• Give preference to sesame seed and green onion garnish – These extra touches enhance flavor and appearance.

• For takeout, go with restaurants known for good bourbon chicken – Chains like Panda Express or Pei Wei are reliable picks.

• If buying frozen, choose name brands you recognize – Companies like Ling Ling or Panda Express indicate quality.

Satisfy Your Bourbon Chicken Craving

Bourbon chicken lovers can rejoice knowing that this popular dish is readily available at restaurants, grocery stores, via delivery, and online. With so many convenient options, there’s no need to deprive your tastebuds when a craving strikes. Use this guide to find the closest spot to get quality bourbon chicken straight to your plate. Just don’t forget the steamed rice on the side!

Yes, Panda Express offers a dish called Blazing Bourbon Chicken, which is a collaboration with Hot Ones. It’s a limited-time item featuring crispy chicken, wok-tossed with vegetables in a sweet and spicy bourbon sauce, and infused with the Hot Ones “Last Dab Apollo” hot sauce.