Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken is light yet luscious — you will lick your plate clean! This 1-skillet, gluten-free dinner recipe is ready in just 20 minutes.
Alternatively titled “THE ONLY CHICKEN RECIPE YOU WILL EVER NEED.”
Ahem, that is to say, holy buckets you have got to try my Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken, which is so good my husband wasn’t even mad I used some of his precious bourbon collection to test and tweak it to perfection.
Maybe it’s because I didn’t tell him until after he shoveled an entire chicken thigh into his mouth whilst telling me how delicious it was?
Watch How to Make It!
Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken
Back to this sassy, sticky, delectable dish!
Chicken thighs are seared in a skillet before deglazing with a shot of bourbon. Don’t keep a bottle of bourbon in the house? No problem – I’ve got a hack for that. Next, the chicken thighs are nestled back into the skillet with a maple-dijon pan sauce then simmered until tender with a sprinkling of chopped pecans.
Totally foolproof. Literally I don’t think it’s possible to overcook chicken thighs – they just get more tender and juicy as they cook, and once drizzled with the thickened and syrupy sauce at the end? GET OUT.
Now, bourbon and pecans go together like pecans and maple syrup, which is to say the three of them combined in this dish are just heavenly. The bourbon flavor is more of a whisper then shout, and lends a subtle, caramel-y background note that I’d definitely miss if it were left out.
All that said, this dish is not sweet – it’s got the perfect balance of flavors.
20 minutes, 1 skillet, pantry staples, absolutely incredible – make this tonight!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by adding gluten free flour to a shallow dish then generously season with salt and pepper. Dredge boneless skinless chicken thighs in the seasoned flour then shake to remove any excess flour and place onto a plate.
Next get the sauce ready – in a bowl whisk together:
- Chicken broth
- Chopped pecans
- Maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Gluten-free Tamari (soy sauce if not GF)
- Dried rosemary
(The white bits are just fat from homemade chicken stock floating throughout!)
Set the sauce aside then heat extra virgin olive oil in a 12″ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs then sear until golden brown on one side, 1-2 minutes, and then flip and sear until golden brown on the other.
The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point. Remove the chicken to a plate then set aside.
Next, remove the skillet from the heat then add 2 Tablespoons bourbon. Two things:
- Be careful, as the bourbon will boil immediately from the heat of the skillet.
- If you don’t keep bourbon in the house – no worries! These tiny, 1(ish)-shot bottles are usually available behind the counter at the liquor or grocery store. So much easier than buying an entire bottle if you won’t drink it.
Add the maple sauce to the skillet then return it to the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Nestle the chicken thighs into the liquid then loosely cover the skillet with foil, turn the heat down to medium, then simmer until the sauce has thickened and the thighs are cooked through, 10 minutes.
I nestle my Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken onto a pile of mashed potatoes then drizzle a few spoonfuls of the lip-smacking sauce on top.
An arugula, parmesan, lemon and olive oil salad on the side rounds out this absolutely insane meal. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons bourbon, Maker's Mark recommended
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
Directions
- Add flour to a shallow dish then season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken thigh in the seasoned flour then shake to remove excess and place onto a plate. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together chicken broth, maple syrup, chopped pecans, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, gluten-free tamari, and dried rosemary then set aside.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken thighs then sear until golden brown on one side, 1-2 minutes, searing in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Flip then sear until golden brown on the other side, and then transfer back to the plate - chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- Remove skillet from heat then carefully add the bourbon - it will boil immediately from the heat of the skillet. Return skillet to the heat then add the maple syrup mixture. Turn heat up to bring the liquid to a simmer then turn heat down to medium and nestle the chicken back into the skillet. Loosely cover the skillet with a piece of foil then simmer until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked through, 10 minutes, flipping the thighs in the sauce once or twice.
- Plate chicken then scoop sauce over the top and serve.
Notes
- I like to serve this dish with prepared mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Amazing recipe! I used almond flour. I didn’t have the bourbon, and it was still delicious! My husband said it made him feel like he was in an expensive restaurant, and wanted to know if I had a skillet cookie dessert too:)
Oh I love hear this, Susan!! So glad it was a hit! (The idea of a skillet cookie sounds divine, too!)
Loved it! it will definitely go in the rotation. Even my picky eater husband gobbled it down and said it was great. Thanks!!
Wohoo! Fantastic to hear — thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I really liked the taste of the sauce. We put it over egg noodles. Next time I would make a lot more sauce as this had very little.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Candace!
This was super easy to make and very yummy! It was a little too sweet for me personally, but everyone else loved it and said it would have to become a regular dish! I seasoned the chicken itself with some rosemary, thyme, and a touch of onion powder as well and paired it with sauteed green beans and rice. If you like sweeter meals I definitely recommend trying this!
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Tiara! Next time you could reduce the amount of maple syrup to make it a little less sweet. :)
Can you suggest a non-alcoholic substitute for the bourbon? We have two adopted adult children who are FASD and cannot touch a drop.
You can just leave that out, Jim! It’ll still be very delicious. :) Feel free to add drizzle of gluten free Tamari if the sauce tastes a little too sweet at the end.
Thanks for the suggestion. I don’t know if Canadians like me have a sweeter sweet tooth than Iowans, but my family found the recipe not nearly sweet enough — kind of bland. Next time I will try adding 2 tb of honey or possibly even sugar to see if that satisfies.
love your maple bourbon chicken recipe!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Anna!
Thank you for the easy to follow recipe. Served with fresh spinach as a side. Loved it.
Sounds absolutely delicious, I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I made this last night and it’s absolutely yummy and so easy to make! I doubled up on the sauce to have extra.
Love that, Stacie!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Are the pecans raw or roasted? Thinking of trying with pork chops….
These particular pecans come roasted!
I have a maple bourbon should I still use maple syrup??
Use the same amount of bourbon as called for in the recipe, and maybe a touch less maple syrup.