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 Ben 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?
Before we go any further, I have to recognize that this plate of lusciousness is sponsored by Fisher Nuts. I used their buttery pecans, which contain zero preservatives, in this comfort food dish whose taste screams “CALORIES!” but recipe contains zero butter, cream, what else am I missing…cheese? Bacon? Yeah, none of that. Look for Fisher’s new resealable packaging which helps keep their nuts fresher, longer on store shelves now.
Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken
Back to this sassy, sticky, delectable dish!
Chicken thighs are seared in a skillet before its deglazed by 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 Fisher Naturals Pecan Halves
- Maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using traditional soy sauce)
- 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 bubble and evaporate almost immediately from the heat of the skillet, and if you have a gas range it might ignite briefly.
- 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 adorable, and 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 nestled my Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken onto a pile of mashed potatoes then drizzled 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. I hope you love, love, LOVE it! Enjoy!
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Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken
Description
Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken is sinfully delicious - you'll lick your plate clean! This 1-skillet chicken recipe is ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons bourbon (I like Maker's Mark)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup Fisher Naturals Pecan Halves, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using traditional soy sauce)
- 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 - most of it should evaporate very quickly (use caution if you have a gas range as the alcohol could flame briefly.) 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.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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.
may i use chicken breast cut in half thickness wise? this recipe sounds so delish i want a more generous portion of meat to better enjoy it
Absolutely!
This was simply amazing and very easy to make. I didn’t have chicken thighs so I used a meat tenderizer with some chicken breast. The maple syrup really hits home. I will definitely be making again!
So glad you enjoyed, Errol! Good to know about the chicken breast swap, too. Thanks so much for your recipe rating and feedback!
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.
Very tasty! I should have watched it better, and I kind of boiled away all the sauce…Which is no fault of the recipe at all! The chicken was still delicious (my toddler loved it) and I scraped the boiled down sauce onto our potatoes and it was still tasty. I did not use bourbon.
I did the same thing! Watch the sauce around the 8 minute mark! It was still tasty (I didn’t use the bourbon either). Next time I’ll watch it closer.
Great recipe! We love to serve it to company.
Love hearing that, Andrea! Thank you!
Easy and delicious!
This was too sweet for us.
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Lean Cuisine has a Chicken Pecan dinner with a Maple Bourbon Sauce that I love and wanted to make myself, so I found your recipe and used it, matches their sauce pretty close. I use cut up Rotisserie chicken, wild rice, your sauce with dried cranberries, while the cranberries seem like a weird addition they are really great in this dish. Thanks for recipe.
This is the best recipe ever. Great to serve to company.
Hi tried this meal a few times now and really loved it, is it possible to freeze it and reheat in a microwave on another time?
Made as directed and it was wonderful. Served with delicata squash roasted with butter and chile-lime seasoning. It will be part of the regular rotation. Thanks for the great recipe.
Made this last night – served with a simple green salad with strawberries, and pecans of course. Delicious! We used chicken breasts instead of thighs, would suggest cooking for less time. Fabulous flavor in the sauce.
Sounds so lovely!! So glad you enjoyed, Christina!
This chicken recipe is wonderful… tasty, quick, and easy. I used chicken tenders because that is what I had. They were great and moist.Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you loved it, Sandy! Thanks for the great feedback. ;)
I just finished eating this for dinner. It is delicious! Can’t wait to add this to our regular rotation. :)
[…] Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken from Iowa Girl Eats // “Maple Bourbon Pecan Chicken is sinfully delicious and you will lick your plate clean! This 1-skillet, gluten-free dinner recipe is ready in just 20 minutes.” […]