Roasted Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Breasts.
When all you cared about was reading the latest Bop magazine and obsessing about boys who shopped at Structure while memorizing the latest dance to Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” instead of aging 10 years and responsibly accidentally on purpose forgetting to pay bills so you could buy something significantly important like a doughnut pan?
…. no? Okay.
[Oh, but wait: if you’re a girl or a boy and you also obsessed over boys who shopped at Structure, please be my best friend and take me shopping because seriously??? You clearly know your 1990s fashion and girl.needs.hellllp.]
And remember when you could roast a plain old chicken breast and it be the best tasting thing ever, until you had some girl who thinks she knows how to cook tell you to add bourbon to that chicken on the internet?
I do think I know everything, huh?
And! I’ll only force sage down your throat one more time this week. Promise. Or not.
Back in those Bop-reading, Structure-boy-wearing obsession days, I curiously stole a sip of my mom’s bourbon and ginger ale and decided that it literally tasted like rainbows. Why rainbows? I have no idea. It’s not like I’d ever tasted a rainbow. In fact, that really sounds like something my mom would have said back in the 70s after some questionable behavior, so maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But either way… I pretty much love it.
For the record, you don’t have to be a bourbon lover to enjoy this dish. If you were forever ruined on bourbon that one memorable [or let’s be honest, unmemorable] night in college, I’m guessing you can still hang here. Mr. How Sweet nearly had a conniption last spring when I forced him to taste my crispy bourbon glazed salmon, but he was more than pleasantly surprised after that bite and now requests it every few weeks. I love when I’m [always] right.
Roasted Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Breasts
[glaze from my bourbon-glazed salmon]
serves 4-6
4 large, bone-in split chicken breasts (mine totaled 4.8lbs)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups bourbon
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground mustard
sage, if desired
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine the bourbon, sugar, mustard, garlic, honey, vinegar and worcestershire in a small saucepan and whisk. Heat over high heat and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until mixture reduces by about half. Set aside and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the chicken. The glaze will thicken a bit at this time.
In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season chicken breasts on both sides with mixture, then place skin-side down in the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. When finished, add chicken to an oven-safe baking dish. Pour half of the glaze overtop of chicken, add sage leaves on top if desired, then roast for 30 minutes. Half way through cooking, brush chicken with a bit more glaze.
When chicken is finished, remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with additional glaze for topping.
I’ll tell you about those extraordinary potato slash fry things sometime later. Tomorrow we’re gonna talk about the 90s again.
109 Comments on “Roasted Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Breasts.”
Yea, I used to dream about living in Wonka’s chocolate factory so I could eat everything but I’d much rather live in your kitchen.
Structure, Straight Up…and could we get a little Drakkar cologne with that memory too? :)
The glaze. The sweet tater fries. The Brussles.. That’s where it’s at for me in this post! yum!
OMG..yes Drakkar cologne!!!!
This looks delicious! What a great meal!! I need to make the chicken and serve with some sweet potato or butternut squash fries. So yummy!! This is going on next weeks dinner plans!
I love Bourbon to drink and to cook with…this looks completely delish. The sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts is a great pairing, too! Does Structure still exists….is it Express for men now? I have no idea….but it does bring back some memories of buying their plaid flannel shirts? way back when.
Hahaha I think it is now Express for men.
Aw man, I remember when shopping at The Limited and Express meant you were posh, back in Suburgatory. I spent a week’s pay on an outfit I saw (at The Limited) on a mannequin, and then proceeded to wear it to school….with jelly sandals OF COURSE. Only better were the trends of shiny shirts, where I begged my mother to buy me one, only to have her give me a pair of Naturalizer sneakers for my birthday, because I had “to support those arches.”
Do you remember the French Connection? And when did it become all “edgy” with the new, “FCUK.” What?!?
Well, in the 90’s, I was a scrunchie wearing, stirrup leggings sporting, side ponytailed wearing freak. Just sayin’…
And I don’t have any idea what Structure is.
And while I might not put this bourbon glaze on chicken, that doesn’t mean I won’t put it on something else.
HAHA…Structure…I loved those guys clothes for my bf! Haha!
ahhh Structure boys. i know them well.
also i’m totally down with bourbon in my food. i had bourbon mashed sweet potatoes in Memphis and they might’ve been the best things ever. sweet potatoes + bourbon + cream + butter = heaven. the maple pecan butter they put a pad of on top took things right over the edge.
Those sound INSANE. And I need them.
This is the place.
http://www.mcewensonmonroe.com/
you should check it out if you’re in Memphis. and save room for dessert. the banana cream pie is TO DIE FOR. we asked for the recipe it was so good. they told us. first time that’s ever happened. turns out it’s been published in Killer Pies. here’s the link. you need to make one of these.
http://www.hwtm.com/recipe_box/bananacreampie
I have never had bourbon flavored dishes but I have had bourbon flavored ice cream! Yum!
I need some of that!
Wow…this whole meal looks to die for! I can’t wait to hear about the sweet potato fries!
My high school boyfriend wore Structure, Drakkar Noir, and adidas sneakers. Dreamboat.
Chicken breast doesn’t generally get my heart racing, but this dish could change that. I love glazes.
And, some randoms from the ’90s: O-Town. Those beauty wand/brushes filled with glitter. Back-pack purses. My So-Called Life.
Backpack purses… oh yes.
Oh, how I do love reading your blog with my first cup of coffee in the morning! I am a new reader and have forwarded your blog to many-a-friend here in Minnesota! You are FAB!!! Timing is interesting… our kitchen is currently gutted and in the remodeling process, so I have yet to do more than drool over your recipes, but be assured! When said kitchen is new, sparkly and ready to go, I will be blessing my family with your creations. Thanks for sharing your talent!
Thank you Kim!
I don’t know about bourbon but this LOOKS delicious. I might be trying apple juice instead. Close enough, right?
I’ve never heard of structure. Probably because I was born in 92 so I’m a 90s baby not a 90s teen! Ahh :/ This looks amazinggg though. I love brussels :)
Not only did I obsess over Structure but I worked at Structure during the holiday season, reasoning I could meet more boys that way. Turns out that boys didn’t shop at Structure. Their mothers shopped at Structure. No new boys were met, but I did learn how to fold a mean sweater.
Hahaha… so true!
Always finding a new way to inspire us in the kitchen! Love ya.
Ooooh, my man would love this!
it doesn’t matter what or when i eat, i am always hungry (read: starving) when i read your posts! as for Bop…well, I was more of a Seventeen girl myself :)
Now if this was tequila glazed chicken I might have a (unmemorable) problem… but a bourbon glaze sounds delicious to me!
Omg, Bop magazine! Totally brings me back. This chicken looks great! I love bourbon anything!
Add Teen Beat to that list and we are definitely on the same page!
Things to do, 1) Buy bourbon so I can make this recipe and your Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes (my friends are BEGGING me to make them), 2) Google what the heck Structure is… And look at all of those VEGGIES on the plate! Look at you!
we love chicken in this house and i’m always looking for ways to kick up a boring plain breast (twss?!) can’t wait to try this!!
My husband, who was once my college boyfriend, worked at Structure. The crew neck white undershirts were a particular favorite. He regularly used his discount to bring me presents from Express. Is it any wonder that I married him?
I thought for one terrifying moment that the photo showed a plate with both Brussels sprouts AND carrots, and no starches. But homemade fries? That I can get behind.
I’m not a great fan of drinking bourbon (thanks university!) but it definitely adds a really awesome flavour, This chicken looks delicious!
this looks amazing. what a colorful plate of flavor!
Haha, the taste of bourbon always reminds me of high school and college, so I imagine this chicken would taste strangely nostalgic for me :-)
Okay your first paragraph just took me back to my teen years. Except it wasn’t Structure for me, it was Chess King. Sigh. I miss you Dave. Huh? Oh…
I love bourbon chicken so I’m definitely giving this one a try!
What is Chess King?
I laughed when I saw the fuzzy sage in your picture. If you’ve got it, why not use it?
Still have to go get me some brussel sprouts to try, but there’s tons of chicken (no, literally tons of chicken because I bought 40 lbs. in bulk two weeks ago) in the freezer.
But alas, I am out of bourbon.
Better solve that problem quickly!
I’ve been craving chicken ALL week and now I want it even more. Plus those brussel sprouts on the side. I’m coming to your house for dinner, k??
I still have some bourbon left over from when I made the salmon…
Hmm…
no paula for me – i would pop my Rhythm Nation video into the VCR and dance along to Janet Jackson. you know what i’m talking about – 5,4,3,2,1 *snap* haha.
ooh, yum, this looks so wonderful!
i don’t know about structure, but i definitely had my share of Bop pages taped to my walls and I still know the words to “Straight Up”. Maybe even some of the dance.
ps: have you ever had maker’s mark + sprite together? yum.
This looks delicious! And sometimes I wish I could go back and relive my “teens” again. It was so much easier, though at the time it seemed like the hardest years of my life!
I lovely every chicken recipe you make. You’re creative with chickens!
We could talk about the 90s all day everyday. I graduated high school in ’94, so, um, – WAIT, how old are you? Please don’t tell me you were born in like, ’85 or something.
You were, weren’t you?
Great, now my back hurts.
Bring on the 90s! Pretty much every night while making/eating dinner I listen to the 90s music channel (Comcast: channel 491 in case you wanted to know). Also, this morning I watched a little Boy Meets World. Love me some Cory Matthews.
P.S. You are partially the inspiration for me starting my own blog, so Thanks!
I love how simple yet delicious looking your dishes are. I love cooking, but not so much to where I am willing to spend hours preparing a hundred different parts to create one item. Thanks for making them so simple, I can’t wait to try this.
My best friend and I used to make up dances to every Paula song, including “Rush, Rush”. Yes, we were like 8 and, yes, it was a very serious lyrical dance. And did I mention we did this in a smelly basement? Because we did.
i miss going in the mall and seeing structure and express all snuggled up together. :( i loved lurking near the big open area they had that joined the store…just hoping to catch a glimpse of some cute boy while i pretended to look at clothes that clearly were to small for me
1. Boys who shopped at Structure AND had a Sun-In yellow bowl cuts were beyond dreamy circa 1997.
2. I can’t get the idea of bourbon glaze out of my head. It sounds soooo good, but then I remember that it includes bourbon… and bourbon = Dave Matthews Band concert in the football stadium and a handle of Evan Williams senior year. Four years later the memory still makes me shudder… maybe I can wear one of those dr. masks or nose clips while I whisk?
3. I’m SO excited to listen to your panel discussion at Foodbuzz!
Hooray more fuzzies! But this liquor this time :-). Good job being right again about this sounding great to everyone who will now want to make it. Like me.
Structure! Those models were dreamy.
The potato fry things look spectacular. Love the large sea salt granules!
This looks awesome. I made a whiskey mushroom sauce for steak once- but I am way more of a chicken person and this looks perfect. Can’t wait to try it.
Ok I am making this tonight this looks fabulous as usual, your recipes are awesome and I go to your site more than any other to get dinner ideas, Thank you! Is that the brussel sprout recipe you posted last week or a different one, I wanted to pair that with it as well? And the carrots look amazing I usually don’t use them but I might tonight lol, and by the way I am 90’s obsesser as well and Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted Snake” was a favorite…oh the days lol.
this looks amazing!!!!!
Yum! This looks so delicious. Come cook for me please, i’m begging! lol.
I’m not a huge chicken fan but you always make it look SO good and juicy!
OH, and…gotta love the 90’s!