Smokey, sweet, a little bit boozy; this Maple Bourbon BBQ Chicken recipe has everything you want in a summer meal. The chicken is cooked until perfectly juicy and stays moist with regular basting from the delicious BBQ sauce.
You can always use your own BBQ sauce recipe, adapt this one, or use a store bought product. Another tip is to take a store bought BBQ sauce and doctor it up with some of the ingredients below.
This chicken can be cooked in the oven or on the grill. It works spectacularly either way.
Another option is to use your Instant Pot. Check this post for instructions: Protein Meal Prep: How To Prep Anything in the Instant Pot
Or try making a whole chicken with this prep: Rotisserie Chicken in the Instant Pot
For more meal prep ideas, check out this list of Healthy Crockpot Freezer Meals.
How to Make Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Homemade BBQ sauce is not tricky at all. You literally only have to dump everything in a pot and simmer for a great sauce.
You can also saute garlic and onions for your sauce but I don’t find it all that necessary as the other ingredients are so potent, I don’t notice a huge difference between that and just using powdered. I like the smooth finish that powered garlic gives to the sauce as well.
Here are the ingredients for maple bourbon bbq sauce:
Liquids
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Seasonings and Spices
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp onion powder optional
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder optional
- 1/4 tsp celery salt optional
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke recommended but optional
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or more, to taste, optional
Just chuck all ingredients in a pot and let it simmer away over medium high heat for 10 minutes or more. The longer you simmer means a more flavourful, concentrated sauce. However, watch closely that you don’t burn it or reduce it to a thick goopy mess. Balance is key!
After you’ve simmered it for a while, do a taste test to see if you would like to add anything. Taste for sweet/acidic balance and saltiness. Adjust as desired.
Maple Bourbon BBQ Chicken
Next, season your chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Baste with 1/2 cup of maple bourbon BBQ sauce. You can roast them in the oven at 425F for 18-22 minutes, basting at the 10 minute mark.
To grill, heat the grill to medium and grill 5-7 minutes per side, basting as desired. A meat thermometer should read 165F when the chicken is cooked through.
This chicken is perfect paired with lighter potato salad and asparagus, tomato, and feta salad with balsamic vinaigrette reduction. Or make any salad with these healthy salad dressing recipes.
Any summery side dishes, salad, sheet pan sweet potatoes and green beans, Instant Pot Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, or baked potato would be perfect here.
For my other meal prep recipes see here.
Some delicious chicken recipes to try:
For a Fit Food Grocery List, healthy habit trackers and calendars and much more, check out my Free Resource Library!
Maple Bourbon BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp onion powder optional
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder optional
- 1/4 tsp celery salt optional
- 1 Tbsp liquid smoke recommended but optional
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or more, to taste, optional
Chicken
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce or other homemade or store bought
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Maple Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Add all ingredients in a pot over medium high heat
- Simmer for 10 minutes at least to allow flavours to meld
BBQ Chicken in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 220C / 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper
- Baste with half a cup of BBQ sauce
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, basting every 10 minutes or as desired
BBQ Chicken on the Grill
- Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness
- Grease and heat grill to medium heat. Season, baste, and add chicken to grill
- Grill for 5-7 minutes per side, basting frequently as desired
- An inserted meat thermometer should read 165°F when done
Nutrition
See also: Simple Meal Prep Lunches
I’ve never been a big fan of BBQ – but bourbon maple BBQ? Sign me up! This recipe is fantastic!
I don’t care for the bottled stuff typically but homemade has changed my mind! It all started when I first had pulled pork and wanted to learn to make it at home. Sooo good! Thanks for the rating!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
This looks so delicious! Great for a Summer barbecue! Will need to try this recipe out, thanks for sharing!
Kileen
cute & little
Thank you! I hope you do!
I don’t usually make my own barbeque sauce, but I have to try this one. It looks so good!
It’s life-changing, I promise!!
This recipe looks soo good and yummy! I’ll try this one since it seems very easy to follow
Thank you!!
It looks sooooo tempting. I never thought that BBQ sauce can be this simple.
It’s much easier than it seems! 🙂
Ooooooh my gosh that looks SO SO GOOD. I cannot wait to try this recipe!
Thank you!!!
I love this sauce, so delicious and perfect to start the BBQ season off.