cooking, Food, Recipes

Grilled Bourbon Airline Chicken

Posted by JH-M on

Sweet, Smoky & Perfect for Summer Grilling

There’s just something about grilled chicken in the summertime that feels like home. This grilled bourbon airline chicken came together after I found myself craving something smoky, juicy, and packed with flavor for an easy warm-weather dinner.

Bourbon Goodness

This recipe was inspired by a grilled bourbon chicken recipe from Skinnytaste, but I didn’t have every ingredient on hand, so I improvised a bit with what I had in the kitchen — and honestly, it worked beautifully.

The marinade combines tamari, bourbon, Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce, garlic, ginger, onion, and a little brown sugar for that perfect sweet-and-savory balance. The longer you marinate the chicken, the better the flavor gets. I let mine sit all day and the chicken turned out juicy, flavorful, and absolutely perfect on the grill.

I served it alongside fresh collard greens picked straight from my Greenstalk garden. I simply sautéed onion and andouille sausage in olive oil, tossed in the greens, and braised everything until tender. Easy peasy and so good.

This would make an amazing Memorial Day weekend dinner, backyard BBQ recipe, or simple summer meal when you want something impressive without a ton of work.

Grilled Bourbon Airline Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (about 4) boneless, skinless airline chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup low sodium organic tamari
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped organic sweet yellow onion
  • 2 teaspoons organic grated ginger
  • 4 organic garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon organic extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1/4 cup Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce Original
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 c organic chicken broth
  • Sliced scallions, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken breasts in a glass container in a single layer.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the tamari, onion, ginger, garlic, olive oil, bourbon, BBQ sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
  3. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and refrigerate separately. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful it becomes.
  4. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade and grill for 4–5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through.
  5. Transfer chicken to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for several minutes.
  6. Add reserved marinade to a sauce pan, add the chicken broth and cook until thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. 
  7. Pour sauce on top of chicken or serve as a dipping sauce. Top with sliced scallions before serving. 

Serves 4.

Serving Suggestions

This chicken pairs beautifully with:

  • Braised collard greens
  • Grilled corn
  • Potato salad
  • Rice or jasmine rice
  • Pasta salad
  • Roasted sweet potatoes

Final Thoughts

This recipe is smoky, sweet, savory, and incredibly juicy. The tamari and bourbon give the chicken depth while the BBQ sauce caramelizes beautifully on the grill. It’s one of those recipes that tastes like summer and will definitely be going into my regular rotation.

If you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

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