That smoky-sweet glaze hits you before the first bite even lands. Copycat Applebee Bourbon Street Chicken tender skillet chicken, bold bourbon sauce, the kind of sticky richness that makes you forget you cooked it yourself in under 30 minutes.
I cracked this one last spring, right when I was done with heavy winter dinners and needed something that felt like a treat without the full effort. After testing the glaze ratio probably six times, I found the move: a quick high-heat sear first, then finish low and slow in the sauce that’s what locks in the depth Applebee’s gets right. It’s the kind of easy win that makes a tired Tuesday feel manageable again.
PrintCopycat Applebee Bourbon Street Chicken Irresistible New Way to Make This Best Dish
This Copycat Applebee Bourbon Street Chicken is perfect for an easy dinner or weeknight meal. It delivers rich, smoky flavors making a great family dinner bourbon chicken recipe with tender skillet chicken dinner goodness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Servings 4
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Standard
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided use
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup unsalted butter divided use
- ¼ cup chicken bone broth
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 1 white onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
Instructions
- Mix all the cajun seasoning ingredients and split the mix into two parts.
- Coat the chicken breasts evenly with one half of the seasoning mixture, pressing it gently for good coverage.
- Toss the shrimp with the remaining seasoning and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl until fully coated.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter.
- Add mushrooms and onions to the pan, seasoning lightly, then cook until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Transfer the cooked onions and mushrooms to a low-heat skillet with a thin layer of olive oil to keep warm.
- Increase the frying pan heat to high and add a splash of olive oil.
- Sear chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side until fully cooked to 165°F internal temperature, then place them on top of the onions in the skillet.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan then cook shrimp for 1 minute on each side until just done, then add them next to the chicken in the skillet.
- Reduce pan heat to medium and sauté minced garlic for 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom.
- Stir in remaining butter and fresh parsley, cooking for 5 minutes to create a sauce.
- Spoon the parsley butter over the chicken and shrimp, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Applebee’s serves this with mashed garlic red potatoes
Nutrition
- Calories: 520kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 281mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g + 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 49g
- Cholesterol: 316mg
Why You’ll Love This
Here’s the honest truth this one punches well above its effort level. You get tender seared chicken, juicy shrimp, caramelized onions, and a buttery pan sauce loaded with garlic and smoky Cajun spice, all in about 45 minutes on a regular weeknight.
It’s a go-to when you want dinner to feel like dinner not a sad desk situation. The cast iron presentation makes it look like you tried harder than you did, which is always a win.
What You’ll Need
No obscure ingredients here. Everything in this recipe is pantry-friendly, and the homemade Cajun seasoning is what sets the flavor apart from anything store-bought.
- Chicken breasts boneless, skinless; they sear beautifully at high heat
- Medium shrimp peeled and deveined so they cook fast and stay tender
- Baby bella mushrooms and white onion these build the savory base of the dish
- Unsalted butter used in stages; it’s what makes the pan sauce rich and glossy
- Smoked paprika, garlic powder, celery seed, oregano the Cajun blend you’ll mix yourself
- Chicken bone broth deglazes the pan and pulls up all the good bits
Note: Applebee’s serves this over mashed garlic red potatoes worth keeping in mind when you plate it.
How to Make Applebee Bourbon Street Chicken at Home
The method here matters more than it looks. Building in layers onions first, then chicken, then shrimp, then sauce is what gives you restaurant-level depth without a restaurant kitchen.
- Mix all Cajun seasoning ingredients together, then divide the blend in half.
- Coat both sides of the chicken with half the seasoning; toss shrimp with olive oil and the remaining half.
- Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a warm cast iron skillet.
- Sear chicken on high heat, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Rest on top of the onions.
- Sear shrimp 1 minute per side in the same pan; transfer to the skillet next to the chicken.
- Lower heat, cook garlic for 1 minute, deglaze with chicken bone broth, add remaining butter, stir in parsley, and simmer 5 minutes.
- Pour the finished pan sauce over everything and serve immediately.
Can You Make This Dish Ahead of Time?
Shrimp doesn’t hold well once cooked, so the best approach is to prep what you can in advance and cook fresh. The Cajun seasoning blend can be mixed and stored days ahead, and the onions and mushrooms can be sautéed earlier in the day and reheated in the skillet.
Pro Tip: If you’re meal prepping, cook and store the chicken separately in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add freshly cooked shrimp and sauce the day you serve it.
Simple Swaps to Know
The recipe is flexible enough to work with what you have on hand without losing its character.
- Swap baby bella mushrooms for cremini or white button mushrooms
- Use white onion or yellow onion interchangeably
- Replace fresh parsley with an extra half teaspoon of dried parsley if needed
- Chicken bone broth can be swapped for regular low-sodium chicken broth
- Extra virgin olive oil works in every step that calls for it no need to switch oils mid-recipe
FAQs ( Copycat Applebee Bourbon Street Chicken )
What is Applebee’s Bourbon Street chicken sauce made of?
The buttery pan sauce uses unsalted butter, chicken bone broth, minced garlic, and dried parsley, all built by deglazing the searing pan for maximum flavor.
Can I make Applebee’s Bourbon Street chicken without bourbon?
Yes – this recipe contains no bourbon at all. The name refers to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, and the Cajun seasoning delivers all the bold flavor.
What peppers are in Applebee’s Bourbon Street chicken?
This dish uses black pepper and smoked paprika in the homemade Cajun seasoning blend – no fresh or dried chili peppers are listed in this recipe.
How long do I cook Applebee’s style bourbon chicken?
Sear the chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side over high heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F – total cook time for the full dish is 30 minutes.
What sides go with copycat Applebee’s Bourbon Street chicken?
Applebee’s serves this meal with mashed garlic red potatoes, which also soak up the buttery parsley pan sauce beautifully.
This Applebee Bourbon Street Chicken comes together in under 45 minutes and tastes like you genuinely tried that smoky Cajun seasoning, the glossy butter pan sauce, the way the chicken stays impossibly tender. Once you make it, it’s hard to go back to anything else.
A few things worth keeping in mind: that homemade Cajun seasoning blend is the real difference-maker don’t swap it for store-bought. And if you’re prepping ahead, sauté your onions and mushrooms earlier in the day, then pull everything together fresh when it’s time to eat. The cast iron presentation does all the heavy lifting at the table.
If you made this tonight, share how it went did you serve it over those garlic mashed potatoes? Drop a comment, share a photo, or save this one for the next time someone at your table needs something warm and satisfying.
