Kahlua Chicken

Sweet, savory and a little unexpected, this Kahlua Chicken is marinated in Kahlua, soy sauce, ginger, honey and sesame oil, then grilled to caramelized perfection.

Kahlua in chicken? Yes. Stay with me.

I’ve been making this Kahlua Chicken since way back in 2011, which means this recipe has officially been around long enough to have opinions about my life choices. It was one of my early recipes, and while I gave it a photography makeover in 2022, the actual post never got the glow-up it deserved.

So here we are.

The idea is simple: boneless, skinless chicken breasts get coated in a ridiculously flavorful mixture of Kahlua, soy sauce, ginger, honey and sesame oil, then grilled until the edges get caramelized and a little sticky.

And before you ask: yes, Kahlua. The coffee liqueur.

Kahlua isn’t just for White Russians and desserts.

It has coffee, caramel and vanilla notes that work surprisingly well in savory food, especially when you put it up against salty soy sauce, fresh ginger and nutty sesame oil. The honey adds another layer of sweetness and helps everything caramelize beautifully on the grill.

Basically, we’re taking a cocktail ingredient and sending it straight to dinner.

Why Kahlua Chicken Works

Cooking with booze is one of those things that can sound a little questionable until you actually taste the finished dish. Kahlua brings a deep, almost caramel-like sweetness along with subtle coffee and vanilla flavors. Soy sauce gives the marinade salt and umami, ginger adds some sharpness, and sesame oil keeps everything firmly in savory territory.

The result doesn’t taste like you’re eating a piece of chicken that fell into your cocktail. It tastes like really good grilled chicken with a sweet-savory, slightly smoky flavor and caramelized edges.

And that’s exactly what we’re after.

Do you have to marinate the chicken overnight?

Nope.

And I’m specifically telling you that because I’ve made this chicken a lot of different ways over the years. I’ve marinated it overnight. I’ve marinated it for a few hours. I’ve also had one of those evenings when I realized I forgot to marinate the chicken and basically coated it in the sauce while heating the grill up.

All three versions were good.

So while a longer marinade is absolutely an option if you’re planning ahead, I don’t think you need to rearrange your life around it. If you’re the person who thinks about dinner tomorrow while you’re still eating lunch today, go ahead and marinate it overnight. If you’re more of a “what am I making for dinner?” person, you’ve got options.

Just let the chicken sit in the marinade while you get the grill ready and you’ll still end up with a damn good dinner.

How To Make Kahlua Chicken 

Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they’re particularly thick or uneven, pound them to a more uniform thickness so they cook evenly. This is especially important with chicken breasts because nobody wants the thin end to be dry by the time the thick end finally decides to cooperate. Whisk together the Kahlua, soy sauce, ginger, honey and sesame oil.

If you’re planning to serve extra sauce with the chicken, reserve some before adding the chicken. Once raw chicken has been in the marinade, that marinade needs to be cooked thoroughly before it can be served.

Coat the chicken in the remaining marinade and let it sit while you heat the grill, or refrigerate it for several hours or overnight if you’ve got your act together. Heat your grill to medium-high. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until it’s nicely browned and cooked through, turning as needed. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts and your grill, so use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying solely on the clock.

Chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches 165°F. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Those caramelized edges are exactly what we’re looking for here.

Don’t Want To Grill? Make it on the stovetop.

This is where the recipe gets even more versatile.

Sometimes I make Kahlua Chicken on the stovetop if I’m not in the mood to grill or cook outside, and it’s really good even without grill marks. For the stovetop version, brown the chicken in a skillet with the marinade on both sides, then reduce the heat and let it cook through.

How To Make Sauce For Drizzling

I like having a thick, glossy sauce to spoon over the chicken and whatever grain I’m serving with it. Couscous and quinoa are both excellent here because they have a way of catching every drop of that sauce.

I use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce until it’s glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once the sauce thickens, spoon it over the sliced chicken and serve it over couscous, quinoa or rice. It’s sweet, savory, gingery and just a little bit unexpected.

Pro Tips For The Best Kahlua Chicken

Use evenly sized chicken breasts.
Chicken breasts can be obnoxiously uneven. If one end is twice as thick as the other, pound it gently to even things out.

Don’t feel obligated to marinate overnight.
If you have the time, great. If not, don’t skip the recipe because you didn’t plan ahead.

Reserve sauce before marinating.
If you want extra sauce for serving, set some aside before the raw chicken touches it.

Watch the grill.
Because this marinade contains honey and Kahlua, the sugars can caramelize quickly. That’s a good thing—until it isn’t. Keep an eye on the chicken and adjust the heat or move it to a cooler part of the grill if it’s browning too quickly.

Let the chicken rest.
Give it a few minutes before slicing. It makes a difference.

What To Serve With Kahlua Chicken

I love serving this chicken with couscous or quinoa so the sauce has somewhere to go. For low carb options, I’d go with something fresh or lightly roasted to balance the sweet-savory chicken.

Try:

• Couscous
• Quinoa
• Jasmine or basmati rice
• Roasted broccoli
• Grilled vegetables
• A crisp cucumber salad
• Simple roasted green beans
• A fresh slaw

You don’t need anything complicated. The chicken already has plenty going on.

FAQ’s

Can I Use chicken thighs instead?

Absolutely.

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would be delicious here and are a little more forgiving on the grill than chicken breasts. They’ll also bring a richer flavor to the dish. Just cook them to the appropriate safe internal temperature and don’t worry quite as much about them drying out.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes.

You can mix the marinade ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it. You can also marinate the chicken several hours ahead or overnight. If you’re making the stovetop version, you can also cook the chicken ahead and reheat it gently with some of the sauce.

Can I use the leftover marinade as sauce?

Yes, but cook it thoroughly first. However, the easiest option is to reserve some marinade before the chicken goes into it. That gives you clean sauce that can be reduced or thickened without having to worry about cross-contamination.

It’s also why I recommend making a little extra marinade if you’re planning on serving sauce with the chicken. Because you’ll want the extra, trust me.

The Bottom Line

This is one of those recipes that’s a little untraditional or sounds a little different until you make it.

Kahlua. Chicken. Soy sauce. Ginger. Honey. Sesame oil.

It works very well.

And after making this chicken for more than a decade, I’ve learned that you don’t need to overthink it. Marinate it overnight if you want. Let it sit for 30 minutes while the grill heats up if that’s all you’ve got. Grill it or make the stovetop version and make that thick, glossy sauce. Serve it over couscous. However you get there, you’re going to end up with chicken that’s sweet, savory, caramelized and just a little bit mischievous.

Which honestly is a pretty good use for a bottle of Kahlua.

Here’s your printable – 

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Kahlua Chicken (Grilled Chicken with Kahlua Marinade)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Sweet, savory and a little unexpected, this Kahlua Chicken is marinated in Kahlua, soy sauce, ginger, honey and sesame oil, then grilled to caramelized perfection.

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Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ½ cup Kahlua
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

1. Whisk together the Kahlua through ginger.
2. Whisk together cornstarch and water in a separate small bowl.
3. Put the Kahlua mixture in a medium size sauce pan over medium-high heat.
4. Bring to a boil, add cornstarch/water mixture and reduce heat to medium and whisk until consistency thickens - should only take a minute or two.
5. Trim chicken of any fat (some people do, some people don't but it's definitely a DO for me).
6. Poke holes in the chicken using a fork, then put in a large plastic bag.
7. Pour in the marinade, seal and flip it around a couple of times to make sure it's coated.
8. Refrigerate and let it marinate for a couple of hours. Even if you don't have time to marinate it that long, it will still be good.
9. Grill (or smoke!) for a few minutes on each side, until done all the way through.

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Notes

Marinate overnight for a deeper flavor.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1839mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 38g

The provided nutrition calculated may not always be accurate.

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This article was originally published on 3/27/2011.