If you’re a fan of TGI Fridays, you’ve probably tried their famous Jack Daniels Chicken. My mom is obsessed with this dish which subsequently led me to ALSO be obsessed. This appetizer is a favorite of many, and for good reason – the combination of juicy chicken and sweet and savory Jack Daniels glaze is simply irresistible.
While you may think that recreating this dish at home is impossible, it’s actually quite easy with the right recipe. And today I am going to be sharing my recipe for TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Chicken with Jack Daniels Glaze.
Equipment & Ingredients
To make this jack daniels glaze you will need these ingredients:
- Roasted garlic cloves
- Water
- Pineapple juice
- Teriyaki sauce
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Pineapple chunks
- Onion
- Lemon juice
- Chicken tenderloins
- Salt
- Paprika
- Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
- Flour
- Bread crumbs
- Garlic powder
- Milk
- Eggs
- Frying oil
- Sesame seeds
As for the ingredients, the list is much shorter! You will just need:
Prep the Chicken
Before starting the Jack Daniels glaze go ahead and grab a bowl and fill it with water. Put the chicken tenderloins in the water and seal with cling wrap. Place in the refrigerator and let the chicken brine for 1 hour. Brining chicken adds moisture and will the make the meat more tender once cooked.
Making the Jack Daniels Glaze
For the glaze start by roasting the garlic in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil for 25 minutes at 400 degrees fahrenheit. This will be added to the jack daniels glaze later.
Once you have that in the oven, mix the pineapple juice, water, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar in a bowl together. Pour into a sauce pan and place over the stove on medium heat.
While the mixture is cooking use a blender to blend the pineapple and onion chunks to small pieces.
When the mixture over the stove starts to boil, remove it from the heat. Measure out your cayenne pepper, lemon juice and jack daniels whiskey and add into the saucepan. You can also add the pineapple and onion chunks all at once too. The garlic should also be finished roasting. FOREWARNING. Your whole house will smell like garlic for the day!
Go ahead and smash the roasted garlic it should separate from the peel very easily. Make sure to mince it into tiny pieces and then add to the saucepan.
Place the pan back over the stove at medium heat and let the sauce cook for 50 minutes. Once it boils reduce to a low heat. Every 15 minutes or so be sure to mix the sauce. The mixture should be reduced by half by the time it has boiled down and thickened into the jack daniels glaze we all know and love!
Marinating & Frying the Chicken
Remove the brining chicken from the refrigerator and get ready to make the other half of TGI fridays jack daniels chicken tenders. The glaze is not the only important part of this recipe because you want a nice and juicy, crusted chicken tender that will be coated with it.
Once you drain the chicken from the water, pat the tenderloins dry. For maximum tenderness you can also decide to use a fork to tenderize the chicken more, but it isn’t necessary.
Place on a cutting board and set aside.
Get 2 mixing bowls. Pour the milk in one and add the eggs, whisking that mixture together. In the other add the flour, panko bread crumbs and seasonings, whisking everything until combined.
Before dipping the chicken in either, prepare a pot/deep pan with frying oil and heat over the stove on medium heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dip each tenderloin into the egg mixture, coating fully then into the flour mixture. Coat both sides completely.
Place back onto the cutting board once you repeat and finish coating all the tenderloins. Wait until your oil is hot before adding. You can test by throwing a pinch of the flour mixture into the oil if you don’t have a food thermometer.
Place each chicken tenderloin into the frying oil and let cook for about 3 minutes on each side until they are a nice golden brown color.
Have a plate coated with paper towel to lay the chicken tenders on after they are cooked, so excess oil can drain off. At this point your mouth should be watering from the smells of the soon to be TGI friday’s jack daniel’s chicken tenders cooking and the jack daniel’s glaze still reducing on the other side of the stove.
Coating in Jack Daniels Glaze
The glaze should have reduced to half its amount and it should be about the thickness of syrup. Remove the glaze fromt heat. You can wait a few minutes becuase that will thicken the sauce and make it adhere to the chicken better when dipped.
Ok, I know you are dying to finish these TGI Friday’s jack daniels chicken tenders so last but not least, dip each fried chicken tenderloin into the jack daniels glaze and fully drench them. Place on a serving platter and then sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish and some chopped parsley if you want to be extra like me!
There you have it – a delicious and easy recipe for TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Chicken with Jack Daniels Glaze. This dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a weekend barbecue with friends and family. The sweet and savory glaze pairs perfectly with the juicy chicken, and the flavors are sure to impress EVERYONE who tries this recipe.
To take this dish to the next level, you can also try adding some grilled vegetables or roasted potatoes on the side. This will help balance out the sweetness of the glaze and add some texture to the meal. You could even try making some homemade coleslaw to serve alongside the chicken.
See, this recipe wasn’t that hard was it?! It may have taken a a bit of time recreating TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Chicken at home, but it is easier than you might think.
Please leave a comment if you tried this recipe or any other additions you might make to make the dish your own. Don’t forget to share with your family and friends!
TGI Jack Daniel's Sauce - Sesame Chicken Tenders
Course: Dinner, AppetizersDifficulty: Medium10
tenderloins19
minutes1
hour45
minutes1
hourThe sweet whiskey glaze that we all adore from TGI Friday's you can make right at home with this recipe. My favorite copycat recipe of theirs to make with this sauce is the sesame chicken tenders!
Ingredients
- TGI Jack Daniels Whiskey Sauce
4 garlic cloves, roasted
2/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup teriyaki suace
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Jack Daniels whiskey
- Fried Chicken Tenders
10 chicken tenderloins
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
Oil for frying
Sesame seeds for topping
Directions
- Roast the 4 garlic cloves with a little olive oil on top in the oven for 25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brine the chicken by placing the tenderloins in a large bowl and covering with water. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In another bowl mix together the brown sugar, water, pineapple juice, soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Whisk together and place over medium heat on the stove.
- While this boils, pulse the pineapple and onion chunks in a blender to small pieces.
- Remove the brown sugar mixture from the heat and add the onion and pineapple mixture. Add the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and Jack Daniels whiskey.
- Once the roasted garlic is done, smash and mince it, then add it to the mixture.
- Place over medium heat again and let the whiskey sauce cook for 50 minutes. The goal is to reduce it by half.
- While the sauce cooks and the chicken finishes brining, make the bread for the tenderloins.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, panko bread crumbs and seasonings, whisking together. In a separate bowl add the milk and eggs and whisk together.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and drain from the water. Heat oil in a frying pan to 375 degrees.
- While that is heating up, dip each chicken tenderloin in the egg and milk mixture then into the panko mixture. Once you’ve coated them all, move to the frying pan.
- Fry each chicken tenderloin in the oil for about 3 minutes on each side or until a nice golden brown.
- Let the oil drain from the chicken on a paper towel. Once the Jack Daniels sauce is done, it will be thicker and darker. let it sit for about 5 minutes off the heat
- Place the chicken tenders in the sauce and coat both sides. Lift out of the sauce and plate to serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Notes
- Brining makes the chicken even more tender.
- The longer the sauce sets the thicker it becomes
