Using a chef’s knife, cut chicken into cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the chicken and using gloved hands, toss to coat well. Chicken will be a bit sticky.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add garlic and bourbon to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a rolling boil.
Meanwhile, mix together sauce ingredients. Once bourbon and garlic have reduced by about 1/4, add sauce mixture to the skillet. While stirring, bring to a boil and allow to thicken slightly.
Add some water to the remaining cornstarch and stir until no powder remains. You won’t need much water, just enough for the cornstarch to dissolve.
Add cornstarch mixture to sauce in pan and stir to combine.
Add chicken back to the skillet and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through. Turn off heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken more during the rest time.
Notes
While you are cooking with alcohol, most of the alcohol content cooks off. If you are concerned, you can omit the bourbon completely.
Serve over a bed of white rice with an optional sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onions or chives.