Get ready to experience a restaurant-favorite dish made incredibly easy in your own kitchen. This Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken is the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and tangy, with tender, fall-apart chicken thighs slow-cooked in a rich, bourbon-infused sauce. It’s a true “dump-and-go” recipe that requires just a few minutes of prep time, making it an absolute lifesaver for busy weeknights. Served over a bed of fluffy rice, this dish is a guaranteed family-pleaser that tastes like you spent hours on it.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Recipe
This recipe is a keeper for its incredible flavor and effortless preparation. Here’s why it’s a must-try:
- Incredibly Easy: There’s no pre-cooking or browning required. You simply place the chicken in the slow cooker, pour the sauce over top, and let it work its magic.
- Rich and Flavorful Sauce: The sauce is the star of the show—a perfect balance of sweet brown sugar, savory soy sauce, tangy vinegar, and a kick of bourbon.
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Tender Chicken: Using chicken thighs and the slow cooking method ensures the chicken is unbelievably moist and tender every single time.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: The leftovers are fantastic, and the recipe freezes beautifully, making it a great option for planning ahead.
Your Simple Ingredient Checklist
This recipe uses a handful of pantry staples to create its signature sweet and savory sauce.
The Ingredient Lineup:
- Chicken: 3 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat.
- Brown Sugar: 1 cup, packed.
- Soy Sauce: 1 cup.
- Bourbon Whiskey: ⅓ cup.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: 2 tablespoons.
- Honey: 1 tablespoon.
- Garlic: 4 cloves, minced.
- Spices: ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- For Thickening: 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water.
- For Garnish: ¼ cup chopped green onions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Get ready for the easiest, most delicious chicken dinner ever.
Part 1: Combine and Cook
- Prep the Slow Cooker: Place the trimmed chicken thighs in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Make the Sauce: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, ground ginger, honey, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the prepared sauce mixture evenly over the chicken in the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
Part 2: Finish the Dish
- Shred the Chicken: Once the cooking time is up, the chicken will be incredibly tender. You can remove it from the slow cooker and chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces, then return it to the pot.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water to create a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry into the slow cooker with the sauce.
- Final Cook: Stir everything together, cover, and cook on HIGH for another 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to a rich, gravy-like consistency.
- Serve: Serve the bourbon chicken and its delicious sauce hot over a bed of rice. Garnish with freshly chopped green onions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? Yes, you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts. However, they are much leaner than thighs and can dry out more easily. To avoid this, reduce the cooking time to LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
2. Does the alcohol cook out of the bourbon? While most of the alcohol content will cook off during the long simmering time in the slow cooker, a small trace amount and the distinct bourbon flavor will remain. If you are avoiding alcohol entirely, you can substitute the ⅓ cup of bourbon with an equal amount of apple juice for a similar sweet and tangy flavor profile.
3. What should I serve with Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken? This dish is classically served over a bed of fluffy white or brown rice to soak up all the delicious sauce. It’s also fantastic with steamed broccoli, green beans, or a side of sautéed bok choy for a complete meal.
4. How do I store and reheat leftovers? Store any leftover bourbon chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It also freezes very well for up to 3 months. Reheat it gently in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
The Best Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken: An Irresistible Weeknight Dinner
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey (or apple juice substitute)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place trimmed chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon, apple cider vinegar, honey, minced garlic, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes until sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Pour sauce mixture over chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
- Once cooked, remove chicken and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. Return to slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Stir slurry into the slow cooker sauce.
- Cook on HIGH for 5–10 minutes, stirring until sauce thickens into a rich glaze.
- Serve bourbon chicken hot over rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.