The Best Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken: An Irresistible Weeknight Dinner
This Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken is a sweet, savory, and tangy one-pot wonder. Chicken thighs are slow-cooked in a bourbon-infused sauce until fall-apart tender, then served over rice for the ultimate comfort food meal.
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.
Notes
You can substitute apple juice for bourbon if avoiding alcohol. For best results, serve over steamed rice with a side of broccoli or green beans. Leftovers store and freeze beautifully, making this a great make-ahead meal.