This Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken recipe has a sweet, tangy glaze and just a little bit of heat. Toss a few ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and let it simmer until dinnertime for a meal that the whole family will love.
If you’re tired of making the same old crockpot soups and stews, mix it up with these Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas or these Slow Cooker French Dip Sammies. Or give my easy Mississippi Chicken a try next!
Bourbon Chicken in the Crock Pot
Bourbon Chicken brings a world of flavors together in one easy slow cooker recipe.
Every bite delivers an explosion of tangy, sweet and savory flavor with hint of spice to make your taste buds say “WOW.”
- 10 minutes of prep.
- Set it and forget it!
- Made with real bourbon.
- Amazingly flavorful chicken.
Slow cooking the chicken for hours in a bourbon based sauce makes it unbelievably tender and juicy. Love this? Try our Instant Pot Bourbon chicken recipe next!
Bourbon Chicken Ingredients
- Bourbon whiskey – The alcohol cooks off as the sauce cooks, leaving behind a smoky caramel flavor.
- Apple juice – Cuts the bite of the bourbon and brings sweetness to the sauce, along with brown sugar and honey.
- Ketchup – This pantry staple condiment gives the sauce its tang.
- Chicken thighs – These are always our choice for slow cooker chicken recipes. The higher fat content means they stay juicy, even after cooking for several hours.
- Cornstarch – Mixed with a little water, the starch helps thicken the sauce.
- Green onions – Add color and a fresh finishing touch to your chicken by sprinkling these on top just before serving.
We also use garlic, ginger and a few red chili flakes to complete this bourbon chicken recipe .
How to Make Bourbon Chicken
- Mix together the marinade. You can whisk all the marinade ingredients right in the slow cooker. No need to dirty a second bowl, unless you like washing dishes!
- Add the chicken. Place your chicken thighs in the pot. Spoon some of the marinade on top to make sure sauce touches every part of the chicken.
- Slow cook. Cover the pot and cook the bourbon chicken on low 6 to 8 hours. Shred or dice the chicken then return it to the pot.
- Thicken the sauce. Remove the lid and stir a slurry of cornstarch and water into the sauce. Let it simmer for at least 20 minutes or until you’re ready to eat.
Add your sliced green onions right before serving for a little pop of color and flavor to this dish! ENJOY!
Tips and Tricks
- Serving suggestions: Try this bourbon chicken on a simple bed of white or brown rice. It’s also delicious in lettuce wraps!
- Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It reheats well in the microwave or simmered for a few minutes on the stove.
- Serve diced or shredded: Slow cooked chicken shreds easily with two forks. This chicken can also be served diced if preferred!
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend chicken breasts in this recipe. They are leaner and therefore prone to drying out when cooked for long periods of time. Chicken thighs are the way to go for slow cooker bourbon chicken!
A slurry is a combination of starch and water. Dissolving the cornstarch in the water prior to adding it to the sauce, gets rid of any lumps so the sauce thickens without any surprise bits of undissolved starch making their way into your meal.
You can, but the slower you cook the chicken, the better the flavor will be. I haven’t tested this recipe on the high setting of my slow cooker so I can’t vouch for the results.
More Dinner Recipes:
- Slow Cooker Beer Brats
- Mississippi Roast
- Italian Beef Recipe
- Beef Broccoli
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Italian Chicken
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Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup apple juice
- ½ cup Bourbon
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
- 4 cloves garlic pressed
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 3 green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, combine the apple juice, Bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, honey, chili flakes, garlic and ginger with a whisk until well blended.
- Place chicken in slow cooker, and spoon marinade over the top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- About half hour prior to serving, remove chicken and dice into bite sized pieces (or shred it). In a small glass, or bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until a thick paste. Add it to the marinade in the slow cooker, stirring until combined. Return the chicken to the slow cooker, cover and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, to allow glaze to thicken.
- Before serving, sprinkle with green onions. ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Make the best Bourbon Chicken at home with your slow cooker! Slow cooked in a sweet and sticky sauce, this chicken is better than takeout and just as easy.
This is a favorite of all three of my children, even the picky one! I have made it exactly as written and with chicken broth as a substitute for the bourbon. I prefer the bourbon but both are delicious!
🔥🔥🔥🔥!!! But I didn’t use a crockpot. I grilled the chicken thighs and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Gave them a gorgeous smoky taste. Made the sauce on the stove top and poured that over the cut up thighs. Holy smokes! Will definitely make again! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I used my AROMA RICE COOKER to make this recipe and I used chicken wings instead. I found the skin on the wings got a bit rubbery so I’m going to try the thighs next. The sauce this recipe makes is so delicious. I will make this again for sure, thanks for sharing this, I love it!
Forgot to mention. I didn’t have any Bourbon so I used Rum, it was delicious!
Is it supposed to still smell like alcohol? I made this and it’s been cooking for about 5ish hours now and I still smell it. And I wanna make sure it still safe to feed my kiddos
Hmmm, there is only 1/2 cup in the recipe, and it definitely does not smell like bourbon.
This is the best!! I would not change a thing in this recipe. My family loves it.
So happy to hear it!
Hello,
I don’t have 6-8 hours on low today, can I speed up to 4 hours on medium? 😬🤞🏻
I never seem to have bourbon or apple juice…suggestions on substitutions?
Hi Aimee!
I’m anxious to try this delicious recipe asap. It’s just me & my husband though. Can I cut the marinade recipe in half? Thank you ????
It was a hit last night. 5 thumbs up over here!
Awesome!!!! Glad you guys enjoyed it 🙂
It is crock pot season around here again…can’t wait to try this one.
Cannot wait to try this! Looks wonderful!
Lol, I am heading straight for doom when my girls get older!! Love bourbon chicken and it’s been so long since I’ve had some, I need to fix that right away!!
Ah, I remember those teenage trips to the mall! 🙂 This looks like a great meal for all to enjoy! So good, and perfect for busy families!
This looks truly amazing, a must try recipe. Thank you so much for including a link to our Healthy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken, we love that recipe!!
It’s on my menu to try soon!!! 🙂
I would much rather chomp down on this gorgeously decadent, slow cooker Bourbon Chicken than the stuff I find at my mall!
This would be a great dinner for busy weeknights! It looks so flavorful and delicious!
This chicken looks absolutely delicious, I love any excuse to use my slow cooker! I