Description
This Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken brings the iconic mall food court flavor straight to your kitchen. With its sticky, sweet, and slightly tangy bourbon-infused sauce, tender slow-cooked chicken, and rich umami taste, it’s the ultimate comfort food you can set and forget. Serve it over rice or noodles for a complete weeknight meal everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts, cut into chunks)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup bourbon (or apple juice for a no-alcohol version)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry, for thickening)
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce:
- In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, bourbon, water, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
- Add to the slow cooker:
- Place chicken in the Crock Pot and pour sauce over it.
- Cook:
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3–4 hours, until chicken is tender.
- Thicken the sauce:
- Remove chicken, shred or cut into bite-sized pieces. Stir in cornstarch slurry into the sauce and cook on high for 10–15 minutes until thickened. Return chicken to the sauce and stir to coat.
- Serve:
- Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over steamed rice or noodles.
Notes
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs to keep the sauce rich but not greasy.
- Turn up the heat by adding more red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce.
- Go alcohol-free by swapping the bourbon for apple juice—still sweet and flavorful.
- Finish with a cornstarch slurry to create that glossy, sticky glaze everyone loves.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup chicken with sauce
- Calories: 330kcal
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 120mg