Crockpot Bourbon Chicken

Crockpot Bourbon Chicken is the saucy, caramelized, deeply savory slow cooker dinner. With simple ingredients and almost zero effort. Tender chicken thighs slow-cook all day in a rich brown sugar and soy sauce glaze spiked with a splash of bourbon that deepens into something complex, sticky, and completely irresistible.

Love More Crockpot Recipes? Try My Sweet Baby Ray’s Crockpot Chicken or this Crockpot Irish Lamb Stew next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• That deep, caramelized bourbon glaze is unlike any other slow cooker sauce you have made — rich, complex, totally addictive.
• Five pantry ingredients and 10 minutes of prep — then you forget about it until dinner.
• Alcohol-free version works perfectly — apple juice or chicken broth gives you the same incredible result.
• Serve over rice for a complete family dinner that everyone will ask for again.
• Freezes beautifully — make a big batch and stock your freezer for busy weeks.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup bourbon (substitute apple juice or chicken broth for an alcohol-free version that tastes equally incredible)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (dark brown sugar adds a deeper molasses note if you prefer)
• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• Optional garnish: sliced green onions, sesame seeds

Why These Ingredients Work

Bourbon brings a smoky, slightly sweet, oak-aged depth to the sauce that no other ingredient can replicate. As it slow-cooks for hours, the alcohol cooks off completely and what remains is a concentrated complexity that makes the sauce taste layered and almost professional. Apple juice works as a substitute because its natural sugars and mild tang mimic the flavor profile beautifully.

Brown sugar is what creates the gorgeous caramelized, sticky quality of this glaze. Three-quarters of a cup might sound like a lot, but remember it is balanced against three-quarters of a cup of soy sauce — the two together create that perfect sweet-savory tension that makes the sauce completely addictive.

Soy sauce is the savory backbone of the entire dish — it provides salt, umami depth, and a dark mahogany color that makes the sauce look as good as it tastes. Low-sodium soy sauce is strongly recommended here so you control the final saltiness, since the full-sodium version can make the sauce overwhelming.

Tools Needed

• 5 or 6-quart slow cooker
• Medium mixing bowl and whisk
• Small bowl for cornstarch slurry
• Tongs
• Measuring cups and spoons

How To Make Crockpot Bourbon Chicken

Step 1: Season the Chicken

Season the chicken thighs generously with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. This base seasoning matters even with such a bold sauce

Step 2: Mix the Bourbon Sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together the bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic until the sugar is fully dissolved and the sauce is smooth.

Step 3: Combine in the Slow Cooker

Place the seasoned chicken thighs in the slow cooker in a single layer. Pour the bourbon sauce over every piece, making sure each one is well coated.

Step 4: Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 3 hours until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F internally.

Step 5: Thicken the Glaze

About 30 minutes before serving, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Increase to HIGH, cover, and cook 20 to 30 more minutes until the sauce transforms into a thick, glossy, caramelized glaze that coats every piece of chicken beautifully.

Step 6: Serve Over Rice

Pile the saucy chicken over steamed white rice and spoon an extra generous drizzle of that gorgeous glaze over the top. Scatter sliced green onions and sesame seeds across everything and serve immediately.

You Must Know

The cornstarch step is not optional if you want the real bourbon chicken experience. Without thickening, the sauce is good. With thickening, it becomes a rich, sticky, restaurant-quality glaze that makes this meal genuinely special. Take the extra 30 minutes — it is completely worth it.

Do not use full-sodium soy sauce unless you are very careful with the amount. Three-quarters of a cup of full-sodium soy sauce makes the final dish aggressively salty. Low-sodium soy sauce gives you full flavor control and produces a much more balanced sauce.

You can absolutely make this without bourbon. Apple juice is the best substitute — it has natural sugars and a gentle tartness that closely mimics the sweet complexity that bourbon brings to the sauce. Nobody who has not tried the bourbon version will ever know the difference.

Amelia’s Secret: Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to the bourbon mixture before pouring it over the chicken. The vinegar lifts all the heavy sweet-savory flavors and makes the finished sauce taste more complex and alive.

Pro Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

• Always add the cornstarch slurry — it is what separates a good bourbon chicken from a great one. That thick, glossy glaze is the whole point.
• Use chicken thighs over breasts — they stay juicy through hours of slow cooking and have more flavor. Breasts get dry if you cook them too long.
• Low-sodium soy sauce only — regular soy sauce makes the dish far too salty with this much liquid.
• Do not lift the lid during cooking — every peek adds 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time and wastes the heat you have built up.
• Make extra sauce and serve it on the side — everyone wants more of it drizzled over their rice.

Flavor Variations

Spicy Bourbon Chicken: Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a tablespoon of sriracha to the sauce. The heat builds slowly during the long cook and creates a wonderful sweet-spicy glaze that pairs perfectly with plain white rice.

Pineapple Bourbon Chicken: Add half a cup of pineapple juice to the sauce and scatter fresh pineapple chunks over the chicken in the last 30 minutes. The tropical sweetness pairs incredibly with the savory bourbon glaze.

Turkey Bourbon: Swap the chicken thighs for turkey breast cutlets — a leaner protein that works beautifully in this sauce and offers a slightly different texture. Check for doneness at the 3-hour mark on LOW.

Bourbon Chicken Rice Bowl: Serve over brown rice with edamame, shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, and a drizzle of sesame ginger dressing for a meal-prep bowl that is as beautiful as it is delicious.

Make-Ahead & Freeze Instructions

Cooked bourbon chicken keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheats beautifully. The flavor actually deepens overnight as the sauce soaks further into the meat — day-two bourbon chicken is genuinely worth looking forward to.

Freeze in airtight containers or zip-top bags for up to 3 months. This is an excellent freezer meal — place raw chicken and sauce in a bag, freeze flat, then dump straight into the slow cooker frozen on your busy morning (add about 1 hour to cook time). Thawed overnight is best for texture.

Serving Suggestions

Fluffy white jasmine rice is the classic choice for bourbon chicken — the subtle floral fragrance of jasmine rice and the rich, sweet-savory bourbon glaze is one of the most satisfying flavor combinations in weeknight cooking.

Serve with a side of steamed broccoli or roasted green beans to add a fresh, slightly bitter green that cuts through the richness of the sauce and rounds the plate into a complete, balanced meal.

Pile the shredded saucy chicken into slider buns with a scoop of creamy coleslaw for the best game-day sliders imaginable — the tangy slaw against the sweet bourbon glaze is an absolute crowd-pleaser at any gathering.

How to Store

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container with sauce for up to 4 days. Flavor improves on day two.
• Freezer: Freeze with sauce in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Stovetop over medium-low with a splash of chicken broth, or microwave covered in 60-second intervals until steaming.

Allergy Info

• Contains: Soy (soy sauce), Gluten (regular soy sauce contains wheat)
• Gluten-free: Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce — same amount, great results
• Alcohol-free: Substitute bourbon with apple juice or chicken broth — no difference in final flavor quality
• Lower sugar: Reduce brown sugar to 1/2 cup — the sauce will be slightly less sweet but still deeply flavorful

FAQs

Can I skip the bourbon?

Absolutely. Apple juice is the best non-alcoholic substitute — it mimics the sweetness and subtle tang of bourbon without any alcohol. Chicken broth works too for a less sweet, more savory version.

Why is the sauce still thin after cooking?

That is completely normal. Slow cookers trap steam and cannot reduce liquid. Add the cornstarch slurry in the last 30 minutes on HIGH — it transforms the thin sauce into a thick, glossy glaze every single time.

Can I use chicken breasts?

Yes — check them at the 3-hour mark on LOW and pull them out as soon as they hit 165°F. Breasts dry out faster than thighs in long slow cooking, so watch the timing carefully.

Is this too sweet for a dinner main?

The brown sugar and soy sauce balance each other out when you use the right ratio. If you prefer a less sweet sauce, reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 cup and add a tablespoon of rice vinegar for a tangier, more balanced glaze.

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