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Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken

Crock Pot bourbon chicken with a glistening mahogany sauce, tender bite-sized chicken thighs, and a thick glossy finish. Slow-cooked with bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger for an easy, saucy weeknight meal served over white rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Bourbon sauce
  • 0.3333333333 cup bourbon
  • 0.3333333333 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
Thickener
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
Serving and garnish
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish.
  • 1 green onions For garnish.
  • 1 cooked white rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Slow-cook the chicken
  1. Add the boneless skinless chicken thighs pieces to the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk together the bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth.
  3. Pour the sauce over the chicken so the pieces are evenly coated.
  4. Cook on low for 4–5 hours or high for 2–3 hours until the chicken is cooked through.
Thicken the sauce
  1. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until fully combined.
  2. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on high for 15–20 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, stirring once if needed.
Serve
  1. Serve the bourbon chicken over cooked white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: For extra shine, briefly stir the sauce once during the final 15–20 minutes on high so it thickens evenly. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen. Freezing is not ideal due to sauce texture from cornstarch, but you can freeze briefly if necessary. For a lighter option, use low-sodium soy sauce and reduce the brown sugar by 1–2 tbsp.