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Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken Recipe

★★★★★

4.6 from 96 reviews
  • Author: Zoe
  • Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes (high) or 6 hours 15 minutes (low)
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Description

This Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken recipe offers tender, flavorful chicken thighs slow-cooked in a sweet and savory bourbon-infused sauce. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, the dish features a rich combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic, finished with a thickened sauce and garnished with fresh green onions. Serve it over rice for a comforting meal that’s sure to please the whole family.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

  • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

Sauce

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup bourbon whiskey
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

Thickening

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Garnish

  • ¼ cup chopped green onions

Instructions

  1. Prepare the chicken: Trim the boneless skinless chicken thighs and evenly spread them in the bottom of your slow cooker.
  2. Make the sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon whiskey, apple cider vinegar, ground ginger, honey, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic until fully combined.
  3. Combine and cook: Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.
  4. Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker, shred or chop it into your desired texture, then set it aside.
  5. Thicken the sauce: Mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Stir this into the sauce left in the slow cooker to thicken it.
  6. Combine chicken and sauce: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, mix well with the thickened sauce, and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors meld and the sauce to thicken further.
  7. Finish and garnish: Turn off the slow cooker and garnish the bourbon chicken with chopped green onions before serving.
  8. Serving suggestion: Serve the bourbon chicken hot over white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a wholesome meal.

Notes

  • You can adjust the heat by varying the amount of red pepper flakes or substituting with fresh chili.
  • Substitute bourbon whiskey with a non-alcoholic bourbon extract or apple juice for a kid-friendly version.
  • Chicken thighs remain juicy and flavorful, but you can use chicken breasts if preferred, though they may cook faster.
  • The sauce thickens beautifully with cornstarch slurry, but if needed, add a little more cornstarch mixture for desired consistency.
  • Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat nicely.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours (high) or 6 hours (low)
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: bourbon chicken, crock pot chicken, slow cooker chicken, easy chicken recipe, bourbon sauce, dinner recipe, chicken thighs

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Find it online: https://cookingwithzoe.com/crock-pot-bourbon-chicken-recipe/