Description

This Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken recipe is a flavorful, tender slow-cooked dish featuring boneless, skinless chicken thighs simmered in a sweet and savory bourbon sauce. Perfect for an easy, hands-off meal, it delivers rich flavors enhanced by brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic, finished with a thickened, glossy sauce that’s ideal for serving over rice.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce

1/3 cup bourbon
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Thickening Mixture

3 Tablespoons corn starch
4 Tablespoons water

Garnish (Optional)

Sliced green onions

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Instructions

Prepare the Chicken: Remove chicken thighs from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then place the thighs in a single layer at the bottom of the crock pot.
Make the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and minced garlic until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken in the crock pot.
Slow Cook the Chicken: Cover with the crock pot lid and cook on low heat for approximately 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Remove Chicken: Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a separate plate, leaving the cooking juices in the crock pot.
Boil Sauce: Pour the cooking juices into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Thicken Sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Slowly whisk this slurry into the boiling sauce. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens, then reduce heat to simmer and allow it to reduce further for a thick, glossy consistency.
Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the chicken to the crock pot and pour the thickened sauce over it. Slightly shred the chicken into large chunks with two forks to help it absorb the sauce.
Serve: Serve the bourbon chicken hot, ideally over steamed rice, and garnish with sliced green onions if desired.

Notes

Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the best flavor and tenderness.
Adjust bourbon amount to your preference, but avoid substituting with non-alcoholic liquids for flavor authenticity.
Make sure to dissolve brown sugar well in the sauce mixture to prevent graininess.
Shredding the chicken slightly helps it soak up the sauce better.
Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Serve with steamed white rice, jasmine rice, or brown rice to complement the sweet and savory sauce.