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Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken

Crock Pot bourbon chicken with a glossy mahogany sauce—slow-cooked chicken thighs are tender and infused with bourbon, garlic, and ginger. Stir in a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce, then serve over white rice with sesame and green onion.
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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: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and sauce base
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 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
Thickening slurry
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
Serving and garnish
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 green onions
  • 1 cooked white rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Add chicken to slow cooker
  1. Place the chicken pieces in the slow cooker in an even layer.
  2. Make sure the pieces are bite-sized so they cook through at the same pace.
Mix bourbon sauce
  1. Whisk together bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth.
  2. Pour the sauce over the chicken so the pieces are coated.
Slow-cook the chicken
  1. Cook on low for 4–5 hours until the chicken is cooked through.
  2. If using high, cook for 2–3 hours until the chicken is cooked through.
Thicken sauce and glaze
  1. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on high for 15–20 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
Serve
  1. Serve the bourbon chicken over cooked white rice.
  2. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: for the glossiest sauce, stir the slurry in after the chicken is fully cooked, then keep the slow cooker on high until the sauce visibly thickens. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid thinning. Freezing is not recommended due to cornstarch texture, but you can freeze the sauce separately if needed. For a lower-sugar option, use a brown-sugar substitute or reduce the brown sugar by 1–2 tablespoons while keeping the slurry step the same.