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Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: May 14, 2025 | Published: Jul 1, 2024
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Crock pot bourbon chicken uses on hand ingredients and takes just 5 minutes to prep. It comes out tender and flavorful with a scrumptious sauce!

A dinner bowl of rice and a sauce soy bourbon chicken topped with sliced green onions.


 

Y’all know I am a bourbon lover through and through.

Mostly I enjoy it in drink form, but I also like to cook with it.

Previously, I’ve shared my 15-minute bourbon chicken that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. Also, my easy bourbon salmon that’s marinated then roasted and comes out super yummy.

Today, we’re making this crock pot bourbon chicken that is hands off and every bit as flavorful.

Close up of a bowl of bourbon chicken over rice with chopped green onions on top and to the side and a pair of chopsticks resting on the bowl.

That umami kick is just off the charts!

And the sauce, well, you’ll want to drink it with a spoon.

Plus, it’s just a few ingredients and about 5 minutes to prep.

Then this slow cooks all day and is ready to go for you when it’s time to eat. Gotta love a hands off meal!

OK, let’s get cooking.

Ingredients laid out on a counter for making a bourbon chicken recipe.
Seasoned raw chicken breasts in a bowl.
A clear glass bowl with a soy sauce mixture and a whisk resting in the bowl.
A black slow cooker with a bourbon chicken mixture in it before being cooked.
Cooked bourbon chicken in a crock pot insert.
Chopped cooked chicken on a wooden cutting board.
A small sauce pan with a bourbon soy sauce mixture being reduced and a whisk resting in the pan.

Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make bourbon chicken in the crock pot. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe, or a mix of the two.
  • Bourbon: Any decent brand of bourbon or whiskey will do.
  • Soy sauce: I use and recommend low-sodium soy sauce to help control the amount of sodium in the dish. Feel free to substitute tamari if you need this to be gluten-free.
  • Ginger: Fresh ginger is best here, but you can substitute ground ginger if needed. You’ll use about ¼ teaspoon.
  • Cornstarch: The cornstarch slurry helps thicken up the sauce after it’s cooked and give it that glossy sheen, so don’t skip that step!
Cooked, chopped bourbon chicken in a crock pot insert.
A white serving spoon resting in a pile of bourbon chicken in a slow cooker insert.

Oh, and you can serve this with some garnishes if desired.

Sliced green onions, a sprinkle of sesame seeds or a lime wedge to squeeze over top are all good options.

OK, let’s get ready to eat.

Here's a few ideas of what to pair with bourbon chicken so you can round out your meal.

Bourbon chicken served over rice with green onions on top.

Serving Ideas:

- Bourbon chicken is great served over steamed white or brown rice to help soak up some of that delicious sauce.

- You could also keep it low-carb and serve it with some easy cauliflower rice.

- Or try it with some rice noodles; anything to soak up that sauce!

- As for veggies, steamed broccoli or asparagus, green beans or snow peas all work great with this dinner. This quick bok choy with garlic and ginger would be stellar as well.

Two bowls with steamed rice topped with bourbon chicken topped with sliced green onions.

Very versatile!

Last thing... what to do with any leftovers.

The leftovers of this bourbon chicken keep well! Once cooled, store the leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. 

You can also freeze the leftovers. Place in a freezer-safe ziploc bag or container, label it, and freeze for up to 5 months.

Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or in a skillet until warmed through. (The sauce really helps prevent the chicken from drying out.)

Chopsticks picking up a piece of cooked bourbon chicken from a bowl.

There you go.

A delicious bourbon chicken meal made easy and hands off in the slow cooker. So you can go about your day and have dinner waiting on you.

Yes please.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Square cut of a bowl of bourbon chicken over rice with chopped green onions on top and to the side and a pair of chopsticks resting on the bowl.
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5 from 1 vote

Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken

Crock pot bourbon chicken uses on hand ingredients and takes just 5 minutes to prep. It comes out tender and flavorful with a scrumptious sauce!
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time5 hours hrs
Additional TimeAdditional Time10 minutes mins
Total Time5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Yield: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs or a mix)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon water

To garnish (optional):

  • Sliced green onions, sesame seeds, lime wedges

Instructions

  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the bourbon, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger until well mixed. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
  • Cover and cook the chicken on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender.
  • Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred or chop.
  • Transfer the sauce to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce in the pan and stir to combine. Cook the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Return the chicken to the slow cooker and add the thickened sauce. Stir well to coat all of the chicken in the sauce. Serve immediately or let the chicken sit on warm until ready to serve. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges if desired.

Notes

Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe, or a mix of the two.
Bourbon: Any decent brand of bourbon or whiskey will do.
Soy sauce: I use and recommend low-sodium soy sauce to help control the amount of sodium in the dish. Feel free to substitute tamari if you need this to be gluten-free.
Ginger: Fresh ginger is best here, but you can substitute ground ginger if needed. You’ll use about ¼ teaspoon.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch slurry helps thicken up the sauce after it’s cooked and give it that glossy sheen, so don’t skip that step!
Serving ideas: This chicken is great served over rice, to soak up some of the yummy sauce. As for veggies, steamed broccoli or asparagus, green beans or snow peas all work great with this dinner.
Leftovers: The leftovers of this bourbon chicken keep well! Once cooled, store the leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze the leftovers. Place in a freezer-safe ziploc bag or container, label it, and freeze for up to 5 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or in a skillet until warmed through. (The sauce really helps prevent the chicken from drying out.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 778mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
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Comments

  1. Braulio Stehr

    July 26, 2024 at 1:39 pm

    Les granulés de bois sont souvent vendus en sacs de 15 kg.

    Reply
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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Meet Kathryn

Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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