Description
This easy Crockpot Bourbon Chicken turns tender chicken into a glossy sweet and savory dinner with a quick sauce and simple prep. It is one of the best ideas for busy weeknight dinner meal prep holiday potluck brunch or party menus when you want bold flavor without extra work. Serve it with rice and vegetables for a healthy balanced plate that feels comforting while the slow cooker handles most of the cooking and keeps every bite juicy at home every time.
Ingredients
- 4 large thighs about 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup Bourbon
- 1/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup packed Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Apple juice
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated Fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Cold water
- 2 cups Cooked white rice
- 2 tablespoons sliced Green onions
Instructions
- Cut the four chicken thighs into roughly 20 uneven bite sized pieces so the pieces have natural edges and slightly different shapes. Spread the raw chicken loosely after cutting so the separate pieces are visible and ready for the sauce.
- Transfer the 20 chicken pieces into the slow cooker insert then pour over the bourbon and soy sauce and brown sugar and apple juice and ketchup with the garlic and ginger. Fold the chicken through the sauce until every piece is partly coated while some raw surfaces still peek through and the sauce pools unevenly around the pieces.
- Cook until the 20 chicken pieces change from pale raw meat to tender amber brown pieces with darker edges while the sauce becomes deeper in color. Stir once near the end so several pieces flip and shift toward the center while the thinner sauce bubbles gently around them.
- Stir the cornstarch with cold water then fold the slurry into the hot chicken and sauce until the liquid visibly thickens. Shift the chicken through the sauce as it changes from loose and bubbling to glossy and clingy with uneven streaks coating the 20 pieces.
- Spoon one serving of white rice into a shallow white bowl then place about five glossy chicken pieces over the rice with sauce draping naturally across the top. Scatter a few green onion slices over the serving so the final portion looks fresh and homemade with uneven placement and visible glossy edges.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Cut the chicken into similar bite sized pieces so it cooks evenly while keeping a few irregular edges for a homemade texture.
- Do not add the cornstarch at the beginning because the long cook can weaken its thickening power and make the sauce less glossy.
- Use boneless chicken thighs for the juiciest result since they stay tender during slow cooking and absorb the bourbon sauce well.
- Let the thickened chicken rest for a few minutes before serving so the glossy sauce settles and clings better to every piece.
Storage: Cool leftover Crockpot Bourbon Chicken before storing so excess steam does not collect inside the container and thin the sauce. Refrigerate the chicken and sauce in a covered airtight container for up to four days while keeping the rice separate for the best texture. Freeze the cooled chicken and sauce for up to three months in a freezer safe container then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat gently until hot throughout and add a small splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick after chilling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Cuisine: American Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving with rice
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 150mg