This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Tender and juicy chicken thighs simmered in a brown sugar bourbon sauce all day long. Your family will love this melt-in-your-mouth crockpot bourbon chicken. A classic New Orleans recipe made easy in the crockpot!
I sure do LOVE New Orleans-inspired food! Try my jambalaya recipe, which is also made in the crockpot. This gumbo recipe is another fave and a classic New Orleans dish. I highly recommend a visit there just for the food, it’s SO yummy!
Crockpot Bourbon Chicken
Bourbon chicken is a dish named after the famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. This recipe also uses bourbon to add a rich deep flavor to the sauce. Paired with sweet brown sugar, the sauce is sweet and sticky and SO delicious! Cooked low and slow, this crockpot bourbon chicken is an incredible dinner ready when you get home.
Crockpot dinners are the MVP at my house! They are easy to put together and are always our favorite dinners. Try this crack chicken, my famous pot roast, or this tasty beef and broccoli. They’re all made in the crockpot and I just know you will love them!
Ingredients Needed
Each ingredient in this crockpot bourbon chicken gives this recipe its mouthwatering flavor! And it’s less than 10 ingredients, which most likely you already have on hand! All measurements can be found below in the recipe card.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are the secret weapon! It results in the most tender and flavorful chicken.
- Kosher Salt and Pepper: Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper to add flavor.
- Bourbon: You can also use whiskey, apple juice, or chicken broth.
- Brown Sugar: This creates the sweetness in the sauce and gives the crockpot bourbon chicken the best flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Adds depth and richness to the sauce, giving the chicken that savory and slightly salty goodness that will wow your taste buds.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds great flavor!
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the thickening agent that helps create a luscious, glossy sauce.
- Cold Water: Make sure to use cold water to help dissolve the cornstarch.
Easy Crockpot Bourbon Chicken
Let’s make the best crockpot Bourbon chicken! It’s so incredibly easy, and the results are so tasty! You’re family will be begging you to make this weekly! The instructions are below and also in the recipe card.
- Season the Chicken and Place in Crockpot: Season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper on both sides and place them in the bottom of the crockpot.
- Make the Sauce and Pour Over Chicken: In a medium bowl add the bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. Stir well to combine. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.
- Cover and Cook: Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Add the Cornstarch Mixture: Add the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce 30 minutes before the chicken is done cooking. This will thicken the sauce.
- Serve Over Rice: Enjoy the chicken over rice and garnish with green onions.
Crockpot Bourbon Chicken Tips
Ready to create mouthwatering bourbon chicken with the convenience of a crockpot? These easy tips and tricks will have you cooking up tender, flavor-packed chicken in no time.
- Chicken Thighs: Use chicken thighs for the best results. You are welcome to use chicken breast and it will cut down on the fat content too. Chicken thighs are just so juicy and tender. They also hold the flavor better!
- Bourbon Alternatives: If you don’t have bourbon, whiskey, brandy or even scotch will work in place of it.
- Leave Bourbon Out: The alcohol from the bourbon does evaporate completely while cooking. It is safe for children to eat. Just replace the bourbon with chicken broth or apple cider.
- Make it Spicy: If you love a little heat, add some red pepper flakes, or sriracha sauce to the glaze when whisking.
Storing Leftovers
Crockpot bourbon chicken makes the best leftovers for lunch the next day! Follow my tips below for storing and reheating this yummy chicken. Everyone will fight over the leftovers so be prepared!
- In the Refrigerator: Allow your crockpot bourbon chicken to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. As long as you keep it in the fridge, it should stay good for about 4 days.
- To Reheat: Pop your chicken in the microwave or warm over the stove. Make sure to warm it up with the sauce to keep it from drying out. And you’ll definitely want all the sauce you can get because it’s SO good.
More Chicken Dinner Ideas
Chicken is SO versatile and makes the best dinners! Most of our favorite dinner recipes start with chicken and I’ve lined up a few recipes for you to make this week. I can’t wait for you to try these!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Crockpot Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup bourbon, whiskey, apple juice, or chicken broth
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper on both sides and place them in the bottom of the crockpot.
- In a medium bowl add the bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. Stir well to combine. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.
- Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Add the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce 30 minutes before the chicken is done cooking. This will thicken the sauce.
- Enjoy the chicken over rice and garnish with green onions.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Family loved it! My one son is super picky and he asked for it for his birthday dinner 😂. It has tons of flavor l. I did add a cup of bourbon for X2 will make again. Served over white rice
This recipe looks and sounds amazing! Due to health issues, I am needing to use Swerve- brown sugar for a substitute for regular brown sugar to help reduce sugar grams.
Do you think that would turn out okay?
Yes, that would work great! Hope you enjoy your bourbon chicken! 😊
Excellent. We used low sodium soy and no salt and the bourbon flavor came through wonderfully. Served over steamed broccoli and rice.
So happy you liked it!
i AM LOOKING FOR YOUR RECEIPT FOR CROCKPOT CHICKEN LEGS AND THIGS
Very tasty but it’s salty as can be! I had to take a sip of water after very bite. 3/4 cups of soy is too much!
Can you reduce the amount of soy sauce, and up the bourbon? Half a cup instead of 3/4 cup of soy sauce?
Yes you can!
Made this tonight it was very good, served it with noodles & add broccoli the last 30 minutes of cooking time, will make again
Made this with a few revisions and it was amazing! Law sodium soy sauce, no salt on the chicken, used reduced sodium chicken broth and then tossed some angel hair pasta in with it to soak up the sauce. Family loves it and got seconds!
Can you add a vegetable like broccoli to this dish? Like 1/2 hour before it’s done?
Made this for dinner….used chicken breast tenderloins, seasoned chicken with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika and chicken seasoning, substituted bourbon with chicken broth, used low sodium soy sauce, just less of 3/4 cup of brown sugar and added some cayenne for a kick. Cooked low for 4hrs……amazing!!!!!
I just love these people who say they made the recipe but they changed almost everything about it.
Really, that gets me too!
Thank you very much for this recipe! It turned out great, and the fact that it is a. bit sweet works great for me (I like sweet in general). This will definitely be one of my regulars!
I wish I had read the comment section before I prepared it, though. I used regular soy sauce and it came out a bit too salty, combined with the salt/pepper on the chicken. Next time, I think I will cut back (significantly) on the salt on the chicken.
Thank you again and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
No problem, I’m happy you enjoyed it!!
Looking to try this. Is the chicken. Parboiled?
Nope! Everything cooks in the Crockpot from start to finish. 😊
Very good! Smells & tastes divine! Only thing I changed was I peppered, but did not salt, the chicken. And I’m glad I didn’t, there’s more than enough in the soy sauce.
Will be saving to make again with that same change.
How much is a serving size ?
Each serving is just over 1/3 cup!
I made this last night. Very easy to make and it was delicious. I’ll be making this again. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Flavor was great, but way too salty. Will cut back the soy sauce by half and add more bourbon and brown sugar next time. I did cook on low for 8 hours. Maybe that made the salt take over?
This chicken was amazing, but it was sooo thin. I followed the directions exactly but doubled it to make more. Any suggestions how to thickne it up more, next time?
Sooooo salty. I will not use as much soy sauce next time. I also added broccoli to mine.
This recipe is amazing!!
I made this today for the first time, on a very cold, wet, rainy and blustery Autumn day here in England. The smell as it cooked was gorgeous, and the taste when it was ready was well worth the wait!
This will be a regular dish in our house now, thank you so much for the fabulous recipe 🥰