The yummy sauce for my Bourbon Chicken in the Crock Pot is perfectly sticky thanks to a few secret ingredients including a microwave roux.
If you like this recipe, check out How to Make Frozen Chicken in the Crock Pot next!
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Crockpot bourbon chicken or bourbon street chicken is a popular recipe. Bourbon whisky is the star of this sticky, sweet, deeply flavorful sauce. This BBQ sauce with an Asian flair is often thickened with corn starch. But I think my version of this sauce starting with a roux of butter and flour actually makes more sense in this famous bourbon street recipe. The flour and butter keep this from being a thin sauce! Making bourbon chicken in the Crock-Pot is a mostly hands-off recipe. It’s so easy and the chicken really cooks to perfection. Making this perfect for a flavorful meal the whole family will love.
More easy crockpot recipes
Ingredients for crock pot bourbon chicken recipe
- Chicken Thighs – You can use boneless, skinless chicken breast instead. But I like tender chicken thighs for slow cooking. They hold up better to cooking for a long time. Plus they are a smart, economical choice if you’re watching your grocery budget.
- Bourbon Whiskey – All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon. Choose a bourbon you’d like to sip on for this recipe. Also learn more about the best bourbon for making an Old Fashioned. Or if you are alcohol-free, you can use apple juice instead of the half cup bourbon.
- Butter – A microwave roux for thickening sauces and gravy in the slow cooker is very much my “thing”. You won’t find this combination of ingredients for making bourbon chicken anywhere else.
- Flour – I like using the flour and butter because it thickens the sauce as it cooks. Versus stirring in a cornstarch slurry after the cooking is complete. The choice is always yours of course.
- Soy Sauce – Use a low sodium soy sauce if you are concerned about sodium levels in your meals.
- Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar helps to balance the salty flavor of the soy sauce.
- Orange Marmalade – I researched a lot of sauce recipes. Many of them called for an acid in the form of apple cider vinegar. I decided to use acid from citrus in the form of orange marmalade and love the results! I was influenced by my love for orange chicken from my favorite Chinese restaurant.
- Seasonings – A generous amount of garlic powder, ground ginger, red pepper flakes and a little salt help to round out the flavors of the bourbon sauce. You are welcome to use fresh garlic and ginger instead.
- Green Onions – Provides nice flavor and color pop of green as a garnish.
Instructions
This is such a simple recipe to toss in the Crock-Pot in the morning before work. Layer in the chicken thighs. Microwave the butter and flour together. Whisk in the rest of the sauce ingredients. Pour it over the chicken. Slow cook on low power for 6-8 hours. For a full list of ingredients and more detailed instructions, keep scrolling for my free printable recipe card.
Pro tips
- Be sure and trim the visible fat from the chicken thighs before cooking. I like to use a sharp pair of kitchen shears.
- I always check the temperature of my meat before eating, even when slow cooking. Chicken thighs need to be a minimum of 165 degrees F for safe eating.
Serving suggestions
Serve the bourbon chicken atop a bed of white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice. Serve it with some crisp green beans as a side dish. Here’s some recipe links to help you make this a complete meal –
Storage directions
Store any leftover bourbon chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Or store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Kitchen tools
- I test all of my slow cooker recipes in a 6-quart Crock-Pot
- Kitchen shears for trimming the chicken thighs
- My favorite and inexpensive instant-read digital meat thermometer
- Tongs for shredding and serving the chicken
- Decorative bowls for serving the chicken with rice
Bourbon Chicken in Crock Pot
Equipment
- 1 Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs trimmed of all visible fat
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour I use Wondra
- 1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
Instructions
- Evenly layer the chicken thighs in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker insert.
- In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, microwave the butter and flour together for one minute. Remove and stir. Microwave for 2 more one minute increments to create a microwave roux. The butter and flour will bubble up each time you microwave them.
- Stir in each of the sauce ingredients until well combined - bourbon, marmalade, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, ginger, red pepper flakes and salt.
- Gently pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low power for 6-8 hours, or until the chicken thighs easily shred or fall apart with a fork or tongs.
- Serve the chicken and brown sugar bourbon sauce atop rice and garnish with green onions.
Nutrition
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