This post may contain affiliate links meaning if you buy from them, I will make a few pennies, at no cost to you. See disclosure here.
If you love bourbon chicken from the food court at the mall, you’ll love this version of Crock Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken that’s made right in your slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken
Crock Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken
One of my favorite things about cooking, and I’ve said this before, is having leftovers. Today, however, there was no chicken left and none of the M&M cookies.
I hate when that happens. But, it is a good indicator of how good these dishes are.
I’ve made bourbon chicken before but I really liked this crock pot rendition. This version tastes less like the food court dish but it is simple and very good. I forgot how much I’ve missed my crock pot the last few months.
Why it’s called Bourbon Chicken
Fun Fact: There’s no bourbon in this recipe, which many of you have pointed out to me (mostly rudely). The name Bourbon Chicken comes from Bourbon Street in New Orleans, which it’s named after.
If it makes you happy, throw in some bourbon.
When I was in college, I used to stop at the mall that was across the street and have lunch. My favorite restaurant in the food court was one called Bourbon Street Grill. They had the best bourbon chicken.
I used to get the chicken with potatoes and rice. #carbsoncarbs
This slow cooker version makes a lot of “sauce” which is perfect for spooning over rice or potatoes or whatever you’re serving with the chicken.
Bourbon Chicken Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Chicken – I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use thighs or tenders.
- Salt & Pepper – The essentials.
- Honey
- Soy Sauce – I like to use low sodium.
- Ketchup
- Oil – I usually use vegetable oil but you could use olive oil or canola oil.
- Garlic – Use two cloves or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
- Onion – I usually use a yellow or white onion.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Red pepper flakes help to balance the sweetness of the honey and give the chicken a tiny kick. You can skip it if you want.
How to thicken up the sauce
It will be a thin sauce but you can make a cornstarch slurry (2 parts cold water with 1 part cornstarch) and whisk it in to thicken it up. I personally prefer it thin to spoon over my rice and veggies, but I’ve had many commenters say they’d like it thicker.
How to store leftovers
Leftovers should be stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. Or, if you have enough, you can put it back in the slow cooker to heat through.
Do you call it a slow cooker or a crock pot? I asked on Facebook and it seems most people call it a Crock Pot but that’s a brand.
Like calling tissue Kleenex.
Or inline skates Roller Blades (do people still do that?? ha).
Whatever you call it, it’s good. & really easy. I served it with brown rice and roasted zucchini.
PIN SLOW COOKER HONEY BOURBON CHICKEN FOR LATER
Can you put frozen chicken in the Crock Pot?
This is a common question I get, but the safest, best answer is no, you shouldn’t put frozen chicken in the slow cooker.
Because of the amount of time it takes a slow cooker to get meat up to a safe temperature (it’s a slow cooker, after all), bacteria could contaminate the chicken.
Meat should already be thawed when you place it in the crock pot. Ideally, you’d thaw the chicken in the fridge the night before.
That said, I have used frozen chicken in a pinch and lived to tell the tale, but now that I know better, I don’t.
Can I make it in the Instant Pot?
I haven’t tested in the IP, I’m more of a slow cooker girl lol, but I’d whisk up the sauce in the instant pot, put the thawed chicken in & coat it in the sauce. Seal & cook for 15 mins, natural release for 5 mins, then quick release.
Tools to make Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken
- My slow cooker of choice – I love that you can set the cook time then it automatically switches over to “warm” after the cook time.
- Time-saving minced garlic – I always keep minced garlic packed in oil in my fridge.
- A whisk if you’re going to make that slurry I talked about above.
Need more crock pot chicken ideas? Try these:
Click here to view my entire collection of slow cooker recipes.
Watch how easy this Crock Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken is to make:
How to make Bourbon Chicken
Crock Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Trim your chicken breasts, sprinkle with salt & pepper and place them in your slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, add the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine. Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1½ to 2½ hours.
- When done, remove chicken from crock pot and cut into chunks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @melissa_pplates so I can see!
Or maybe you’d like…
Bourbon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes (a non-slow cooker version)
I thickened sauce as suggested, but that’s just a preference. There’s almost enough sauce for 3lb. of chicken. It’s delicious and easy!
Thank you for reporting back! I’m glad you liked it =)
This sounds delish! As opposed to using chicken breasts, do you think this would work for a small chicken, maybe 4 or 5lbs? I have one here and came across this recipe! Have you tried it that way?
I have not tried a whole chicken (I don’t like bones…persnickety lol) but I think it should work fine. Report back if you try!
Is there supposed to be an overwhelming scent of soy sauce before cooking? Smells quite Asian style to me.
I mean, it has soy sauce in it so it should smell like it.
Don’t cook it too long on high! As info I just made it, and left it on high for four hours (large chicken breasts) before reducing the heat. That large amount of honey scorched and darkened the sauce way too much. Granted my allow cooker may run hot…
My suggestion is to cut the honey amount in half, as that is a lot of liquid. Sub a half cup of water instead. If you need it sweeter, add turbinado sugar which has a higher melting point.
Also I used a tablespoon of bourbon and couldn’t taste it. Using 1/4 cup next time.
Why is it called bourbon chicken if there is not bourbon in the recipe? I added some anyway.
This is being added to our short list of favorite recipes to remake on the regular. So glad we tried it!
I’m glad you tried it, too =)
Well I read the post but honestly your comment about the bourbon was clearly added later as you refer to comments. I saw no rude comments about it but people asking about the bourbon. YOU were rude and by adding it to the post and adding the snarky comment about people asking rudely shows it was an added additon. You could have related that part clearly before as it was an intersting fact about the recipe. The way you have replied to people asking shows you are rude and I have no interest in coming back to your blog. OMG I cannot believe you making such a big deal about people asking where is the bourbon. SO no thanks. Many people find this form pinterest and are looking for a recipe and don’t care to read BLOGS, it is what it is. read you responses, clearly you are rude and not a way to build a site, NO ONE will come back.
This post is nine years old and the paragraph about the bourbon has been there for eight years. Hundreds of thousands of people have visited/pinned this recipe – I get questions/comments on all social channels as well as here. I don’t find it rude that I value my time enough to ask people to read the explanation I have already provided them on my free recipe site. Thank you for taking the time to critique my business and personality.
Agree with Amanda. I was about to make this recipe but after reading the bloggers replies to others questions/comments about the bourbon and her saying “read it and you would know” is flat out rude. I have zero interest in ever using a recipe from someone that has a “better than” mentality. Go find something else to do lady, blogging isn’t it.
I do not have a “better than” mentality. Again, I took the time to test the recipe, take the pics, write the post, & provide the recipe (& explanation of why there isn’t any bourbon) for free but commenters can’t be bothered to read the post. I left the comment there for a reason, I could have easily deleted it.
Why make a big deal about her blog when you are here for a recipe she shared looks like many people take things waaay to personally and attack her why?….
Thanks for posting, adding pictures and commentary! Your time is appreciated by me! I probably never would have tried this reciepe had it not been for you….Loved it!
I’ve made this recipe a few times and today I was craving it but ran out of time to make in the slow cooker so we tried it in the instant pot. It came out SOOD GOOD! 8 minutes in the instant pot on manual and 5 minute natural release and it was falling apart!!
I haven’t tested that yet so thanks so much for reporting back!
Loved it! Made it last night! I wanted to drink the sauce! 😀
I know the feeling! Lol thanks so much for reporting back, Lois 🙂
Is there a way to reduce the sodium other than soy sauce, i use worchestershirer sauce instead, but it is still high and i love this recipe.
Hi Janice – have you tried coconut aminos? That’s a popular low sodium substitute.
I’m about to prep this recipe this week as a freeze ahead meal. Have you tried freezing it beforehand and then throwing it in the crock pot later? Otherwise I’m super excited to make this and will post a very braggy review if I don’t mess it up hahaha!
I have not, but I think it should work! Looking forward to the braggy review =)
How did freezing work out?
Hi! I’ve made this recipe many times before and it has been absolutely delicious every single time. I am wanting to try it with a thicker sauce and was hoping you can explain that process a bit more. I am not the best or most experienced cook, so when you say 2 parts cornstarch and 1 part water what does that mean? Also, do you add that to the sauce and cook it for the times mentioned above or do you add it at the very end? Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Hannah – I’m glad you like it! To make a slurry, I would start with 2 Tablespoons of cold water & 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk it together then pour it into the sauce at the very end (after it is cooked). I usually take the chicken out while I’m mixing the slurry in so it is out of the way =)
I made this recipe and it turned out great. I used frozen Costco chicken breasts, 3 ,and it was fine, just cooked longer. I did add 1 cup of bourbon . My family loved it! Thanks for the great easy recipe…
Hi Rose – I’m glad you liked it, thanks so much for reporting back!
Made this tonight, and can’t tell you enough how much we loved it!! The flavor was amazing! My husband, who is super picky, loved it. I will definitely be making this recipe again! Thank you!
I love hearing that! Thanks, Elena 🙂
Either it doesn’t have the amount of bourbon listed or those obnoxious ads are covering it up. Either way I am disappointed.
Either you didn’t read the post or are just being unappreciative about a free recipe. Either way I’m disappointed.
From the post >
Why it’s called Bourbon Chicken
Fun Fact: There’s no bourbon in this recipe, which many of you have pointed out to me (mostly rudely).
Where’s the Bourbon??
The answer is in the post.
It was SO good!!!! Thank you for sharing!! And I’m sorry for all the people with the “bourbon” question. 🙄. I’ll be honest I normally just click “jump to recipe” to see if I have the ingredients on hand or what they are. I’m assuming that’s what the others did. Regardless, my family loved this!!! Thanks again!
Thanks for reporting back! I wish that was the case, but from what I’ve gathered, most don’t know about the jump to recipe button either lol no worries though, I can handle it 🙂
Yes, Kim, but if you have a question about the recipe, you probably read the rest, to see if the answer is there.
I am one that struggles cooking anything and this blew me away! It was so easy, with things I already had. What a nice change for dinner. I can’t wait to reheat it for tomorrow. Thank you!
Made my day! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for reporting back!