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, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- 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.
Helpful Tools for 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
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 4 Tablespoons olive 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.2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt and pepper
- 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.1 cup honey, 1 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/2 cup ketchup, 4 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Cover and 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.
Notes
- It’s safest to avoid using frozen chicken in the slow cooker—use thawed chicken for best results.
- To thicken the sauce, make a cornstarch slurry (2 parts cold water to 1 part cornstarch) and whisk it in. If you prefer a thinner sauce, no need to thicken—it’s perfect over rice or veggies.
- Coconut aminos can be used in place of soy sauce.
- Red pepper flakes can be omitted.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.
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!Originally published October 9, 2012; photos updated June 12, 2025
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Hi the crockpot bourbon chicken sounds great. Have you ever used bone in with skin thighs ? I have some in my freezer that I don’t know what to do with haha!
Thanks
I haven’t but lots of people have told me they actually prefer thighs in this recipe.
Thank you for explaining the “Bourbon” part of the recipe. I had often wondered.
You’re welcome 🙂
How come there is no bourbon in the Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken? Where does the bourbon flavor come from if not from bourbon?
That’s answered in the post.
The chicken stayed too dry and salty. I may have cooked it too long.
One thing I have learned when cooking chicken in the slow cooker is to always start out on high for about a half an hour to an hour and then you can turn it down to low if you want. This way the chicken doesn’t dry out. Otherwise it runs out every single time for me. But if you start on the high, it comes out perfect.
Can I use Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce?
I haven’t tested to see how much it affects taste, but it should be fine.
Do you have any suggestions for making this in the oven instead. My meats always turn out dry in the slow cooker for some reason.
Maybe my stovetop version would work better for you? Bourbon Chicken with Roasted Potatoes
What’s in this recipn a name? Where is the “Bourbon” in this recipe????
Hi Chuck – that is answered above.
Id like to know tio. I see no explanation anywhere about the bourbon???
You definitely scrolled past it.
This is a new favorite! I cut my potato in wedges and cooked them in the sauce along with the chicken. I will be making it again very soonn
I love that idea. Thanks, Sabrina!
Can you use bourbon? Would you substitute bourbon for ketchup.
You can add bourbon in addition to the other ingredients. Alcohol doesn’t always cook off in the slow cooker though so be mindful of that.
Loved this recipe!
Does this freeze well if you make it ahead of time?
Happy to hear that! I think it will freeze fine. We never have enough leftovers to test 🙂
Hi,
I’m new to the page & have a question.
I no longer have a slow cooker & will be adapting this to the Instant Pot. Should I use some chicken broth to bolster the fluid? I’m kinda thinking about 1/2 cup or should it be more?
I do not use the “slow cooker” setting on the IP, as it isn’t, it’s actually a ‘simmer’ type setting – a slow cooker heats the sides as well as the bottom in a ceramic pot, an Instant Pot only heats the bottom of a stainless-steel pot so the cooking type isn’t really the same and nor are the results.
The recipe looks lovely & I’d love to try it!
Hi Tina, welcome 🙂
I haven’t tested in the IP but I think you’ll have plenty of liquid without the additional broth. I’d 15 minutes on manual, then 5 min natural release (with thawed chicken).
I have never tested the slow cooker function on the IP but I have only heard negative things so that makes sense.
I added a chopped green pepper and 1 can of pineapple tidbits (drained) to this and it was so good! The pineapple gave it a little extra sweetness to it. I also used a little bit of corn starch to the sauce to thicken it just a little bit after it was cooked! So yummy!
Great additions, thanks for letting me know!
Super easy dump recipe. Very tasty. Will be making this again. Only change I made was to increase the red pepper flakes to 1tsp since we like things a little more spicy. Big hit with the whole family,
Love hearing that! Thanks, Mo 🙂
Like to try different recipes, going to try this sounds good and easy!
Like to try different recipes, going to try this sounds good
This was delicious and a hit with my family! I love that all the ingredients are something I already had in my pantry. One question I did have for you is how to recommend storing leftovers? I made the recipe along with white rice and was debating if I should store all three items separately so as not soak up the sauce. Any thoughts you have are most appreciated!
I would store and reheat separately. I’m glad you liked it!
This was the worst I have ever had! If I could share a pic, I would! Burnt, salty and dry! In the trash!
Sounds like you did something wrong if you burnt it…
LOL “this here recipe is trash cuz I don’t know how to cook real good”
Where’s the bourbon??
Explanation is above.
If I use frozen chicken breast, can I just cook it on low for 7-8 hours? I like to put things together before I leave for work, so it’s ready when I get home.
I don’t recommend using frozen chicken, it takes too long to come up to a safe temp, but yes, it will work.
Hello,
This sounds like a wonderful recipe that I am looking forward to making! However, I am a type 1 diabetic and the carb count is awfully high. I was thinking of reducing the honey, by how much and should I replace with anything else? Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Hi, I’m sorry I haven’t tested with any replacements. Stevia maybe?