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Home Recipe Index Freezer Meals Freezer Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken

★★★★★ 4.8 /5 Updated: 2/5/23
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This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

gluten-free Honey Bourbon Chicken and Stir Fry Vegetables on a large white platter

A little sweet and a little spicy, this easy Honey Bourbon Chicken recipe is BIG on flavor and takes just minutes to throw in the slow cooker.

You can also make Honey Bourbon Chicken in the Instant Pot!

Honey Bourbon Chicken and Stir Fry Vegetables on a large white platter
Photo credit: Hélène Dujardin
Contents hide
Reasons You’ll Love Honey Bourbon Chicken
Ingredients in Honey Bourbon Chicken
How Long Does Bourbon Chicken Cook in the Crock Pot?
Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart (Free!)
How to Serve Honey Bourbon Chicken
Freezer Tip: Freeze the Leftover Rice!
What Should I Know About Cooking with Bourbon?
How to Freeze Honey Bourbon Chicken
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Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken
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Reasons You’ll Love Honey Bourbon Chicken

1. It’s a super easy recipe to make.

Simply dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it cook on low for a few hours. After it’s done, you can quickly thicken up the sauce using what’s called a cornstarch slurry but that’s optional yet quite easy.

2. Bourbon Chicken is complex in flavor.

thanks to ingredients like fresh ginger (just keep some in my freezer to have on hand), soy sauce (or substitute coconut aminos), honey, green onions, and, of course, bourbon. (More on the bourbon in a minute.)

3. My kids love it!

It’s a little spicy, but you can always pull back on the spice if your family has a sensitive palate. Here are more kid-friendly recipe ideas if you’re on the hunt for some!

4. It’s been very well-tested.

Both of us, as well as our 500 person recipe-testing team for our cookbook! In fact, we spent nearly two years developing and refining the recipes in From Freezer to Cooker. It was quite a feat because every single recipe works in the slow cooker, the Instant Pot, and includes freezer meal instructions!

5. It’s naturally dairy-free and can be made gluten-free.

With our substitutions, this recipe will work for both dairy-free and gluten-free diets. (According to Beyond Celiac, most bourbon is gluten-free due to the distillation process.)

Crockpot Honey Bourbon Chicken

Ingredients in Honey Bourbon Chicken

Here is what you will need to make this recipe:

  • Low-sodium soy sauce (For Gluten-Free: use coconut aminos or GF tamari soy sauce.)
  • Honey
  • Ketchup
  • Bourbon or other whiskey (For Gluten-Free: Omit or use chicken stock/broth instead.)
  • Avocado oil or olive oil
  • Fresh ginger
  • Garlic cloves, minced
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Sliced green onions
  • Boneless, skinless medium chicken breasts
  • Cornstarch

How Long Does Bourbon Chicken Cook in the Crock Pot?

Now here’s the key to delicious Slow Cooker Pot Bourbon Chicken: Do not overcook your chicken!

If you follow our recipe, you’re good to go. But…be sure to download and print off our Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart that we spent two years developing. This guide will help you pressure cook both fresh and frozen meals perfectly! It’s our gift to you!

If you really want to get into the weeds, here is a detailed post about How Long to Cook Chicken in the Slow Cooker.

Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart (Free!)

We spent years testing slow cooker timing for various recipes for our second cookbook. We put all our knowledge into one handy printable cheat sheet for you. Never overcook (or undercook) a crock pot meal again!

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How to Serve Honey Bourbon Chicken

I like to round out this spicy-sweet chicken and sauce by serving it on top of some brown rice (or quinoa or cauliflower rice) and stir-fried veggies.

There’s a lot of sauce to spare, so whip up a big pot of rice and a pan of stir-fried veggies to help soak up all that delicious sauce. To save time, make your brown rice in the Instant Pot or buy pre-made brown rice at the store and use the frozen stir-fry vegetable mix.

Freezer Tip: Freeze the Leftover Rice!

If you don’t end up using all the cooked rice in a recipe, you can freeze the leftovers. We’ve written an in depth post on how to freeze rice here.

Brown rice cooked and in bowls

What Should I Know About Cooking with Bourbon?

I personally don’t drink or enjoy the taste of bourbon. However, when used in cooking, I’ve found that the bourbon lends a smoky caramel-like sweetness that’s hard to replicate with another ingredient.

If you have kids, don’t worry, the alcohol will almost entirely evaporate when the sauce is simmered at the end.

Look for small bottles by the liquor counter, if you don’t have some at home in your cabinet.

Update: One of our readers said she used chicken stock as a replacement with decent results.

Honey bourbon chicken marinade

How to Freeze Honey Bourbon Chicken

Like most of our freezer meal recipes, this freezer-friendly chicken dish is one you can easily double, eat one for dinner tonight, and freeze the other for later. Here’s how easy it is to make ahead and freeze:

Freeze For Later:  Make the sauce. Pour the sauce and chicken into a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen:  Note: Have cooked rice, cornstarch, and (optional) stir-fried veggies on hand to complete this meal. Thaw using one of our safe thawing methods. Cook as directed starting in step 2.

Freezer meal: Honey bourbon chicken
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Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

gluten-free Honey Bourbon Chicken and Stir Fry Vegetables on a large white platter
★★★★★ 4.8 from 6 reviews

Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken

A little sweet and a little spicy, this chicken dish is big on flavor and takes just minutes to throw in the slow cooker.

Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Total: 3 1/2 hours
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (For Gluten-Free: use coconut aminos or GF tamari soy sauce.)
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup organic or all-natural ketchup
  • 1/4 cup bourbon or other whiskey (For Gluten-Free: Omit or use chicken stock/broth instead.)
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (decrease to 1/8 teaspoon, if sensitive to heat)
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless medium chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Cooked basmati rice or brown rice, for serving
  • Stir-fried vegetables, for serving

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, bourbon, oil, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Add the chicken and stir to coat with the sauce. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  2. Place the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours or until cooked through. (The chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and/or registers 165°F internally.) Carefully transfer the chicken to a wooden cutting board, dice or shred the meat, and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. Carefully pour the juices from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan. Add in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.
  4. Return the chicken and sauce to the slow cooker. Stir gently to combine. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and serve with stir-fried vegetables, if desired.

Freeze For Later:  Follow step 1. Pour the sauce and chicken into a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen:  Note: Have cooked rice, cornstarch, and (optional) stir-fried veggies on hand to complete this meal. Thaw. Follow steps 2 through 4.

Equipment

Slow Cooker

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Meat thermometer

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Fresh Menu Kitchen Reusable Freezer Bags

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Notes/Tips

Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. 

You can make this meal in the Instant Pot using these instructions.

One of our readers tested this recipe without the bourbon and reported that their family thought it was still delicious.  

© Author: Thriving Home
Cuisine: Asian Method: Slow Cooker

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarConnie says

    Posted on 9/22/22 at 4:11 pm

    Delicious!! Very easy to make and everyone loved it

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 9/23/22 at 5:39 pm

      Great to hear that! Thanks, Connie.

      Reply
  2. AvatarKelli says

    Posted on 4/27/22 at 1:39 pm

    We absolutely love this! The flavor is so yummy and it got a 5+++( My husband has a 1-5 rating system – 5 being the best) and it is a keeper. So easy to prep and great over rice

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 4/27/22 at 4:12 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and review, Kelli!

      Reply
  3. AvatarGretchen W says

    Posted on 11/29/21 at 7:39 pm

    Excellent and Easy!
    I had bought extra chicken and used this recipe and stuffed it in the freezer. This dish was so good and smelled incredible! I used the instapot version and was delighted! Paired it with jasmine rice and steamed veggies. Way to go TH girls – you’ve knocked it out of the park!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 11/30/21 at 10:44 am

      Yum! I’m really glad you liked it, Gretchen!

      Reply
  4. AvatarMindy says

    Posted on 11/13/21 at 2:26 pm

    Hi! Do you think it would be ok to mix the sauce and chicken in a ziplock the night before, so that it can be a dump and go foe dinner the next day?

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 11/15/21 at 10:18 am

      Yes, I think that works.

      Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 11/15/21 at 10:20 am

      I think that will probably be fine. But, if you want to assure the chicken doesn’t get over-marinated/mushy at all, you could just mix up the sauce the night before and then place the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker in the morning.

      Reply
  5. AvatarLyndsay says

    Posted on 10/27/21 at 12:42 pm

    Would using frozen veggie mix be okay in this? If so when do you suggest/ how do you suggest adding for best flavor and texture ?

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 10/27/21 at 3:55 pm

      Hi Lyndsay. I love the idea of doing that, but I don’t think adding frozen veggies to the slow cooker will go well. It will cool the dish down to much and maybe not properly cook the chicken. And I think they will come out mushy unfortunately! I hate the idea of more dishes but would suggest sautéing the frozen stir fry mixture in a little oil over high heat for a few minutes for the best result. Or, you could always microwave them.

      Reply
  6. AvatarAmanda says

    Posted on 9/27/21 at 8:22 pm

    This recipe is so easy to prep and freeze for later and has ingredients I almost always have already. It cooks quickly in the instant pot and is delicious/very flavorful over stir-fry or rice!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 9/28/21 at 10:44 am

      Thank you for the feedback and review, Amanda!

      Reply
  7. AvatarMeg says

    Posted on 9/21/21 at 10:39 am

    I have been to two different stores already and I can’t track down any fresh ginger. Can I use ground? How much? Thanks! 🙂

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 9/21/21 at 5:37 pm

      Sorry you can’t find it! You can use ground but I’m not sure how much. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon to start? The bummer is that ground ginger is one of those spices that can’t easily replicate the fresh version.

      Reply
  8. AvatarYoYo says

    Posted on 7/27/20 at 4:10 am

    This sounds delicious. I do not use chicken breast and would like to use a whole chicken. Do you have any suggestions on recipe quantity for a whole chicken? Or bone in chicken thighs? Thank you

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 7/28/20 at 9:44 am

      You could definitely use a 4-5 pound whole chicken. Slow cook it for 4-6 hours on low, until a meat thermometer inserted need the thigh bone registers 165°F. For 2 1/2-3 pounds bone-in thighs, slow cook for 3-4 hours on low until registers 165°F. If you’d like our Cooking Times Chart for Slow Cooker, you can find it here: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/cooking-times-chart-for-slow-cooker/

      Reply
      • AvatarYoYo says

        Posted on 8/1/20 at 1:16 am

        Thank you so much. I will try this super soon!

        Reply
  9. AvatarPeggy Fenstermacher says

    Posted on 4/27/20 at 6:21 pm

    I fixed this tonight for dinner. Only thing I didn’t have, but thought I did have and that was the bourbon. I had already been to the store to get green onion and ginger. So I looked in my cabinet and all I had was Peach Brandy so I used it instead. It was delicious! My husband even liked it. Just ask Jared Fenstermacher. He’ll tell you how picky a. Eater his dad is! Lol.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 4/27/20 at 7:36 pm

      That’s so great to hear, Peggy! What a compliment.

      Reply
      • AvatarPeggy Fenstermacher says

        Posted on 4/27/20 at 11:20 pm

        I did order your new cookbook today too! Will arrive May 5th. Can’t wait!

        Reply

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