Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken
A little sweet and a little spicy, this easy 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!
Why This is a Favorite Slow Cooker Meal
With all of these perks, what’s not to love about easy Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken?
1. It’s super simple to throw together. 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. It’s 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.
4. It’s been very well-tested by Polly and me, as well as, our 500 person recipe-testing team for this 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!
How Long Does it Cook for?
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 details post about How Long to Cook Chicken in the Slow Cooker.
How to Serve Slow Cooker 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.
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.
How to Make Ahead and Freeze This Recipe
Like most of our 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…
To freeze a batch for later, you’ll combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Pour the sauce and chicken into a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze. When you’re ready to eat it, simply thaw the meal using one of these safe thawing methods and then cook according to directions.
How to Make Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken
You’ll love this healthy, delicious chicken meal that goes from slow cooker to table with ease!
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PinDescription
A little sweet and a little spicy, this chicken dish is big on flavor and takes just minutes to throw in the slow cooker.
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
Instructions
Make It Now:
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
One of our readers tested this recipe without the bourbon and reported that their family thought it was still delicious.
You can make this meal in the Instant Pot using these instructions
Want More Freezer Friendly Crockpot Meals?
We have handpicked the best of the best Crockpot Freezer meals. Make sure you to hop over and browse around our delicious list of make ahead freezer meals for the slow cooker!
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!
★★★★★
Yum! I’m really glad you liked it, Gretchen!
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?
Yes, I think that works.
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.
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 ?
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.
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!
★★★★★
Thank you for the feedback and review, Amanda!
I have been to two different stores already and I can’t track down any fresh ginger. Can I use ground? How much? Thanks! 🙂
★★★★
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.
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
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/
Thank you so much. I will try this super soon!
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.
★★★★★
That’s so great to hear, Peggy! What a compliment.
I did order your new cookbook today too! Will arrive May 5th. Can’t wait!