Description
Succulent bourbon chicken sings with Southern comfort, blending sweet and tangy flavors in a simple slow cooker magic. Tender meat falls apart effortlessly, promising a delicious meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs
Sauces and Sweeteners:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Seasonings and Thickeners:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup green onions
Instructions
- Arrange chicken thighs neatly inside the crockpot, ensuring they are evenly distributed and not overlapping.
- Create a robust marinade by blending brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon, vinegar, minced ginger, honey, red pepper flakes, and crushed garlic in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Carefully drench chicken thighs with the prepared marinade, covering each piece completely in the liquid mixture.
- Set crockpot to high temperature and cook for approximately 4 hours, or alternatively use low temperature for 6 hours until chicken becomes tender and easily falls apart.
- Carefully extract chicken from the crockpot and use two forks to shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare a cornstarch slurry by whisking cornstarch with water until smooth, then gradually incorporate into the remaining cooking liquid to create a thickened sauce.
- Return shredded chicken to the crockpot, gently stirring to coat with the enhanced sauce and allow to simmer until sauce reaches desired consistency.
- Sprinkle freshly chopped green onions over the dish and serve immediately alongside steamed rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Trim chicken thighs carefully to remove excess fat for a leaner meal.
- Adjust spice levels by reducing or increasing red pepper flakes based on personal heat preference.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to control salt content for healthier dietary needs.
- For gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and verify bourbon’s gluten status.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (on High) or 6 hours (on Low)
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 474
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 1730 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg