Crock Pot Bourbon Bacon Pulled Chicken is smoky with just the right amount of bourbon flavor. Made with boneless chicken thighs, the meat cooks up tender and juicy in just 4 to 6 hours in the slow cooker. It makes a delicious pulled chicken sandwich, especially with Buttermilk Coleslaw.
The sauce is sweet and tangy with a little heat and the bourbon and bacon add so much awesome flavor.
To make Crock Pot Bourbon Bacon Pulled Chicken , first make a spice rub of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, and dry mustard. This can be made a day or 2 in advance and then you can have everything ready to cook in just a few minutes.
Rub the spice rub all over the chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds). You can easily double the recipe to serve a crowd. Place the chicken thighs in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
Stir together 1 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce (I like to use Stubb’s), 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup bourbon, and 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar. Pour this mixture over the chicken and sprinkle 6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon on top. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. The chicken will easily shred at this point with 2 forks and is ready to be eaten plain, on a sandwich, on top of a baked potato, or in a burrito.
Try These Pulled Pork Recipes
- Crock Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork
- Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
- 3-Ingredient Crock Pot Pork
Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.
Crock Pot Bourbon Bacon Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 slices bacon,, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub on both sides of chicken thighs.
- Place chicken in a lightly greased 6-quart crock pot.
- Stir together bbq sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, and vinegar. Pour over chicken.
- Sprinkle bacon on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted from The Salty Marshmallow
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
My husband and I are always trying out new recipes. Gonna have to try this.
Could I substitute bourbon for Crown Royale?
That’s the only thing I use is crown taste so good
Hi has anyone left out the brown sugar or reduced it as there is already sugar in the BBQ sauce
Doubled it for family . Added extra hour on high -then it was able to shred. Raves from all!!
Hi this looks great has anyone tried it without adding that amount of sugar as there is always sugar already in BBQ sauces
Can this be made ahead and frozen after its cooked? Like for a reception. Thanks
This sounds delicious. Making this for a potluck with some friends. If you are doubling the recipe, how much cooking time do you add ?
This is the best pulled chicken I have ever made and it was so easy!
Just tried this pulled chicken, let me tell you it is AWESOME!! THE WHOLE HOUSE SMELLED GREAT! Flavor is perfect and the chicken is so tender and not mushy. GREAT over baked potatoe.
What about a replacement for the whiskey?
You could try some apple juice instead.
You can use dark rum, but if you have no alcohol (which was my case) you can substitute vanilla extract. It’s a 1-1 ratio on how much. It will give a little more caramel flavor but it’s great 🥰
Any replacement for the BBQ Sauce??? Recipe had me hooked until I saw that. I avoid ketchup and BBQ Sauce, both are unacceptable in my kitchen.
What is it you are trying to avoid? Sugar? You could make a homemade BBQ sauce so that you can control the ingredients.
Sounds like it might be the processed tomato products you don’t like? Perhaps a vinegar based BBQ sauce (Carolina style). I’ve eaten delicious pulled pork at Allen & Son BBQ in Pittsboro NC that was in a vinegar-based sauce. That really lets the flavor of the pork or chicken show thrubeitjout the heavy tomato taste. ..or even a white BBQ sauce, referred to as Atlanta style.