What an easy chicken recipe! If you’re not into making turkey for the holidays, this is a delicious and EASY alternative.
This Honey Baked Bourbon Pecan Chicken is a superb recipe to make in your slow cooker or in the oven. Many homes over the holidays don’t have much room in the oven as they get food ready for a big family dinner. So, making this in the crock pot or slow cooker is a great alternative. It frees up room in the oven for other foods that need to be baked.
For my purposes today, I’m making it in the oven.
This bourbon and honey recipe is a tasty combo for chicken or turkey, but I like it better with chicken. Plus, it’s a very easy to make. Either way, if you make it in the oven or slow cooker, just mix the sauce, pour it over the chicken and set the timer. Nothing else to do. Just set the timer and open the oven to a delicious dinner. It also makes for a delicious side or tailgating treat if you make it with wings or drummies instead of chicken breasts.
This a wonderful meal to serve with baked potatoes, brown sugared carrots or just a bowl of mixed veggies. They can all be placed in the oven alongside the chicken. Just keep in mind that the more items you stick in the oven, it may take a little longer to bake the chicken.
This recipe serves 2-4 people. Double or triple the recipe for even more sharing!
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
Prep your pan:
Using a casserole pan large enough to hold your chicken and sauce (leaving a couple inches or more space at the top), lightly brush the bottom and sides with soft butter.
Gather your ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts or 4 thighs, skinless and boneless
½ C Honey
¼ C Bourbon (optional, of course)
¼ C Worcestershire sauce
½ C Ketchup
2 T Olive oil
1 Cloves garlic, diced
¼ C Onion, diced
¼ t Red pepper flakes
½ C Pecans, broken up
Sauce thickener to make the glaze Ingredients:
2 t Cornstarch
¼ C Water
Make and bake your chicken in the oven:
- Place the chicken in the bottom of the buttered pan. Set aside.
- Mix all the other ingredients together until well combined (not the cornstarch, water or pecans).
- In a separate whisk the cornstarch and water. Then pour it in the sauce and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken into your baking pan.
- Cover the pan. If you don’t have a lid that fits, use a sheet of aluminum foil, tightly wrapped over the top.
- Bake at 350F degrees for 1 ½ hour, basting periodically with the sauce.
- For the last 15 minutes remove the lid or foil and let it glaze well on top.
- Break up the pecans and sprinkle over the chicken in the serving dish or over the chicken on individual plate. Enjoy!
- Serve with a baked potato which you can stick in the oven for an hour while the chicken is baking. I just clean the potatoes and place them in the oven, no need for foil or baking pan.
Slow cooker version:
- Prepare as above for the oven version and place in lightly buttered slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours.
- Or, set the slow cooker on high for 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours.
- Baste a couple times, spooning the sauce up and over each chicken piece.
- Serve with potatoes and other veggies.
These are especially good with my Hubby’s Brown Sugar and Butter Carrots. Just mix chopped up carrots with brown sugar and butter. Place small dollops over the carrots and sprinkle some brown sugar on top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes on 350F
degrees. Bake them until the carrots are done to your likeness. The brown sugar and butter combination creates a nice glazed sauce. Salt and butter to taste. Enjoy!
Whether you like turkey or chicken, this Honey Bourbon Pecan Chicken is delicious as a meal or bake wings and thighs for a tailgate party… “Bake your own Memories!”