Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and place them into the slow cooker in a single layer.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, soy sauce, bourbon whiskey, apple cider vinegar, honey, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic cloves until well combined. This forms the flavorful bourbon glaze that will cook with the chicken.

Pour the prepared bourbon sauce evenly over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours until the chicken is cooked through and tender. I prefer to cook it on low for the juiciest results, but either option works well!

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker and place them on a plate. Roughly chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside while you finish the sauce.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water to create a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the sauce remaining in the slow cooker. Stir well, then return the chopped chicken to the slow cooker. Stir to combine, cover, and allow the mixture to simmer until it returns to a bubble and the sauce thickens. Then turn off the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the bourbon chicken with chopped green onions and serve hot, ideally over a bed of steamed rice. For extra flavor, I like to add a little extra green onion on top right before serving—it gives a nice fresh crunch and a pop of color!