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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

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Look no further for the BEST Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken recipe!  Hands off, fuss free, 10 minutes of prep time, and you’ll come home to a delicious, ready meal!

slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe best crock pot from scratch

It’s after making meals like this that I ask myself why I don’t utilize my slow cooker more often.  I mean, what could be simpler than throwing in a handful of ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning and then coming home to a ready-made meal for dinner?  Well, I’ve renewed my commitment to making my weekday nights easier by getting more use out of my slow cooker.

Slow cooker meals are also a really easy and fuss-free way to get your kids involved in the kitchen – there’s no boiling pots of hot liquids, splattering oil or open flames.  It’s just adding ingredients to the slow cooker, closing the lid…and waiting.

slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe best crock pot from scratch

Teriyaki chicken is something almost everyone loves.  That familiar combination of sweet and savory is a flavor practically anyone will enjoy.  This recipe is super easy to make with only 5 minutes of prep time.  And it also provides the perfect foundation for building upon – i.e., add some of your favorite veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots or bean sprouts and make a complete meal out of it.

Depending on the veggies you’re adding, you’ll add them in during the last 20-30 minutes until they’re tender.  Bean sprouts will be added during the last 5-7 minutes so they retain some of their crunch.  Etc.  Or simply make a basic chicken teriyaki as shown here and serve it with your favorite steamed or stir-fried veggies and rice.

slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe best crock pot from scratch

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Let’s get started!

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.

preparing sauce

Place the chicken in the slow cooker.  I’m using chicken breasts but you can use any chicken pieces of your choice.

Pour the sauce over the chicken.

adding sauce to chicken in slow cooker

Cook the chicken on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat.  Discard the bones if you’re using bone-in chicken.

shredding the chicken

Carefully pour the sauce into a saucepan.  Bring it to a boil and pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring until slightly thickened, about a minute.

Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it.  Stir to coat.  Cook on HIGH for a few minutes until heated through.  Add salt to taste.

thickening the sauce

 

Serve over steamed rice garnished with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Enjoy!

slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe best crock pot from scratch

For more great crock pot recipes be sure to try our:

 

crock pot teriyaki chicken recipe best slow cooker from scratch

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

This Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is hands off, fuss-free, and requires only 10 minutes of prep time!
4.61 from 41 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Japanese
Servings 6 servings
Calories 299 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 pounds chicken breast or chicken pieces of choice
  • (see "Note" below for adding vegetables)
  • For the Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons mirin (can substitute sherry or white wine)
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • low sugar alternative: use brown sugar substitute
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • For the Thickener:
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
  • For Serving:
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Chopped green onions
  • NOTE: If you prefer more sauce simply double all the sauce ingredients including the thickener.

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cook the chicken on LOW for 5-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  • Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat. Discard the bones if you're using bone-in chicken.
  • Carefully pour the sauce into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring until slightly thickened, about a minute.
  • Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it. Stir to coat. Cook on HIGH for a few minutes until heated through. Add salt to taste.
    Serve over steamed rice garnished with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Video

Notes

You can also add our favorite veggies in during the last 20 or so minutes of cooking (e.g., broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, etc). To add bean sprouts, add them during the last 5-7 minutes to retain some crispiness. If adding veggies, you'll proceed with removing the chicken once it's cooked and shredding it, and the sauce will be thickened with the vegetables in it.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 33gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1132mgPotassium: 625mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Teriyaki Chicken
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on March 28, 2017

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.61 from 41 votes (31 ratings without comment)

51 Comments

  1. I made a large batch of your teriyaki sauce (which is great!) and have some in the freezer that I would like to use. How many tablespoons/cups would you say could be used to substitute here in place of the sauce from scratch ingredients?

  2. Under nutritional comments I do not see serving size for calories, fats etc.
    Can you post typical serving size pertaining to the nutritional data.

    Thank you
    John eccleston

  3. Just my opinion, my family and i thought this dish was just too salty! I had to add some pineapple juice just to cut the salt…I doubt I will use this recipe again but I would certainly omit the dose of salt when using that much soy sauce. Just my preference, I would also cut the amount of toasted sesame oil in half. I really overpowered the dish.

  4. I recognized the sauce recipe as the one I make that is so far superior to any other I’ve had that I had to check and, sure enough, the recipe I use is also yours. I added shredded carrots that I had on hand and broccoli. I had already cooked chicken so I made the sauce while I put the vegetables in the pot with the shredded chicken and cooked for 20 minutes. Then added the sauce and, voila, simple dinner! Thank you so much for these recipes!