Honestly, it’s taken us a while to really warm up to using our slow cooker. Maybe it’s a texture-thing. But after several occasions that we wanted to come home to something warm and soupy, the slow cooker started becoming a good friend. Our slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe is great because it’s one of those recipes that you just throw everything in the slow cooker. Then we come home to an instant dinner of crock pot chicken teriyaki. We’re fans of the slow cooker now.

bowl of slow cooker teriyaki chicken

Super Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

Calling this recipe “super easy” isn’t a exaggeration. If you’re already familiar with slow cookers and how convenient they are, then there’s no having to convince you that this chicken teriyaki recipe is easy. It’s a great family meal to serve a hungry family and the flavors are just like what you would order in a restaurant. Making a budget friendly family dinner doesn’t get any easier than this.

Customize the Sweetness of the Teriyaki

Our biggest gripe about buying teriyaki sauce is that it’s often way too sweet. It’s on the level of yuck-sweet to us. Perhaps we’re getting older and less tolerant of sugary foods. But cooking homemade foods allows us to adjust the sweetness of the teriyaki chicken to our personal taste. That’s why we love making this at home so much rather than buying it. Best of all, there’s always leftovers that we can freeze or enjoy the next day.

crock pot of cooked teriyaki chicken

Video: Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Timing Will Vary for this recipe

There’s a few factors that will result in different textures of the chicken. At the end of the day, it’s really about personal taste and how soft you like the chicken. The meat is tender and always perfect, as long as you monitor it. Some slow cookers and crock pots cook a little hotter than others, so it’s good to check it about one hour before our suggested times. Pierce the meat with a fork and if it’s too firm for you, cook it a bit longer. If you don’t want your chicken too soft or mushy, it’s good to monitor it sooner than later.

bowl of slow cooker teriyaki chcken

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
The sweetness level we have here is less than what you would normally expect for a teriyaki sauce. There’s still a nice level of sweetness but it’s not overbearing. If you like your sauces sweeter, then use 1/2 cup of brown sugar. If you like much less sweetness then use 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Once you make your first batch, you’ll know how to customize your second batch more to your liking!
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (910 g) boneless chicken (chicken breast or chicken thighs)
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup (75 g) brown sugar , packed
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar , or distilled white vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1 inch (2.5 cm) knob of fresh ginger , peeled and fine minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)

To Thicken Sauce (optional):

  • 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) cold water

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a slow cooker bowl (approx. 4qt size is preferred for this quantity) combine the 2 lbs. (910g) of chicken, 1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce, 1/3 cup (75g) brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) rice vinegar, 3 minced garlic cloves (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder), and about 1 Tablespoon (15ml) of minced ginger.
    Chicken teriyaki ingredients in the slow cooker
  • Stir all ingredients together until evenly mixed. Make sure to push the chicken all the way into the sauce to make sure it is fully immersed.
    Pushing down the uncooked ingredients in the slow cooker
  • Place lid on the slow cooker. Cook on High for about 4 hours or Low for about 5-6 hours or until chicken is tender. For cooking, stir the chicken and sauce once or twice while cooking and make sure the chicken is fully immersed in the sauce.
    Holding cooked chicken above the slow cooker
  • Optional for a thickened sauce: After the chicken is cooked, make a cornstarch slurry by combining the 2 Tablespoons (30ml) cornstarch with the 2 Tablespoons (30ml) cold water in small bowl. Stir until there are no cornstarch lumps in the slurry. Quickly stir in the cornstarch slurry into the chicken mixture, stirring until the slurry is completely incorporated into the teriyaki chicken sauce. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened.
    Mixing together the cornstarch and water
  • Cut or shred the chicken to your preferred size.
    Cutting the chicken into pieces
  • Put the chicken back into the slow cooker with all the sauce.
    Teriyaki chicken with the thickened sauce
  • Spoon the teriyaki chicken and sauce on rice, noodles or in a sandwich.
    Spooning slow cooker teriyaki chicken onto a bowl with rice and veggies

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 240kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 900mg, Potassium: 614mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240

Serving Chicken Teriyaki Beyond the Rice

Now we’re totally cool with tradition and serving this with rice. It’s probably the best comfort-food combination because the rice soaks up the sauce. But if you’re looking for something different to serve with the chicken, here’s some ideas:

  • Add it to a sandwich. The sauce is great in a soft hoagie roll and a chicken hoagie sandwich is fantastic.
  • Make small sliders out of it. Buy a package of the sweet hawaiian rolls and make some pull apart chicken teriyaki sliders. Just add some cheese and you’re ready to party.
  • Healthy zucchini noodles are great if you’re looking for a lower carb dinner. Instead of serving rice or pasta, pour the chicken and sauce over zucchini noodles. We have lots of zucchini noodle recipes here.
  • here’s a great read on the history of teriyaki

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