Slow cooker teriyaki chicken is chicken breasts cooked with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and honey, then shredded and drizzled with sauce. Serve over rice for an easy yet satisfying crock pot dinner!
I always order teriyaki chicken when I go to my local Japanese restaurant. This slow cooker recipe is SO simple to make at home and has all the same great flavors of the restaurant version.
Being able to throw a meal into my crock pot for dinner is something I have always been extremely thankful for. This slow cooker teriyaki chicken is one of my go-to dinner ideas because it’s quick and the entire family loves it. Plus, because it utilizes the slow cooker I can throw dinner on earlier in the day and forget about it.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TERIYAKI?
Thankfully, this teriyaki chicken is as easy as tossing all your ingredients in a crock pot and leaving it to cook. Chicken breasts are cooked with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and honey, then shredded before being drizzled with sauce. Serve your crock pot teriyaki chicken over rice and you’ve got a satisfying dinner!
Depending on your preferences, chicken thighs or breasts can be used to make teriyaki chicken. One of the best parts about this recipe is that it can easily be doubled to feed a crowd if need be. Not to mention, it only takes about 5 minutes of prep time which makes for a quick meal all the way around.
You can eat crock pot teriyaki chicken as is, but it’s best when served over steamed rice. If you love this slow cooker chicken teriyaki, you’ll also love this chicken teriyaki stir fry which has similar flavors but is ready in 30 minutes.
IS CHICKEN TERIYAKI HEALTHY?
Chicken teriyaki is made with mostly healthy ingredients. That being said, soy sauce is salty, and too much sodium is not good for you. Be sure to use a low sodium soy sauce in this recipe!
CAN YOU COOK RICE IN THE CROCK POT?
Yes, you can cook most things in the crock pot. However, you would have to cook it separate from the teriyaki chicken. Cooking rice in a crock pot makes it take much longer than just making it on the stove, however, it can be done if desired.
CAN VEGETABLES BE ADDED TO SLOW COOKER TERIYAKI CHICKEN?
Vegetables can definitely be added to this recipe. Most popular stir fry vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, snap peas, bell peppers, etc. can be added to this dish to personalize it. However, be aware, those most vegetables will need to be added later in the cooking process or they may get soggy.
If you’re dreading school because weeknight dinners are so stressful, I’m with you. However, I have started preparing for busy nights by pulling out as many slow cooker recipes as possible. I’m definitely adding this slow cooker teriyaki chicken to the weeknight dinner rotation!
MORE CHICKEN SLOW COOKER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Video
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce sesame oil and rice vinegar.
- Pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
- Pour the teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker through a strainer into a saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water until dissolved.
- Pour the cornstarch into the pan and bring a boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has just thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the shredded chicken and toss to coat the chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
Dawn says
This recipe is a keeper! I doubled all the ingredients and it turned out great, but would cut the soy sauce down to 3/4 cup like the author stated on a previous comment. I used low-sodium soy sauce and it was perfect. I think it may be too salty if using full sodium soy. Thank you for the great, easy recipe!
Kathy G says
can I use olive oil instead of sesame oil??
Sara says
Olive oil doesn’t have the same flavor, I’d just omit the oil if you don’t have sesame.
kaylee says
Just made this on a whim for me out of frozen chicken with oven-roasted sprouts to try to clean up odds & ends in my fridge before the holiday. Wow!!! Will totally add to the regular rotation even if I was just expecting a one-off recipe! The simmering of sauce with cornstarch is a BIG game changer! I used a cast iron skillet for it to add extra great flavor, & toasted the onions and sesame seeds in advance over hot oil. (For those cooking from frozen, this is just the way I do it, but I add to slowcooker on high until it’s thawed to a normal temperature, usually about 1 hour. Then I turn back to low and cook as directed). Would definitely recommend & made a huge portion out of just 2 breasts (or 4-5 thighs).
kaylee says
Oh, also I forgot to mention I made this with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp of fish sauce to make up for the lack of rice wine vinegar…worked perfectly! If you’re like me and just trying to pinch-hit with what you’ve got!
Joshua Flick says
I made this for myself and it was amazing! I want to make this for a big family dinner so I was thinking of doubling the chicken portion. Would you recommend just doubling the whole recipe?
Sara says
I’d double everything except the soy sauce, for that do 3/4 cup.
Dana says
Can I use bottled teriyaki sauce? Thank you!
Sara says
I think that could work but I haven’t tested it this way!
Kim says
I made the sauce already thinking I had enough time for the slow cooker. Would this recipe be okay in the instant pot? I usually use your teriyaki sauce recipe for the instant pot but the slow cooker teriyaki sauce is made a little different
Sara says
Here is my instant pot teriyaki chicken recipe! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/instant-pot-teriyaki-chicken/
Marsha says
This was delicious and easy. My whole family loved it❤️
Jessica says
Hello, I am just wondering if the amount of sauce is suppose to cover the chicken completely or just be enough to drizzle on top of the chicken. I am concerned that the chicken will be dry because there isn’t that much liquid in there coating the chicken?
Sara says
The chicken will also release liquid as it cooks!
patty spencer says
Hi! Love your recipes!! Trying this one tonight, thinking of adding some fresh chunks of pineapple. Would I do that last or while the chicken is cooking??? Thanks
Sara says
I’d do that during the last few minutes of the cooking time!
julie says
Can I make this recipe in the oven
Sara says
I haven’t tested this recipe in the oven so I’m not sure, your best bet would be to bake plain chicken then coat it in my homemade sauce: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/teriyaki-sauce-recipe/
Christina B says
Could this be made with chicken thighs instead?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
EE says
Haven’t tasted it yet, but it’s in the crockpot now. I’m wondering what the purpose of using the strainer is for, though? Thank you.
Sara says
The strainer is for a smoother sauce, if you don’t strain it you’ll have bits of garlic and chicken and stuff in the sauce! But if you want to skip the straining it’ll still taste good.
Tiffany says
What could I use instead of rice vinegar?
Sara says
You could try using half the amount of apple cider vinegar, but I haven’t tested the recipe this way.
Stacey says
Can this be frozen please?
Sara says
Yes that should be fine.
Anika says
Can the chicken go in frozen?
Sara says
Yes but you’ll need to increase the cook time.
carol says
i don’t have Rice vinegar, what can i substitute it with?
Sara says
You could try using half the amount of apple cider vinegar but this isn’t something I’ve tested, just a possible suggestion.
Britt says
Love this recipe! The first two times it came out delicious and couldn’t get enough of the sauce. The third time it came out super rich! I thought I must have made a mistake with the recipe and added too much of something? I’m not sure what I did differently
Gillian says
Can I use ground ginger don’t have fresh
Sara says
Yes you’d use 1/3 of the amount for dried.
Michelle says
Hi, recipe looks great. If I want to add broccoli, how much time at the should I leave for that?
Sara says
You could put it in during the last hour!
michelle says
Oh and when would I add a few water chestnuts?
Sara says
During the last 30 minutes!
Lynsey says
Can I use pork chops instead of chicken breast in this recipe?
Sara says
That should be fine!
Barbara Kay Ogle says
I have thai basil growing that I need to use. Would this work in this recipe? Do you have any idea how much to use?
Sara says
This recipe doesn’t call for basil but I think it could be a nice addition! I’d stir in a few teaspoons of thinly sliced basil just prior to serving.
Cindy says
Do you think I can thicken the sauce in the slow cooker? I try to avoid extra dishes at all costs. Lol!
Sara says
It should work but it’ll take a lot longer, most like 30-60 minutes on high.