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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

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close up shot crockpot chicken teriyaki in a labeled plastic bag
Cooked slowly in a tangy sauce until bubbling, this slow cooker teriyaki chicken is an excellent standalone dish or can be mixed with veggies or served over rice.
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Table of Contents
  1. Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients
  2. Substitutions And Additions
  3. How To Make This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
  4. How To Serve This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
  5. Storage
  6. Why We Love This Recipe
  7. More Recipes You’ll Love
  8. JUMP TO RECIPE
  9. Even More Recipes You’ll Love

Delicious sweet and savory teriyaki sauce is drizzled over chicken breasts and cooked until tender for this easy slow cooker teriyaki chicken. This tasty recipe could be served on its own over rice or combined with crisp vegetables for a stir-fry-style meal.

close up shot crockpot chicken teriyaki in a labeled plastic bag

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients

crockpot teriyaki chicken raw ingredients that are labeled
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The key ingredients in this recipe, including soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and ginger, come together to create a mouthwatering teriyaki sauce.

Tender chicken breasts slow-cooked in the sauce result in a delicious dish, enhanced with green onions and crunchy sesame seeds when served over rice.

You’ll need:

  • ½ cup of soy sauce
  • ½ cup of honey
  • 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts – about 2 pounds total
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
  • ¼ cup of water
  • green onions for garnish
  • sesame seeds for garnish
  • cooked rice for serving

Substitutions And Additions

VEGETABLES: Saute veggies such as chopped bell peppers, broccoli florets, and snow peas, and stir them in with the shredded chicken before tossing it in the sauce.

CHICKEN THIGHS: Instead of chicken breasts, you could use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this great recipe.

PINEAPPLE: Pineapple is a natural choice alongside Asian-inspired flavors; add it to the slow cooker while the chicken cooks for an extra pop of sweetness.

RICE WINE VINEGAR: If you don’t have rice wine vinegar on hand, try apple cider vinegar as a substitute.

It will add a pleasant tanginess to the sauce while maintaining a similar acidity level.

COOKED RICE: While white rice is the traditional choice, you can make this dish with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice for a different option.

How To Make This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Once you mix up the savory sauce, all the ingredients go in your slow cooker to simmer away while you go about your day.

STEP ONE: In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger.

PRO TIP:

Whisk the sauce together the night before and store it in the refrigerator so that you can just dump it in the slow cooker with the chicken the next day.

crockpot teriyaki chicken process shot of ingredients in a bowl

STEP TWO: Place the raw chicken breasts in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the sauce mixture over the top.

crockpot teriyaki chicken process shot of chicken and sauce in a crockpot

STEP THREE: Cook on low for five hours or high for three hours until a meat thermometer reads 165°F.

STEP FOUR: When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker, place it into a large bowl or on a platter, and shred it using two forks.

PRO TIP:

Chicken shreds best when it is still warm; make sure you do this right when it comes out of the slow cooker.

crockpot teriyaki chicken process shot of chicken being shredded with a fork on a plate

STEP FIVE: Carefully pour the remaining sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan.

STEP SIX: Mix the cornstarch into the water to make a slurry.

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the saucepan and heat on the stovetop over medium heat for about five minutes until the sauce has thickened.

crockpot teriyaki chicken process shot of ingredients in a pot

STEP SEVEN: Pour the thickened sauce over the top of the shredded chicken and toss gently to coat.

PRO TIP:

Crockpots cook at varying rates; the cook time is written for the crockpot I used.

Make sure that you test that your chicken is fully cooked before consuming it. A meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the thickest part of the breast should have an internal temperature of 165°F.

crockpot teriyaki chicken process shot of shredded chicken topped with sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds

How To Serve This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Once your honey teriyaki crockpot chicken is cooked, you have a few options for how to serve it.

The traditional option is to serve the chicken over brown or white rice or lo mein noodles for a complete meal. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

An alternative would be to pile the saucy tender chicken onto a crusty bun with a salad on the side. Add our broccoli salad or coleslaw for two classic choices.

We have plenty of Asian-inspired dishes featuring chicken, including our honey garlic chicken and chicken lo mein.

Storage

Whether you’re planning to make this recipe ahead or have leftovers, here’s what you need to know:  

MAKE-AHEAD: If you would like to make this slow cooker recipe as a freezer meal, mix the sauce together as in step one.

Place the chicken breasts into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Pour the sauce mixture into the bag with the chicken and shake gently to coat the chicken.

Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal it shut.

Label the bag with the recipe’s name, the date, and cooking instructions, and place it in the freezer for up to three months.

To use the freezer meal, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, put the contents of the bag into the slow cooker, and continue from step three in the recipe.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of the crockpot chicken with teriyaki sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: Once cooked, you can freeze this slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe for up to three months.

REHEATING FROM FROZEN: Thaw in the freezer overnight.

Place the chicken teriyaki in a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat, and cook until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave.

Why We Love This Recipe

EASE OF PREPARATION: With minimal prep work and the convenience of a slow cooker, you can have a delicious homemade meal without much effort.

FLAVORFUL TERIYAKI SAUCE: The homemade teriyaki sauce in this recipe is a star on its own. It strikes a perfect balance between sweet and savory, with hints of garlic and ginger.

JUICY CHICKEN: Slow cooking the chicken breasts ensures they turn out tender and juicy. They absorb the flavors of the teriyaki sauce, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth experience that’s hard to resist.

close up shot crockpot chicken teriyaki in a labeled plastic bag

With just a few minutes of prep time, let your crockpot do the work and come home to this amazing-smelling slow cooker teriyaki chicken simmering and ready to serve.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What can I serve with teriyaki chicken?

You can serve this easy teriyaki chicken recipe over brown rice or noodles or add steamed or stir fry veggies on the side.

Can you put frozen chicken in a crockpot?

Cooking chicken from frozen is not recommended because it may not reach a safe temperature during the required cooking time.

How do I shred chicken?

To shred chicken, use two forks. Holding one in each hand, use them to pull the chicken apart.

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close up shot crockpot chicken teriyaki in a labeled plastic bag

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

5 from 1 vote
Cooked slowly in a tangy sauce until bubbling, this slow cooker teriyaki chicken is an excellent standalone dish or can be mixed with veggies or served over rice.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 large chicken breasts skinless and boneless (about 2 pounds total)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water
  • green onions for garnish
  • sesame seeds for garnish
  • cooked rice for serving

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger.
  • Place the chicken breasts in a layer at the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the sauce mixture over the top.
  • Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours until a meat thermometer reads 165°F.
  • When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker, place it into a large bowl or on a platter, and shred it using two forks.
  • Carefully pour the remaining sauce from the crockpot into a small saucepan.
  • Mix the cornstarch into the water to make a slurry. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the saucepan and heat on the stovetop over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
  • Pour the thickened sauce over the top of the shredded chicken and toss gently to coat.
  • Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds and serve over hot cooked rice.

Notes

  • Whisk the sauce together the night before and store it in the refrigerator so that you can just dump it in the slow cooker with the chicken the next day.
  • Chicken shreds best when it is still warm; make sure you do this right when it comes out of the slow cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1823mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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