Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

With just 10 ingredients, this Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is an easy dump-and-go crock pot recipe. It’s perfect for busy weeknights. Just dump everything into the slow cooker in the morning and with just a few minutes of prep in the evening, dinner is ready! Perfect with some veggies and steamed rice.

Best Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

I think it’s important to have a few recipes on hand for those days when you have 0 ambition or time to cook but still need to provide a fulfilling, nutritious dinner to the family. For me, those busy weeknight recipes consist of a lot of crockpot dishes – especially ones where I can toss all the ingredients together in the morning and forget about it until dinnertime.

This Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is a perfect example of a dump-and-go recipe. All you need to do is cut up the chicken, whisk together the sauce ingredients, and add it all together. Let the slow cooker do its thing, take a few minutes to thicken up the teriyaki sauce, and dinner is ready. This recipe is way better than Panda Express Teriyaki chicken with basic ingredients and it’s so easy to make.

To make it a complete meal, I either add some extra veggies into the dish or make some extras on the side, along with some steamed rice. Easy, healthy, and super tasty!

What You’ll Need

Just 10 ingredients are needed for this easy slow cooker recipe.

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs – boneless chicken breasts are fine to use as well.
• Sweeteners – brown sugar, honey and molasses adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the teriyaki sauce.
• Soy sauce – adds the umami flavor to the teriyaki sauce. We prefer low sodium soy sauce, but regular is fine to use.
• Rice vinegar – balances the sweetness of the other ingredients. If you do not have rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar can be used.
• Ginger – we use minced fresh ginger.
• Garlic – minced
• Cornstarch – thickens the sauce.
• Water – this is mixed with the cornstarch for thickening.
• Sesame seeds – completely optional and added before serving.

How to Make Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Here’s how to make this crockpot teriyaki chicken.

• Cut the chicken. Cut the chicken into chunks.
• Mix the chicken sauce ingredients. Combine the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil in the crock pot. Add in the chicken and stir.
• Cook. Cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and set aside.

• Make additional Homemade Teriyaki sauce. Pour the remaining juice and sauce from the crock-pot into a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, molasses, garlic and ginger. Whisk together the cornstarch and water then slowly add the mixture into the sauce. Reduce to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken then toss the chicken back in until it heats through. Place the chicken back into the crockpot and pour sauce over to coat.
• Serve. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

Tips for Success

There are just a few things to keep in mind when making this slow cooker teriyaki chicken.

• Cut the chicken into equal-sized pieces. Be sure all pieces of chicken are more or less the same size so they cook evenly. When using chicken thighs, it’s so tender you can easily shred as well using forks.
• Veggies can be added later. If you decide to add some veggies, those with quicker cook times may not need the cook the entire time with the chicken.
• Add the cornstarch slurry slowly. Instead of dumping the cornstarch slurry in one go, take a few seconds to slowly whisk it in so it evenly disperses in the sauce.

Possible Add-Ins

If desired, you can add in some vegetables for a pop of color and flavor. Here are a few ideas:

• Red bell pepper (or green, yellow, etc)
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Mushrooms
• Asparagus
• Snap peas

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve this crockpot chicken recipe is in a bowl with some steamed rice and veggies. If I added extra veggies into the dish, then I’ll just serve it all over some rice. A few great low-calorie options are cauliflower rice, quinoa, or brown rice.

If you love this recipe, you’ll also like our homemade teriyaki meatballs!

Storage & Reheating Leftovers

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them on the stovetop or in the microwave. I recommend storing the rice separately if you made some to serve with the teriyaki chicken.

More Slow Cooker Recipes:

• Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
• BBQ Pulled Chicken
• Crockpot Crack Chicken with Bacon
• White Chicken Chili
• Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
• Chinese Spare Ribs