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Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Teriyaki is one of the most favorites of the Asian flavors around. The combination of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar is like magic. Teriyaki sauce makes everything taste better. From Shrimp to veggies to steak. It just goes with so many things.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is rich and flavorful and so easy to throw together. Slow Cooker meals are a favorite go to when life gets busy and this will be a winner. Tender chicken is drenched a thick sweet sauce with minimal preparation but will taste like you slaved all day. This is so good!
Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients:
Simple ingredients come together quickly for the perfect meal.
- Chicken Thighs: Save time by buying boneless skinless chicken thighs. Otherwise you’ll want to de-bone and skin your chicken thighs.
- Sugar: Balances out the soy sauce to make the perfect sauce.
- Soy Sauce: You can use low sodium soy sauce if you’d like.
- Cider Vinegar: Adds zing and tenderizes the chicken.
- Ground Ginger: Makes the sauce sing.
- Minced Garlic: You can use jarred minced garlic.
- Pepper: Try using fresh ground pepper for the best flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce.
- Cold Water: needed to dissolve the cornstarch
- Rice: Long grain brown or white rice is best.
How to Make Teriyaki Chicken in the Slow Cooker:
Using the Slow cooker makes every thing easier. Just a few simple steps is all you need to impress.
- Place: Put the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Mix: In a large bowl mix the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour it over the chicken.
- Cook: Cook on low for 4-5 hours till chicken is tender.
- Remove: When the chicken is done remove and shred on a platter and keep warm.
- Sauce: Skim the fat from the cooking liquid. Place the liquid in a pot and bring to a boil. Mix the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Slowly add to the sauce and stir till thickened.
Teriyaki Tips and Variations:
You will love how versatile this recipe is, it’ll be everyone’s favorite.
- Chicken: The recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs, but chicken breasts can easily be used and will be super tender and flavorful.
- Trim the Fat: Which ever kind of chicken you use, you’ll want to trim off any excess fat.
- Honey: If you’re looking for a sugar substitute try honey. It’s sweeter than sugar so you can use less. It will add a nice deep richness to the sauce. Try using 2/3 cup honey instead of the sugar.
- Sauce: If your sauce seems too thin even after adding the cornstarch. Mix another 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cold water and add. Continue to add the cornstarch slurry till you get the thickness you desire. It will thicken as it cools.
- Flavor: If you want to intensify the flavor use fresh garlic and fresh grated ginger for a deep rich flavor.
Serving and Storing Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken:
Slow cooker chicken is so easy and so versatile, you’ll love having some leftovers.
- Double: This is an easy recipe to double and save half for later. Leftovers often taste better anyway as flavors continue to meld together.
- Variations: Besides rice you can try serving it over quinoa. Roast or steam vegetables and turn the meal into a stir fry or a rice bowl. Use the chicken in sandwiches or to top a Teriyaki Chicken salad.
- Store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
More Tempting Teriyaki Recipes:
Teriyaki is such a tantalizing flavor, try these other great recipes with this amazing taste.
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
- Grilled Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
- Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken with Vegetables
- Sweet Island Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs about 3 pounds (I used 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 6 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Hot cooked long grain rice
Instructions
- Place chicken in a 4 quart slow cooker.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.
- Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Serves: 6
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Looks good, Alyssa!
I followed the above recipe exactly for the sauce and put my chicken in the slow cooker, and removed my chicken breast before the 3 hour mark….. and the chicken was so dry. The Teriyaki sauce made the chicken breasts have a hard outline. so if I kept it in my slow cooker for 4-5 hours??I gave my name and e-mail but for what….. I don’t want to get recipes from you, just to make a valid comment on your dish!
All slow cookers do cook differently. And I am thinking that yours cooks really hot? The chicken shouldn’t have been dry at all and if the sauce gave it a hard outline I am assuming it was overcooked.
wow are you even kidding me?so why even comment this women is showing us how to make food and all you can do is bitch about ?if your chicken came out dry it’s because you did it wrong I did exactly what she did and mine came out so good
so yah let me see you cook and try showing people like you how to cook haha big problem
I am definitely looking forward to making this for dinner one day this week. My only question is that the ingredients says to use soy sauce should I use teriyaki sauce instead since it’s for teriyaki chicken or use both sauces?
Amazing! Big hit here!!
Hi do you sprinkle sesame seeds on after it’s cooked
This sounds like a perfect slow cooker recipe! Love this for the summer!
Wow. I need to get a slow cooker!
YUM! I am definitely making this next week… PINNED!
<3 Dana @ This Silly Girl's Life
It Looks Great
This looks delicious! I love slow cooker recipes. Thanks!
This sounds so delicious, I can’t wait to try it out 🙂
Another great meal without a lot of work!
Had this for dinner tonight! Added a little more cornstarch but it was delish and the kids loved it! Thanks for the recipe
is the chicken frozen or defrosted? thanks
I have used both and they both work great!! 🙂
how was the chicken cut up?
The picture shows green onions but they aren’t listed in the ingredients. When are they added and how much?
I just used them for garnish. If you choose to use them then just chop up about 2 Tbs and sprinkle on the top! 🙂
Very very good! My 3 kids loved it!!!
Made this today, and I agree that it needs the extra corn starch to thicken up. Now that being said, Oh wow! That is some tasty teriyaki! Family devoured it! No kidding, thank goodness I’m the cook, and I taste as I go, because I ended up with less than half serving to my plate. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Sounds great but how many does it serve????
Sounds great… How many does it serve
4-6. 🙂
I’m anxious to try this, did you use brown or white sugar?
White sugar. 🙂
I don’t have a slow cooker can this be made in a rice cooker?
No. It would only work in a slow cooker.
Did you cut the chicken up before or after cooking?
I made this yesterday for my family. I must say…. This was the absolute best teriyaki chicken I’ve ever had!
Wondering if I got the sauce ingredients correct? 3/4 cup soy sauce seemed like a lot but that’s what I used. My sauce came out looking nothing like the photo – it was almost black as was the chicken from being cooked in it. Any feedback would be appreciated.
This recipe turned out amazing! The sauce was so easy to make and so flavorful. I followed your advice and added more cornstarch until my sauce was just thick enough. I also cooked some stir fry veggies in coconut oil and sprinkled hemp seeds on top to add with the rice and chicken. This recipe was perfect! Thanks Alyssa! Another great recipe for a busy college student 🙂
EVERY ONE SHOULD HAVE A SLOW COOKER. GOOD FOOD, EASY CLEAN UP
AND SO EASY. I USE MINE ALL THE TIME.
I don’t have one. Going to buy one. What do you recommend?
Thanks
What do I do with the starch and water
I’ve made this recipe several times and we all just love it. So easy and oh so good!!! We’ve had it over rice and also egg noodles. Love it!
Please add a “print recipe” icon on your recipe page. Thank you!
do you cut the chicken up before it is cooked or after?
Do you cut up the chicken into bite size pieces AFTER it has cooked?
What brand rice wine vinegar do you use? I’m having trouble locating a kind we can safely have (one of my boys had food allergies) just curious of the exact one you use so I can look into it.
Thanks
Sorry this was meant for the honey teriyaki recipe!
To speed up cooking time, how long should I leave it in on high?
This is sooo yammy. I only stopped eating because I couldn’t breathe anymore. Lol. Served it over bed of cauliflower fried rice. Hmmmmm yumm.
So a total of 7 and 1/2 tsp of cornstarch?
It says teriyaki chicken… But you use soy sauce? So no teriyaki sauce in it?
In my country we don’t have slow cookers cz the power is out half the time.Can i make this on a stove top? Thank you.
Yes you can. Just brown the chicken and add the sauce and saute until the sauce thickens.
Oh my goodness this was delicious. I didn’t have any cider vinegar, so I used Balsamic vinegar.
It’s going into my “must do again, Soon!” list.
Thank you, Beverly
Wonderful
About how many servings does this dish yield? Would it be 4 or 8 or something completely different?
It serves 4 to 6 people.
This chicken is Amazing. Turns out perfectly every time. It’s on our monthly rotation.
I adjust the cooking time according to my knowledge of how my crock cooks. I recommend looking at the chicken at 4hrs, Just to check where it’s at. My entire family loves this meal. Turns out perfectly every time. Thanks for a keeper! ✌️❤️
I’m about to make this but have a question about the vinegar. Is it Apple cider vinegar? And if it is I don’t have that on had is there another vinegar I could substitute for it?
Yes, any vinegar substitute will do. Enjoy!
I have to tell you, this is my absolute favorite teriyaki chicken recipe EVER. So easy, great over rice or noodles, and I just steam up a bag of broccoli to add to it. And your fried rice recipe I make with the leftovers?? You’re not kidding it’s better than takeout! I can eat it until I burst, lol. Thanks so much for the recipes!
My husband said this was the best tasting chicken he ever ate! We loved it, and it’s so easy to make. Outstanding flavor!
Can you use Splenda instead of Sugar? For the teriyaki chicken?
Yes you can or any sweet sugar substitute!
I’ve seen a few people ask and haven’t seen an answer yet. Do you cut the chicken up prior to or after cooking? The recipe does not specify.
This is a preference but I like to leave the chicken not cubed until after it is cooked.
This looks amazing! Could you please share where those pretty stoneware bowls are from? I’m looking for some just like them for my wedding registry! 🙂
Thank you! That is so sweet of you to say. I purchased these bowls from Sur la Table.
My very picky teenagers and husband loved it!!! We are a basic meat and potatoes family that doesn’t really like any type of casseroles or meals with sauces other than spaghetti. Thank you for a great recipe!
Made teriyaki crockpot chicken last night for dinner. After much thought I decided to cut my chicken across in thick strips because I was afraid it would fall apart if I tried to cut the chicken after cooking. Just a personal preference. I wanted the chicken to be in strips instead of shredded. Next time I will cut in large chunks just like I do in another recipe. I always check my meat when it’s been in the crockpot for 2 hours knowing that different crockpots cook differently. My teriyaki chicken was done in 3 hours. I served this over white rice with steamed mixed vegetables. My husband who loves teriyaki chicken liked this recipe. We both enjoyed this very much. Thank you so much for this recipe
Thank you so much for sharing your passion of cooking with others! My husband and i tried your slow cooket teriyaki chicken recipe and it was divine!! Ive also tried your slow cooker chicken mushroom stroganoff, which also became a instant family staple in our menu rotation. God bless you and yours!!