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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is a simple saucy, sweet and tangy chicken served over tender long grain rice that truly satisfies. The aroma that will fill your kitchen will make your mouth water all day, the hardest part of this will be waiting till it’s done. It’s so simple and so flavorful, it’ll become a standard in your recipe rotation.
Serve this with a Creamy Poppy seed Fruit Salad and some Egg Rolls for the perfect family dinner on busy weeknight. This will bring the family running to the table.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken on top of rice.

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.

  1. Place: Put the chicken in the slow cooker.
  2. Mix: In a large bowl mix the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour it over the chicken.
  3. Cook: Cook on low for 4-5 hours till chicken is tender.
  4. Remove: When the chicken is done remove and shred on a platter and keep warm.
  5. 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.
Making Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken with sauce.

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.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken in sauce in Crockpot.

More Tempting Teriyaki Recipes:

Teriyaki is such a tantalizing flavor, try these other great recipes with this amazing taste.

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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

5 from 7 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is a simple saucy, sweet and tangy chicken served over tender long grain rice that truly satisfies. The aroma that will fill your kitchen will make your mouth water all day, the hardest part of this will be waiting till it's done. It's so simple and so flavorful, it'll become a standard in your recipe rotation.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients 

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

Updated on September 15, 2020
Originally Posted on November 13, 2012

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 47gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 1822mgPotassium: 626mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 54IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian American, Chinese
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

Read More About Me

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77 Comments

  4. 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!

    Reply

  6. The picture shows green onions but they aren’t listed in the ingredients. When are they added and how much?

    Reply

    1. I just used them for garnish. If you choose to use them then just chop up about 2 Tbs and sprinkle on the top! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Had this for dinner tonight! Added a little more cornstarch but it was delish and the kids loved it! Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

    1. 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!

      Reply

      1. 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.

      2. 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

      3. 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?