Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Look no further for the BEST Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken recipe! Chicken breasts are slow cooked in a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce, then shredded and served with the sauce over steamed rice. Hands off, fuss free, 10 minutes of prep time, and you’ll come home to a delicious, ready meal! And for some more bulk and nutrition you can easily add your favorite veggies.
Looking for more easy slow cooker meals? Try my Cooker Beef Stroganoff, Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Pineapple Orange BBQ Chicken, Slow Cooker Greek Chicken, and for dessert my Slow Cooker Peach Crisp!

What is Teriyaki Chicken?

Teriyaki chicken is a Japanese dish consisting of tender pieces of chicken in a sweet, savory, and sticky sauce that consists of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, mirin, and brown sugar and/or honey and served with rice. It’s a one of the most popular takeout dishes. You can also try our classic stovetop Chicken Teriyaki and for a vegetarian version try our Teriyaki Tofu.

How to Make Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Making this crock pot teriyaki chicken is as simple as placing all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, turning on the heat, and walking away. Then after a few hours you’ll remove the chicken, shred it, thicken the sauce with some cornstarch, return the shredded chicken to coat it, and then serve it over steamed rice. That’s it! It doesn’t get any simpler and it tastes as good as your favorite Chinese takeout.
Teriyaki chicken is something almost everyone loves. That familiar combination of sweet and savory is a flavor practically anyone will enjoy. This recipe is super easy to make with only 10 minutes of prep time. It’s after making meals like this that I ask myself why I don’t utilize my crock pot more often, and so I’ve renewed my commitment to doing so. Slow cooker meals are also a really easy and fuss-free way to get your kids involved in the kitchen: There’s no boiling pots of hot liquids, splattering oil, or open flames. It’s just adding ingredients to the slow cooker, closing the lid…and waiting!

Can I Add Vegetables?

You sure can! This slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe provides the perfect foundation for building upon – i.e., add some of your favorite veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots or bean sprouts and make a complete meal out of it. Depending on the veggies you’re adding, you’ll add them in during the last 20-30 minutes until they’re tender. Bean sprouts will be added during the last 5-7 minutes so they retain some of their crunch. Etc. Or simply make a basic teriyaki chicken as shown here and serve it with your favorite steamed or stir-fried veggies and rice.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Let’s get started! Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. I’m using chicken breasts but you can use any chicken pieces of your choice. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cook the chicken on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat. Discard the bones if you’re using bone-in chicken. Carefully pour the sauce into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring until slightly thickened, about a minute. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it. Stir to coat. Cook on HIGH for a few minutes until heated through. Add salt to taste. Your crock pot teriyaki chicken is ready to serve! Serve it over steamed rice garnished with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Enjoy!