Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

This super easy Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken recipe is so much better than take-out and will quickly become a new family favorite! Tender shredded chicken strips and a scrumptious homemade sweet and sticky sauce all cooks in the crockpot making an amazingly simple and delicious meal, perfect for busy weeknights.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

I absolutely love crockpot meals. They’re get in warm weather so you don’t have to heat up the whole kitchen, but they’re equally great in the fall and winter months when you want something warm to eat.

My new favorite is this slow cooker teriyaki chicken. It has the best homemade teriyaki sauce that creates an explosion of flavor in every bite. It’s SO much better than store-bought sauce.

And the best part is, you don’t have to stand over a hot stove while the chicken cooks. Just place the tenders and the sauce in the slow cooker then set it and forget it. Come back in 4 hours, shred the chicken, thicken the sauce and it’s ready for the dinner table.

Serve it over buttery noodles or this Instant Pot Jasmine Rice and it’s a complete meal that takes very little prep work.

If you love slow cooker chicken recipes, you should also check out this crowd-pleasing Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie and this Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken! 

💓 Why We Love this Recipe

• Only takes 10 minutes of prep time and a few simple ingredients to make.
• Makes an awesome easy meal prep recipe. Freeze it in individual serving sizes for great last minute meals on busy nights.
• Home sweet and sticky sauce has so much flavor and is a whole lot better than bottled teriyaki sauce.
• Serve it over a simple bed of rice and you’ll have a simple dinner that’s bursting with flavor the whole family will love.

Recommended Tools

• Slow cooker
• Large, slotted spoon or kitchen spider
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoon
• Serving dish

What’s Needed to Make Crockpot Teriyaki

• Boneless skinless tenderloins (or boneless chicken breasts)
• Low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• Honey
• Brown sugar
• White vinegar
• Sesame oil
• Fresh garlic (or you can use ground ginger)
• Dried ginger
• Black pepper
• Cornstarch
• Warm water

Optional garnish: Toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Step One: Prepare the Chicken

• Place the chicken tenderloins in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Step Two: Make the Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

•  Add soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, white vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and black pepper to a measuring cup or small bowl and whisk to combine.

Step Three: Cook the Chicken

• Pour the mixed sauce ingredients over the chicken.

• Cover and cook on the high setting for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees F when fully cooked.

• Use a large, slotted spoon to scoop out all of the pieces of chicken and place them in a serving dish. Use two forks to shred the meat and set aside.

• Pour the remaining extra teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan on medium-high heat.

Step Four: Make a Slurry and Serve

• In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and warm water. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan.

• Allow the sauce to come to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and pour the sauce over the shredded chicken.

• Toss to coat the chicken completely. Serve warm garnished with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a couple of days.

Variations and Add-ins for Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

• Veggies: Want to sneak in some veggies, you can add in some sautéed bell peppers, sliced yellow onions, bean sprouts, broccoli or even some sliced mushrooms.
• Chicken: We used chicken tenders because they cook quickly, but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips or if you prefer dark meat, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Spices: If you want to spice things up, you can add in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Or if you like a really sweet teriyaki sauce, you can add more brown sugar or a little maple syrup.
• Vinegar: The tangy flavors in the sauce come from the soy cause and the vinegar. We used just regular white vinegar, but red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar or anything you have on hand works just as well.
• Other add-in’s: Fresh pineapple add such a nice twist to traditional chicken teriyaki. Just add a drained can on pineapple tidbits to the crockpot with all the other ingredients.

How to You Serve Chicken Teriyaki

You can serve it with a simple green salad or any of your favorite vegetable side dishes. This chicken teriyaki is so flavorful when it’s served with just about anything.

One of our favorite ways to serve it is with jasmine rice, but you can also serve it with any white rice or brown rice recipe you like. If you are wanting to make a low carb teriyaki chicken bowl, cauliflower rice works great.

How Can I Make This Recipe Using Beef?

Absolutely, this is a great recipe to use with beef, though the cooking time will vary based on the type of beef you use. Here are the most common:

• Flank steak: You can either cut it into thin slices and cook it or add it to the crockpot whole and cook it much longer until you’re able to easily shred it.

• Chuck roast: Cut into 1-inch cubes and cook for about 4 hours on high or until tender and easily shreds

• Ground beef: On a budget? I get it! You can use ground beef. You can reduce the time is takes to cook in the slow cooker in half when using ground beef, because you’ll brown in in skillet before adding it to the slow cooker. 

More Slow Cooker Recipes

If you’re looking for other super tasty and delicious slow cooker meals, here are a few popular ones that are always a hit.

• Crockpot Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken
• Crockpot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Chili
• Crockpot Cubed Steak with Gravy
• Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup