Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

This crockpot chicken teriyaki is made with boneless skinless chicken breasts simmered in a homemade teriyaki sauce. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare.

There’s no store-bought teriyaki sauce needed! Make a homemade version that thickens right in the slow cooker. Serve the chicken over rice with steamed broccoli for an easy dinner.

The Kind of Slow Cooker Dinner I Keep Coming Back To

I love slow cooker recipes that take care of the main dish while I work on other things.

I’ve learned from the many crockpot chicken dinners I’ve made (like crockpot chicken tacos) is that chicken breasts don’t need to cook all day. They can become dry if left too long. This slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe has a short cooking time for that reason.

If you like sweet and savory chicken weeknight dinners, try our teriyaki meatballs, crockpot broccoli chicken with honey soy sauce or skillet teriyaki chicken thighs. Both are great with rice, too.

Ingredients Needed

You don’t need bottled teriyaki sauce for this recipe! The homemade sauce ingredients are handful of pantry staples. It’s sweet, savory and full of garlic and ginger flavor.

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Use 2 pounds of chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs work well, too, and stay especially tender in the slow cooker.
• Soy sauce: The savory base of the teriyaki sauce. I recommend reduced-sodium soy sauce if you prefer a less salty flavor. Coconut aminos works as a gluten free option.
• Brown sugar and honey: Both add sweetness to balance the salty soy sauce.
• Toasted sesame oil: Adds a rich, nutty flavor. Make sure you’re using toasted sesame oil, which has a stronger flavor than regular sesame oil.
• Cornstarch: Mixed with cold water at the end of cooking, this helps thicken the sauce so it coats the chicken instead of running off. Tapioca starch works, too.

Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki

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This crockpot teriyaki chicken has tender, juicy chicken breasts coated in a sweet and savory homemade teriyaki sauce. Just 5 minutes of prep, no bottled sauce needed, and a simple cornstarch trick to thicken the sauce.

Servings 6

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• Sliced green onions for serving
• Sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

 

• Place the chicken breasts into the slow cooker in an even layer.
• Whisk the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic paste, ginger paste and black pepper until it is even and most of the sugar has dissolved.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts. Secure the slow cooker lid and cook on high for 2-2 ½ hours or on low for 3 1/2-4 hours.
• When the chicken has reached 165°F, remove it onto a cutting board. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker.
• Chop the chicken into small pieces or shred it. Place it back into the sauce and mix so all the chicken is submerged in sauce. Place the lid back on. Allow the chicken to marinate in the sauce while it thickens for about 5-10 minutes.
• Serve the chicken over some cooked rice and top with sesame seeds and sliced greens onions. Drizzle some extra sauce over the top.

Notes

• Make sure to not over cook the chicken because it can become dry, even in the sauce. If you want to leave it in the slow cooker while you are at work, I recommend placing it on the lowest heat setting. It is ready when it reaches 165°F.
• Thicker sauce: If the sauce doesn’t thicken sufficiently, pour it into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer while stirring to activate the cornstarch. It should thicken over medium heat in about 3-4 minutes on the stovetop.
• For richer and juicier chicken, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or a combination of both. The chicken thighs can withstand a longer cooking time if necessary.
• If you want the classic stickiness of the teriyaki sauce, you can place the chicken and sauce into an oven safe dish and broil it for a few minutes. It will caramelize and turn a little darker, just do not walk away because it can burn quickly.
• If you prefer a more sweet teriyaki sauce, increase the amount of brown sugar to ⅓ cup. I recommend tasting it before you pour it over the chicken and adjust to your preference.
• You can use fresh ginger and garlic instead of paste. Just make sure it is finely minced or grated.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1757mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine Asian American, Japanese

Calories 268

Keyword chicken, comfort food, easy, slow cooker

Have you tried this recipe?

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How do you make crockpot teriyaki chicken?

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, pour the homemade teriyaki sauce over them and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F. Then thicken the sauce with cornstarch and return the chopped or shredded chicken to the crockpot.

1. Add the chicken. Place 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in an even layer in a 4–6 quart slow cooker.
2. Mix the sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic paste, ginger paste and black pepper until combined and most of the sugar dissolves.
3. Slow cook. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2–2½ hours or LOW for 3½–4 hours, until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.

4. Thicken the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, then stir the slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker.

5. Finish the chicken. Chop or shred the chicken and return it to the sauce. Replace the lid and let the chicken sit in the sauce for 5–10 minutes as it thickens.

How do you keep slow cooker chicken from drying out?

The best way to keep crockpot teriyaki chicken juicy is to stop cooking when the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Chicken breasts are lean, so cooking them for several extra hours can leave them dry even when they’re surrounded by sauce.

For this recipe, plan on 2–2½ hours on HIGH or 3½–4 hours on LOW, but start checking toward the beginning of the cooking window. Slow cookers vary in how quickly they heat.

Serving Ideas

My favorite way to serve teriyaki chicken is over a bowl of fluffy white rice with steamed broccoli on the side. The rice soaks up the extra sauce, and the broccoli is a fresh balance to the sweet and savory chicken.

You can also serve it with butter rice, cauliflower rice or noodles.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover teriyaki chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftovers of the chicken will also freeze well for about 4 weeks.