Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs (3-4 pounds) – Boneless chicken thighs stay tender and juicy during slow cooking and shred beautifully. Use an equal amount of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• Sugar (¾ cup) – Sugar sweetens the sauce and helps it thicken and gloss when reduced. Replace the white sugar with brown sugar or use honey to sweeten.
• Soy sauce (¼ cup) – Soy sauce brings salty, savory depth that makes the teriyaki flavor pop.
• Apple cider vinegar (6 tablespoons) – Apple cider vinegar adds tang to balance the sweetness and keep the sauce lively. Try mirin sauce, which is a type of rice wine, instead of apple cider vinegar.
• Ground ginger (¾ teaspoon) – Ground ginger gives a warm, aromatic spice that tastes like classic teriyaki. You can also use 2-3 tablespoons of fresh ginger (grated).
• Minced garlic (1 teaspoon) – Minced garlic builds a savory backbone and a little bite. You’ll need to mince 1-2 garlic cloves.
• Black pepper (¼ teaspoon) – Pepper adds gentle heat to round out the sweetness.
• Corn starch (4 teaspoons) – Corn starch thickens the strained cooking liquid into a shiny, clingy sauce.
• Cold water (4 teaspoons) – Cold water dissolves the cornstarch so it blends in smoothly without lumps.
• Cooked rice – The perfect base to soak up that sticky, sweet, savory sauce. See our recipe for How to Cook Rice and Cauliflower Rice.

How to Make Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

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PREP. Place chicken in crock pot on low heat.

COMBINE. Whisk sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper in a separate bowl. Mix and pour the homemade teriyaki sauce over the chicken.

COOK. Cook on low for 4-5 hours until chicken is tender.

SHRED. Remove the chicken, place it on a plate, and shred it with a fork.

STRAIN. Remove the fat from the reserved liquid left in the crock pot by pouring it through a mesh strainer into a saucepan (or scoop out the fat with a slotted spoon). 

SAUCE. Bring the liquid in the saucepan to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth, and gradually stir the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer until it thickens.

SERVE. Pile shredded chicken over cooked rice and cover with your thickened teriyaki sauce.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

• If you wish, you can use an equal amount of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• Add veggies like broccoli florets, snap peas, bell peppers, and asparagus 30-60 minutes before the chicken is done cooking.
• Do not cook frozen chicken in a crock pot; however, you can use this recipe to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot. See the FAQ for instructions.
• Serve over white rice or brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

4.87 from 45 votes

Slow Cooked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

By: Kristyn Merkley

Tender crock pot teriyaki chicken cooks in a sweet, savory sauce, perfect over rice for a takeout style dinner with almost no prep.

Servings: 8

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 4 hours hrs

Total: 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Video

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3-4 pounds boneless chicken thighs
• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
• ▢ 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 4 teaspoons corn starch
• ▢ 4 teaspoons cold water
• ▢ cooked rice

Instructions 

• Place chicken in crock pot on low heat.
• Combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper in a separate bowl. Mix and pour over the chicken.
• Cook on low for 4-5 hours until chicken is tender. Remove the chicken, place it on a plate and shred it with a fork.
• Take the fat out of the reserved liquid left in the crock pot by pouring it through a mesh strainer into a saucepan (or scoop out the fat with a slotted spoon). 
• Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth and gradually stir into the saucepan. Simmer until it thickens.
• Pour chicken over cooked rice and cover with your thickened teriyaki sauce. ENJOY!

Notes

Recipe Tips.

• If you wish, you can use an equal amount of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Add veggies like broccoli florets, snap peas, bell peppers, and asparagus 30-60 minutes before the chicken is done cooking.
• Do not cook frozen chicken in a crock pot; however, you can use this recipe to cook frozen chicken in an Instant Pot. See the FAQ for instructions.
• Serve over white rice or brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Freezer meal. Meal prep 2-3 batches. Store each batch of chicken and sauce in a separate freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and cook in the crockpot as directed.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, in a pan on the stove, or covered in the oven.

For more substitutions and tips, check out the full recipe post

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 537mg, Potassium: 372mg, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 135IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 1.4mg

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

Adapted from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom.

Recipe FAQ

Complete the Meal

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Asian Coleslaw

13 mins

Egg Roll Recipe

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Egg Drop Soup Recipe

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This recipe was originally published October 2017.