The summer heat has arrived in Georgia, this time of year my slow cooker works overtime, trying to avoid heating up the kitchen with the oven. Over the weekend I made one of our family favorites again, Teriyaki Chicken, this time in the slow cooker and it turned out wonderful!
EASY SLOW COOKER TERIYAKI CHICKEN (Best Sauce)
Our family favorite Teriyaki Chicken recipe can be made in the slow cooker! The awesome sauce comes together quickly on the stove made with soy sauce, sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, black pepper and cornstarch. Simply pour the sauce over the chicken and allow the cooker to do the rest. No need to heat up the kitchen this summer, give your oven the day off. Serve this tasty chicken and sauce over rice for a fantastic meal!
What You Need To Make Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Boneless skinless chicken thighs, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, sugar, ground ginger, garlic, black pepper and cornstarch.
How To Make Easy Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray, place chicken thighs in a single layer in cooker, season with pepper. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add all of the sauce ingredients and whisk together. Allow to come to a simmer/bubbling, whisking often until sauce thickens. When sauce is ready, pour evenly over chicken coating well (lift chicken so sauce gets underneath).
Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. *Cooking times will vary depending on your slow cooker/crock pot. Adjust cooking times accordingly. Some slow cookers may take 3-4 hours on HIGH and 4-6 hours on LOW. Chicken should reach a safe 165°F before serving. When ready, shred chicken with two forks. Add cooked broccoli (optional) stir, serve chicken and sauce over rice.
You can serve the chicken alone over rice or with vegetables added to the chicken. My favorite vegetable with Teriyaki Chicken is broccoli.
PINNABLE IMAGE
Veggies can be added AFTER the chicken is fully cooked and shredded. I am not a fan of overcooked vegetables so this is the best way to make sure they are perfectly cooked.
Teriyaki chicken is also terrific with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
PINNABLE IMAGE
Easy Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (approximately 6 thighs)
- ground pepper to taste
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (regular or reduced sodium)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar (white/regular)
- 1 clove garlic minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Optional
- 10-12 ounces steamed broccoli – cooked to your preference, added AFTER chicken is cooked and shredded. I use a frozen steamer bag of broccoli florets
- sesame seeds for sprinkling on top
Directions
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray, place chicken thighs in a single layer in cooker, season with pepper.
In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add all of the sauce ingredients and whisk together. Allow to come to a simmer/bubbling, whisking often until sauce thickens.
When sauce is ready, pour evenly over chicken coating well (lift chicken so sauce gets underneath).
Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours. *Cooking times will vary depending on your slow cooker/crock pot. Adjust cooking times accordingly. Some slow cookers may take 3-4 hours on HIGH and 4-6 hours on LOW. Chicken should reach a safe 165°F before serving.
When ready, shred chicken with two forks. Add cooked broccoli (optional) stir, serve chicken and sauce over rice. Enjoy!
Chicken is also great with green beans, carrots, sugar snap peas and more.
Tips
- Chicken breasts can be subbed for thighs. Be sure to use fresh chicken, not frozen – frozen chicken in bags tend to have a lot of extra juice/liquid/broth added.
- The next time you grill chicken, give this teriyaki sauce a try – it makes awesome barbecue chicken!
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!
Joycelyn
Hello Mary
Wondering if you ever brown the chicken first then add it to the crockpot as it looks quite pale in the photos?
Thank you
Stay safe
Mary Neumann
Hello Joycelyn,
No, I did not brown the chicken first, but you can. Browning always adds extra flavor.
Joycelyn
Thanks Mary!
Stay safe