Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
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Slowly cooked to perfection in a delicious sweet teriyaki sauce with a hint of sesame oil, this Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is incredibly tasty! Made with healthy chicken breast and a simple homemade sauce you can prep this easy dish in under 10 minutes for a fantastic weeknight meal!
Easy Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
This unbelievably good slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe is just what you’ve been looking for!It’s an easy Asian inspired recipe that can cook unattended while you’re out of the house all day working or running errands! It takes just minutes to prep. All you have to do is dump everything into the pot and then the slow cooker does the rest of the work, which makes this a fantastic meal prep recipe for busy weeknights!
And not only is this chicken dish a cinch to make, but it’s healthy and tasty too! Made with tender juicy chicken breasts coated in a delicious sweet sticky sauce, this chicken teriyaki is yummy served over simple steamed rice or Sesame Noodles with a side of vegetables.
Not to mention, teriyaki chicken is always a hit at the dinner table! The kids and adults will gobble this dish up! It’s just as good as my Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken but make for your crockpot!
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Effortlessly Easy! This simple 8-ingredient recipe takes just about 5 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to finish! The crockpot does all the cooking and it requires absolutely none of your attention.
- Teriyaki Chicken Tastiness! Chicken breasts coated in sweet savory teriyaki sauce with a bit of sesame oil and then slowly cooked until perfectly tender make a super delicious dinner!
- Healthy Family Meal! This slow cooker chicken teriyaki is not only cheaper and quicker than ordering takeout, but it’s healthier too. You can feel good about serving your loved ones this delicious dish.
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Chicken Broth – To control the amount of added salt I always use low-sodium broth.
- Teriyaki Sauce – You can use any store-bought variety or make your own teriyaki sauce. And by using an already made sauce you don’t to make a cornstarch slurry for this recipe.
- Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and depth to the dish. You could use honey as a substitute.
- Garlic – Always use fresh minced garlic cloves for the best tasting results. You can add a bit of fresh ginger too for even more flavor.
- Soy Sauce (Low Sodium) – I always use a low-sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness. You can also use gluten-free tamari if you like.
- Sesame Oil – Full of rich toasted sesame flavor. This ingredient should not be substituted.
- Sesame Seeds – Used to garnish the dish, sesame seeds add another layer of texture and flavor.
Besides it being totally delicious, the best part about this crock pot teriyaki chicken recipe is that it nearly cooks itself. Once the ingredients are in and the crockpot has been turned on your work is done!
To begin, you need to coat the chicken in the yummy sauce that makes the dish! To do this, just whisk the chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced garlic together in a large bowl, stirring until it’s fully combined. Then add the chicken breasts to the bowl and toss them together with the sauce.
After the chicken is fully coated in sauce, put it in the crockpot with all the sauce. Then put the lid on the slow cooker and simmer the chicken teriyaki on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. When done, the breasts should be at least 165°F (74°C) when checked with a digital cooking thermometer.
Once the breasts are fully cooked, remove them from the crockpot and then shred them using two forks. Then plate the slow cooker teriyaki chicken over some steamed white or brown rice with extra sauce if you like. Now, garish with sesame seeds and serve immediately with a sprinkle of green onions and a side of steamed broccoli if you like.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken In The Slow Cooker?
You should always thaw chicken out before putting it in the crockpot to cook. This is because there is a risk of bacteria starting to form before the chicken reaches a safe temperature. Basically, you don’t want the crock pot to have to defrost the chicken for you. Doing so can interrupt the cooking process and keep the chicken at an unsafe temperature for too long.
How Do I Keep The Chicken From Drying Out?
Like any time you cook chicken, it will become dry if it’s overcooked. Even if it’s in liquid. So the best way to prevent chicken from drying out in the crockpot is to stop cooking it once it’s done. If you leave the chicken in the slow cooker for several hours after it reaches 165°F (74°C) it is sure to dry out.
Expert Tips
- Do not add salt. There is no need to add salt to the sauce and chicken mixture. The soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and chicken broth have enough salt in them to season the whole dish.
- Keep the chicken warm. Some of the newer crockpots have timers, which is really helpful. It’s important not to let the chicken come to room temperature and stay there for more than 4 hours.
- Temp the chicken. For food safety, use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is fully cooked. It needs to have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).
- Add vegetables for extra nutrition: You can add vegetables like sliced bell peppers, carrots, or broccoli to the slow cooker along with the chicken for extra nutrition and flavor. Just make sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
Storage
Leftover slow cooker teriyaki chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Then to reheat, put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or in a saucepan on the stovetop. You can also freeze the chicken teriyaki leftovers for up to 3 months. Then just let them thaw out overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Other Delicious Recipes You’ll Love
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Crockpot Pork Loin Roast
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Teriyaki Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Ribs
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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless)
- ½ cup chicken broth (low sodium)
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- sesame seeds (for garnish)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Combine chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic cloves in large bowl.
- Add chicken to sauce, and toss to combine.
- Place the chicken along with the sauce into the slow cooker.
- Cook on low 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Shred the chicken with a couple forks and serve over hot cooked rice and spoon extra sauce if desired. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with additional veggies if preferred.
Equipment
Notes
- Do not add salt. There is no need to add salt to the sauce and chicken mixture. The soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and chicken broth have enough salt in them to season the whole dish.
- Keep the chicken warm. Some of the newer crockpots have timers, which is really helpful. It’s important not to let the chicken come to room temperature and stay there for more than 4 hours.
- Temp the chicken. For food safety, use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is fully cooked. It needs to have reached an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).
- Add vegetables for extra nutrition: You can add vegetables like sliced bell peppers, carrots, or broccoli to the slow cooker along with the chicken for extra nutrition and flavor. Just make sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Enjoy!
Hello Jo, this was delicious! I had boneless, skinless chicken thighs on hand so used those, and the meat was fall apart tender. Served over rice pilaf with extra sauce and green beans. Wonderful meal and simple to put together. My husband loves the sauce!
Thank you for sharing.
Best, Jakalyn
Glad you liked it!
Tried this recipe today. It is absolutely delicious.
However, I used cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Apparently my chicken breasts added a fair amount of moisture to the sauce, there was almost 3 cups of liquid in the crock when cooked.
Delicious! I am sorry that I forgot to take a photo but it turned out perfectly. I thickened the sauce a smidge then put the chicken back in to sauce up. Steamed some veggies as a side. Yum! will be making this again for sure! Thanks Jo! xo
My pleasure, glad you liked it!
Hi, we aren’t huge chicken breast fans. Have you ever done this recipe with chicken thighs? Think it would work with same cook time?
Yes, you can easily substitute the breasts with chicken thighs.
You do not cut or dice the chicken breasts at all before cooking? You shred it all after?
No need! It’s much easier to shred when they’re whole.
cook on high or low for six hours?
The recipe says low for 4-6 hours
Hi, if cooked on high setting is 4hours enough time.?
Thank you in advance
Yes, it should be enough.
Looks like something that our family would like. I just started a cook book for my y9oungest daughter, of her favorite things that, I make. Then like a monster, my lists of requests have grown out of control. I include pictures so the end results have something to compare it to. I sent the spices as well for the meatloaf recipe. I sent a carton of beef stock for the gravy.
She said it was an awesome recipe.
Thanks for your comments Barbara and what a great idea setting up a cookbook for your daughter. We hope you will find a few more recipes to add to the book. Thanks for commenting and sharing your story.
3 chicken breasts equals about how many lbs of chicken in your recipe? Breasts at my store vary quite a bit.
About a pound, Mary, but it doesn’t have to be exact.
How can I thicken the sauce to more of a glaze?
You can cook it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, it should reduce after about 20 to 30 minutes and thicken up nicely.
What vegetables did you use?
I like to serve this with steamed broccoli. 🙂
Or whatever veggies your family likes but cook all together for great blend.
Nice dinner. ?
Do you know if the cooking time or anything would need to be modified if using beef instead of chicken?
I would cook the beef a bit longer than chicken.
Hi I was wondering if I could use kikkoman’s teriyaki marinate instead?
Absolutely!
Hi, just wondering about a more exact cooking time? 4-6 hours is quite a window! If I am using thawed chicken, what would the cooking time be specifically? Thanks!
Can the chicken be frozen when our in the crock pot?
You can, but it will need a longer cooking time.