This super easy teriyaki chicken takes only 10 minutes to prepare and then the Crockpot™ does the rest for a true family-favorite meal.
Easy Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
This slow cooker teriyaki chicken is incredibly easy to prepare and if you keep an even minimally well-stocked pantry, you should have everything on hand to pull it together. The recipe comes from The I Heart Naptime Cookbook from author and food blogger Jaimelyn Nye, and is packed with over 100 recipes that if they aren’t already, are poised to become family favorites.
This Crockpot™ Teriyaki Chicken recipe is full of flavor yet incredibly simple to prepare. Unlike some slow cooker recipes, there’s no browning or sautéeing to be done. All the magic happens in your slow cooker.
What’s in This Crockpot™ Teriyaki Chicken?
The homemade teriyaki sauce and chicken require just 9 simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this Crockpot™ teriyaki chicken recipe:
- Chicken breasts
- Cornstarch
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic
- Ground ginger
- Black pepper
How to Make Crockpot™ Teriyaki Chicken
Pop it all in the slow cooker. To make this recipe, simply pull out your slow cooker, whisk the homemade chicken teriyaki sauce together and then put both into the slow cooker to cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
Shred and serve. Once the chicken is cooked through and tender to taste, chop or shred the chicken, top over perfectly cooked white rice, garnish, and serve. It’s truly that simple. And truly that good.
Can I Use Honey Instead of Sugar?
Although I’ve only ever made this easy teriyaki chicken recipe as written, yes, you can use honey instead of sugar.
Can I Make This in an Instant Pot?
You can definitely cook this teriyaki chicken recipe using the slow cooker function on your Instant Pot. But I’ve never made it using the pressure cooker function.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Chicken
You can easily transform this Crockpot™ teriyaki chicken into teriyaki chicken bowls by serving it over a bed of rice. You can also serve teriyaki chicken with one of the following:
- Asian Ramen Noodle Salad
- Thai Quinoa Salad
- Crunchy Asian Cucumber Watermelon Salad
- Asian Broccolini
- Fresh and Easy Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Green Beans and Shiitake Mushrooms
Tips for Making Crockpot™ Teriyaki Chicken
You can use a lower salt alternative. If you’re sensitive to salt, you may want to use low-sodium soy sauce instead of regular when making the chicken teriyaki sauce. My family loved the homemade teriyaki sauce as it’s written, but choose whichever soy sauce you prefer.
Don’t set it and forget it! Note that you must cook the Crockpot™ teriyaki chicken on low for only a few hours. If you cook the chicken for longer, it’ll be incredibly tough.
Leftover slow cooker teriyaki chicken can be frozen and reheated later. It’s a great protein to have on hand for last-minute lunches and dinners.
More Easy Chicken Crockpot™ Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Chili
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and pour in ¼ cup water so it seeps under the chicken and set the heat to Low.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together another ¼ cup water and the cornstarch, then whisk in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover and cook on Low for 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove any fat and shred the chicken.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir to coat with the sauce. Turn the slow cooker to Warm until ready to serve. Serve with white or brown rice and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion, if desired.
Nutrition
More Crockpot Dinners to Make
- Slow Cooker Mexican Pot Roast
- Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale
- Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Visit Jamielyn and her blog at I Heart Naptime. Purchase The I Heart Naptime Cookbook: More Than 100 Easy & Delicious Recipes to Make in Less Than One Hour here.
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Going to try this today. Cant wait! I don’t have sesame seeds but I do love the taste of them on teriyaki chicken so I’m bummed. Do you think adding a little bit of sesame oil to the recipe could work?
(I’m a beginner with my crockpot)
Lovely! I think this is a recipe my whole family would love, going now to check out that book!!
Made this today and it is delicious! I added some broccoli for veggies to round things off. Thanks for the recipe!
Good to know about this cookbook – I will get it for my daughter. But honestly, I’d never put that much sugar is a meal!
Totally agreed on all fronts Erin!
My kids would love this easy weeknight dinner! Cookbook looks gorgeous!
It’s definitely a great cookbook for cooks with families. Thanks Karen.
This whole post is so lovely, but my favourite part was when you noted there was no browning or sauteeing! I am all about delicious texture and crispiness, but when I’m using the slow cooker, I want as few steps as possible. So excited to try this! And to check out I Heart Naptime as well. Thanks for recommending Jamielyn :)
I agree Jill! I’m a BIG fan of crockpot recipes that don’t mean I’m dirtying any other pots or pans. Thanks for stopping by!
Perfect for week dinner with a glass of wine. Thank you. I will be back :-) Soon !