The Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken is a meal better than takeout that takes just minutes to prepare. It’s made with tender chunks of chicken topped with a sweet, salty, tangy teriyaki sauce.
Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
My favorite dishes are dishes from the slow cooker. Especially the ones where all you have to do is toss everything in your Dutch oven.
This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken is one of those recipes. It tastes like you got it at a restaurant, but in reality you spent 5 minutes preparing it and then let the slow cooker do its job.
Just walk away and come back in a few hours for a delicious home cooked meal the whole family will love!
Ingredients needed:
- Chicken: You can use chicken breast or chicken thighs. Below is information on how to adjust the cooking time based on the chicken cut used.
- Teriyaki sauce: We whip up a homemade teriyaki sauce using coconut aminos, rice vinegar, coconut sugar, honey, garlic and ginger. Coconut Aminos is a gluten-free soy sauce alternative. If you’re not cooking gluten-free, you can use regular soy sauce instead.
- Slurry: To thicken the sauce, we mix together a paste of arrowroot and water. Cornstarch would be the substitute!
- Side dishes: Sesame seeds, coriander, spring onions, red pepper flakes.
How to cook crockpot teriyaki chicken
Making classic teriyaki chicken in the slow cooker is so darn easy! It only takes a few minutes of hands-on time.
- Combine and cook: Place chicken and sauce ingredients in slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Add the slurry: Mix arrowroot starch and water. Twenty minutes before the end of the cooking time, mix half of the broth into the sauce. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, then check the consistency. If the mass is still not thick enough, add the rest of the slurry and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve: Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks or remove it from the Dutch oven and cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix again with the sauce, then serve and enjoy!
frequently asked Questions
Can I use more chicken?
Yes you can, but be sure to adjust the amount of your teriyaki sauce!
Can I put raw chicken in the slow cooker?
Yes! The chicken can be placed in the slow cooker raw and will be perfectly cooked, deliciously tender and incredibly juicy. No additional steps required.
Chicken Breast vs. Chicken Thighs
I do both all the time! I make boobs when I want them even more tattered! Note that the cooking time for breasts is an hour shorter to avoid dry chicken!
cooking times: Cook the chicken breast for 3 hours or the chicken thighs for 4 hours at the highest level.
Is it better to slow cook chicken on high or low?
While both options cook the chicken well, it depends on how much chicken you use and whatnot! In general I like low and slow!
The longer cooking time and lower heat really gives the chicken plenty of time to become tender and delicious without drying out at all.
How to prepare this in advance
What we love about this dish is that you can make this chicken teriyaki ahead of time and pop it in the freezer next time you need an easy dinner! This dinner prep is known as a freezer dump recipe.
It’s easy to make, just put all the ingredients in a freezer bag and store it until you need something quick midweek. Simply thaw in the fridge overnight and add to the slow cooker to cook for dinner!
How to prepare a frozen dinner
So let’s talk a little bit about the concept of a “dump” dinner. A dump dinner is a recipe that doesn’t really require many prep steps before cooking. Typically, you just collect the ingredients, chop them up minimally, and add them to the cooking equipment (either a slow cooker, stockpot, or instant pot).
A dump-and-start meal refers to a meal where you simply gather the ingredients, add them to your pot, and start cooking. A freezer dump dinner is a meal that is put together in advance and frozen in a bag. If you want to cook it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then pop the meal into the cooking container when you’re ready to cook!
This recipe works either way. Gather all the ingredients for the teriyaki chicken and either prepare one (or more) servings ahead of time and freeze them, or gather all the ingredients and cook them right away in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.
Tips and hints for crockpot teriyaki chicken
- Add vegetables. Give your slow cooker chicken teriyaki an extra boost of nutrition by adding your favorite stir-fry veggies.
- If you add vegetables Do this toward the end of the cooking time so they don’t overcook. For longer-cooking vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, add them within the last hour (two hours if frozen). For quicker-cooking vegetables like peas, green beans, or peppers, add within the last 30 minutes (an hour if frozen).
- Make it spicier. Want to turn up the heat again? Try adding a sprinkling of red pepper flakes or a sprinkle of sriracha. Looking for ways to use your leftovers? Try adding it to lettuce wraps!
- Make it a frozen dinner. Put all the ingredients in a freezer bag and store it until you need something quick midweek. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight and toss it all into a Dutch oven to cook for dinner!
Does teriyaki sauce go before or after cooking?
Before! The teriyaki sauce acts as the liquid in the crockpot And adds loads of flavor to the chicken during the long, slow cook time. It’s a win-win situation!
In this recipe…
KitchenAid® 6-Qt. slow cooker
The easy-to-read LCD display allows you to choose between low, medium, high and warm settings and program in 30-minute increments for up to 24 hours.
serving suggestions
I recommend serving your chicken teriyaki on a bed of white rice, cauliflower rice, or coconut rice with a tasty side or two. Here are a few ideas:
How to store it
Leftover slow cooker chicken teriyaki will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also microwave smaller portions to warm them up. However, this can cause the chicken to dry out a bit.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
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- 1-1/2 Pound Boneless skinless chicken thighs rolled
- 1/3 Cup Coconut Amino Acids
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot
- 1 tablespoon Water
Supplements (optional):
- Sesame seeds
- coriander
- Green Onions
- Red pepper flakes
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If you make it ahead of time and put it in the freezer: Gather your ingredients and place everything except the arrowroot and water in a gallon-size freezer bag and seal tightly. Store flat in the freezer. Place in the fridge to thaw the night before.
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To cook: Combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook the chicken breast for 3 hours or the chicken thighs for 4 hours at the highest level.
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Make a slurry: Mix the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour half of the porridge mixture into the slow cooker. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Check the consistency of the sauce. If it’s not sufficiently thickened, add the remaining arrowroot mixture. If the sauce is not sufficiently thickened, add the remaining slurry until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
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Serve hot with white rice or cauliflower rice and vegetables. Garnish with desired toppings like sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and coriander.