Description
This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken recipe offers a simple and flavorful way to enjoy tender, shredded chicken infused with a homemade teriyaki sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights, it’s slow-cooked to perfection and can be served over rice or noodles with optional garnishes of green onions and sesame seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Thickening Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Garnish (optional)
- Sliced green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place the chicken thighs or breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker, spreading them evenly to form the base layer.
- Make Teriyaki Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Cook Chicken: Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are coated. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4–5 hours or on high for 2–3 hours until the chicken is fully cooked and tender enough to shred.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks carefully.
- Thicken Sauce: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Stir this slurry into the sauce remaining in the slow cooker, then cook on high for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to a glossy consistency.
- Combine and Serve: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir it into the thickened sauce until all pieces are well coated. Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- Chicken thighs provide more flavor and tenderness than breasts but either works well for this recipe.
- For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes or a drizzle of sriracha to the sauce before cooking.
- Leftover shredded chicken makes excellent fillings for wraps or rice bowls the next day.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 630mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
