Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
Hands-Off Sticky Teriyaki Chicken
A glossy, saucy slow-cooker dinner that turns humble chicken thighs into tender, sweet-salty comfort with almost no hands-on time.
This recipe exists for nights when you want something that tastes like you fussed, but you really didn’t. Boneless, skinless or bone-in chicken thighs are ideal here — they stay juicy and forgiving as they cook low and slow. Trim any large pockets of fat, layer the thighs in the slow cooker, and let the machine do the work while you get on with the rest of your evening.
The sauce is a simple, pantry-friendly mix of low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar and a whisper of sesame oil, brightened by fresh grated ginger and smashed garlic. Those ingredients build a glossy, balanced sauce—sweet, tangy and deeply savory—that soaks into the meat. If you like a thicker finish, stir a little cornstarch with cold water after cooking and whisk it into the hot juices until glossy and clingy.
Onions and sliced carrots nestle around the chicken and soften into sweet pockets of flavor as the thighs braise; for color and crunch, add broccoli florets in the last 20–30 minutes or steam them separately and toss them in at the end. Cook on LOW for about 4 hours (or HIGH for 2–2½ hours) until the chicken is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced around the pieces.
Serve the chicken spooned over steaming rice or buttery noodles, scatter with sesame seeds and scallions if you like, and save the leftovers—this gets better the next day and freezes well as a ready-to-reheat lunch or weeknight rescue. It’s proof that truly comforting meals can be mostly hands-off and endlessly satisfying.
Ingredients
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and place them in an even layer in the slow cooker (use boneless, skinless thighs if you prefer); set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil and water until sugar begins to dissolve; add grated ginger and smashed garlic cloves and stir to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, turning thighs so they’re coated; scatter the sliced onion and peeled, cut carrots around the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for 2–2½ hours) until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the slow cooker and recover to finish cooking; this keeps the broccoli bright and just-tender.
- When cooking is complete, transfer chicken to a cutting board or bowl and shred with two forks (or leave whole if preferred); skim any excess fat from the sauce if necessary.
- Make a slurry by mixing cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water; pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan set over medium heat, whisk in the slurry and simmer 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Return shredded or whole chicken to the pan with the thickened sauce and toss to coat, or pour the thickened sauce back into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles, garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and place them in an even layer in the slow cooker (use boneless, skinless thighs if you prefer); set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil and water until sugar begins to dissolve; add grated ginger and smashed garlic cloves and stir to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker, turning thighs so they’re coated; scatter the sliced onion and peeled, cut carrots around the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for 2–2½ hours) until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the slow cooker and recover to finish cooking; this keeps the broccoli bright and just-tender.
- When cooking is complete, transfer chicken to a cutting board or bowl and shred with two forks (or leave whole if preferred); skim any excess fat from the sauce if necessary.
- Make a slurry by mixing cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water; pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan set over medium heat, whisk in the slurry and simmer 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Return shredded or whole chicken to the pan with the thickened sauce and toss to coat, or pour the thickened sauce back into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles, garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 25
- Saturated Fat
- 5
- Sodium
- 570
- Fiber
- 1
- Unsaturated Fat
- 15
- Protein
- 40
- Fat
- 20
- Cholesterol
- 141
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 453
- Sugar
- 18