Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki cooks low and slow until tender: saucy, savory, and mostly hands-off for busy weeknights.
Weeknight Teriyaki That Does the Work for You
Tender slow-cooker chicken bathed in a glossy, sweet-savory sauce — minimal hands-on time, maximum comfort.
There’s something quietly joyful about slipping chicken thighs and a few pantry staples into the slow cooker and walking away. Cam Torres’ Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki takes those everyday ingredients — low-sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic — and turns them into a deeply flavored braising liquid that seeps into the meat as it simmers low and slow. The aroma of ginger, garlic and sweet soy will practically announce dinner long before you sit down.
After four hours on low the thighs come out fall-apart tender, the sauce reduced and shiny. A little cornstarch stirred in at the end gives that sticky, clingy glaze that soaks into rice, and a handful of bright broccoli florets or crisp-tender carrots added near the finish keeps the plate from feeling all brown and cozy. Texturally you’re balancing soft, fork-tender chicken with slightly crunchy vegetables and that syrupy teriyaki coating.
This is the kind of dish that rewards a busy week: it’s mostly hands-off, easy to scale for company, and actually tastes better the next day once the flavors rest. Serve it over steamed rice or noodles and scatter toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions for contrast. Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunches, and the sauce can be thickened again with a quick cornstarch slurry if needed.
Built for Ember Pot’s slow-simmered approach, this recipe is classic comfort made simple — the kind of slow-cooker dinner that feels like you put in more effort than you actually did. Cam Torres keeps the method straightforward so you can enjoy a saucy, savory weeknight meal without the fuss.
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