Here’s a simple dish that will work for everyone! With a few steps and only a handful of ingredients, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken can be ready in just a few hours. Serve with rice and veggies for a takeout-worthy meal!

black bowl filled with rice topped with shredded teriyaki chicken topped with green onions and sesame seeds

What’s To Love About This Recipe

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken is one of the easiest recipes you’ll find! You don’t need to complete any extra steps like precooking or chopping (unless you want to). Just add to the slow cooker and set it to cook!
Do you have kids who love to join you in the kitchen? With just a few steps, this is a great way to practice measuring skills with the little ones or teach a quick recipe to older kids and teens.
Teriyaki chicken is a great base recipe that can be customized for dietary needs and preferences. Make it spicier according to your tastes, and use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce if needed. It’s already dairy-free, and you can add veggies if you like!
For those busy nights when you’re tempted to pick up takeout, keep this healthier choice in mind! The simple, made-from-scratch sauce is better than many bottled teriyaki sauces in both quality and taste.
This also makes an excellent freezer meal – no long list of groceries needed!

What is teriyaki chicken?

Teriyaki chicken is a recipe combination made with teriyaki sauce and a variety of chicken cuts. It is often served with steamed vegetables and rice. Variations of teriyaki chicken recipes are made with almost any cooking method – grill, oven, skillet, slow-cooked, or roasted!

The flavorful salty-sweet sauce is likely a Japanese-American concoction and has been used to create delicious meals with beef, fish, chicken, and pork. The sauce usually has a glaze-like consistency developed from a mixture of honey and caramelized brown sugar. It also includes the signature umami from soy sauce and, depending on the recipe, may include extra hints of garlic, ginger, and spice.

Ingredients Needed

If you love the flavor of teriyaki chicken and other takeout-inspired dishes, you’ll want to keep this combination of ingredients on hand for similar recipes!

Boneless skinless chicken breast – The slow cooker makes perfectly shredded chicken breast and keeps it from drying out when cooked in the sauces.
Soy sauce – Choose your favorite soy sauce brand and look for a gluten-free version if you need it. (Tamari sauce is a great gluten-free substitute.)
Honey – You have to have the sweetness of honey to get that classic teriyaki flavor!
Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar is mild but adds the necessary flavor for traditional and Asian-fusion dishes. It’s a great pantry staple for slow cooker recipes.
Brown sugar – Use light or dark brown sugar to get the perfect syrupy-sweetness in the sauce.
Jarred minced garlic – Pre-minced garlic is the best timesaver for toss-in-and-go recipes.
Ground ginger – A hint of ginger completes the flavor of the sauce.
Cornstarch – Use a bit of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the sweet and sticky teriyaki sauce.

chicken breasts, cornstarch, chili sauce, ginger powder, brown sugar, garlic, and soy sauce ingredients laid out on table

How To Make Teriyaki Chicken In The Slow Cooker

Add chicken breasts to the slow cooker. (If you prefer, you can chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces first, rather than shredding after cooking.)
Whisk together all remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch.

Next, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth, then whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce.
Pour sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.

glass bowl of teriyaki sauce with whisk next to small bowl of cornstarch mixture

teriyaki sauce in a glass bowl next to whisk

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
When the chicken is cooked, remove from the slow cooker, shred with forks, and return to the sauce.

glass bowl with chicken and forks to shred chicken

white slow cooker with teriyaki chicken and sauce

Serve with a side of veggies or steamed rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Tip: if the sauce is not thick enough at the end, you can pour it into a saucepan and simmer for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

With a delicious base for teriyaki chicken, you can customize this recipe even further to make it just the way your family likes it best!

Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or tenderloins.
Chop the chicken first into bite-sized pieces if you like, or shred the chicken at the end.
To add some veggies for an all-in-one dish, dice or slice bell peppers, onions, carrots, or mushrooms, and add them to the slow cooker at the beginning. Squash would be another good veggie choice, but add this (and any other veggies with higher water content) in the final hour of cooking.
Increase the spice by adding some red pepper flakes into the slow cooker or sprinkling them across individual servings.
To make this recipe gluten-free, be sure to check labels to find a gluten-free soy sauce or use tamari sauce. You can also swap cornstarch for tapioca starch if you prefer.

slow cooker filled with saucy teriyaki chicken with spoonful being dished out

What To Serve With Teriyaki Chicken

Make a quick pot of white or brown rice to serve with slow cooker teriyaki chicken. If you haven’t already added veggies to the slow cooker, make quick and easy Oven Roasted Carrots or some steamed buttered broccoli. Throw it all together in a bowl and enjoy the extra teriyaki sauce on the rice and veggies.

Add a twist by topping off servings with a drizzle of hot sauce, like sriracha, if desired. Sprinkle with my favorite garnishes—sliced green onions and sesame seeds!

table set with white slow cooker and bowl of rice and bowl of rice topped with teriyaki chicken

Storing and Reheating

Store teriyaki chicken and rice leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. This would be the perfect protein to portion into meal prep containers with extra veggies! Reheat in the microwave.

You can also freeze leftover chicken – be sure to save any extra sauce! Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

Don’t forget to try this out as a freezer meal! You could even prep a second portion at the same time you prep dinner for the slow cooker.

Add everything except the cornstarch to a freezer-safe bag, seal it, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to cook, defrost in the fridge and add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce in the slow cooker.