Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

I love using my slow cooker to help me get delicious dinners on the table, even on a busy weeknight! And now that school is back in session, there are a lot of busy weeknights.

This recipe does have an additional step, to reduce the cooking liquid down into a thick teriyaki sauce. But I promise, it’s 10000% worth it!

The sauce is a great blend of sweet, spicy, and savory, with a thick and rich texture that perfectly smothers the juicy chicken.

We love to serve this over some fragrant garlic ginger rice, but it’s great alongside even plain white rice or jasmine rice, or used in fried rice, egg rolls, wontons, or even non-traditional fusion dishes like a teriyaki chicken quesadilla!

How to make slow cooker teriyaki chicken:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Add chicken and sauce to slow cooker. It may seem like a lot of liquid, but we’ll be cooking it down later.
2. Cook. This recipe is designed to cook low and slow all day.
3. Shred. I like to use tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board, then use two forks to shred it.
4. Transfer sauce. Skim the fat if there’s a lot.
5. Make slurry. This is just combining the cornstarch and water until smooth.
6. Reduce sauce. Stir in the slurry, and simmer until thickened.
7. Combine. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker and combine with the thickened sauce.

Variations of this recipe

• Chicken – if you’d like, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, with no other changes needed.
• Other protein – this sauce would also be delicious on pork!
• Ginger and garlic – I haven’t tested this recipe using dried ginger and garlic powder, so while I’m sure it can be done, I can’t speak to the amounts needed (in general you want to use 2-3x less when swapping fresh for dried). I do often use the garlic and ginger squeeze tubes (Gourmet Garden is the brand I love) when I don’t have fresh on hand.
• Chili garlic sauce – the brand we love is Huy Fong (it has a bright green lid), but Lee Kum Kee is another good brand. You could also substitute sriracha, or sambal oelek.

Making teriyaki chicken ahead of time

If you’d like to, you can make this recipe ahead.

Just let it cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker on low until hot throughout. You may want to add a splash of water or chicken broth as it reheats to loosen it up a bit.

You can also prep ahead by making the cooking liquid mixture ahead of time and keeping it refrigerated until ready to use.

Freezing

What I love so much about shredded chicken is that it freezes perfectly!

Just make sure it’s completely cooled, then transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3-6 months.

I haven’t tested it, but I think you could even add the chicken and the cooking liquid (soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper) to a freezer-safe bag or container.

Freeze for up to 3-6 months, then thaw in the refrigerator and cook as directed.

Storage

Leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoyed within 4-5 days.