Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

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This simple Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken recipe takes the guesswork out of how to make one of the most popular Japanese meals on the menu. Grab some chicken breasts, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and a few other Asian ingredient staples, and get ready to make your own delicious teriyaki chicken dinner.

Chicken is not the only meat to put the teriyaki flavors on. It’s also perfect for Slow Cooker Teriyaki Ribs, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Meatballs, and Easy Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef.

Why this recipe works

If chicken teriyaki is one of your favorite meals to enjoy at a local Chinese or Japanese restaurant, then you can’t go wrong with learning how to make it yourself. Not to mention, with this easy recipe, you’ll quickly wow your family (and guests) with a restaurant-style dinner that was made from scratch.

This chicken and the homemade teriyaki sauce is also versatile meaning you can whip up a big batch and serve it in a variety of ways. If you’ve been looking for an easy teriyaki chicken recipe that doesn’t call for 20+ ingredients, look no further. I’ve got you covered!

Recipe Ingredients

ingredients for terikyaki chicken on a table.

Chicken: You’ll only need about 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds or crock pot teriyaki chicken. It will shred nicely and give you plenty of servings.
Mirin: Mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with lower alcohol content and higher sugar content.
Rice Wine Vinegar: This is similar to other vinegar when it comes to an acidic taste but it also has a sweet taste.
Soy Sauce: One of the sauce ingredients and flavor highlights of this dish and what helps give it the teriyaki-like taste.
Brown Sugar: This ingredient has a way of adding a bit of sweetness, which offsets any bitterness from other things like soy sauce and ginger.
Cornstarch: Acts as a thickening agent.
Fresh Garlic: When grating fresh garlic cloves, you do not need to peel them as it peels itself when grating and won’t go through the grater.
Fresh Ginger: Wash the fresh ginger root thoroughly with cold water before grating. When grating fresh ginger, you do not need to peel it as the skin will be grated into small pieces.
Sesame Seeds: These seeds are known to have a sweet, nutty, and mild flavor.
Green Onion: Sliced and use as a garnish.

Step-by-Step Directions

Six images showing how to make teriyaki chicken in a slow cooker.

Step One – In a medium sized bowl, add the soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and sesame seeds. Making this homemade teriyaki sauce is much better than bottled teriyaki sauce!

Step Two – Whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.

Step Three – Add chicken breast to the bottom of the slow cooker in a single layer and pour over the soy sauce mixture.

Step Four – Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 5-6 hours or until the chicken is tender and shreddable and the sauce has thickened.

Step Five – Remove the chicken from the slow cooker to a medium sized bowl and shred using two forks into larger pieces.

Step Six – Stir the shredded chicken back into the homemade teriyaki sauce. Serve with green onions fro garnish and enjoy!

Overhead shot of teriyaki chicken in a slow cooker.

How to serve teriyaki chicken

One of the traditional ways to serve teriyaki chicken is over cooked rice and garnished with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
Noodles make a perfect bed or side for this chicken recipe. There are several noodle dishes you can make to pair with this such as buckwheat or soba noodles sprinkled in soy sauce and sesame oil. If you have leftover sesame seeds and green onion, add that to the noodles as well. Rice noodles and lo mein taste great too.
Roasted root vegetables (similar to a stir dry) make another great side choice. Sautee or roast up some carrots, onions, colored bell peppers, and sweet potatoes and place them either beside a helping of the chicken or toss it with the chicken.
Although this idea isn’t quite Asian, a fresh salad or cole slaw tastes great with teriyaki chicken. You can make it taste a little Asian by adding sesame ginger dressing.

Recipe FAQs and Variations

What can I use instead of mirin?

If you do not have or can’t get mirin, it can be substituted with unfiltered sake, dry sherry, or sweet marsala wine.

What is the best way to store leftover teriyaki chicken?

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat portions in the microwave.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breast. Chicken thighs tend to cook a little faster than chicken breast so the cooking times may vary.

Can I use low sodium soy sauce?

Absolutely. You’ll still get the same flavor as in your used regular soy sauce.

chicken and rice with sauce being poured over.

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