Description
This easy Crock‑Pot Teriyaki Chicken brings together tender, juicy chicken thighs cooked in a homemade teriyaki‑style sauce with minimal effort. It’s sweet, savory, and perfect for serving over rice, noodles, or in lettuce wraps for a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup soy sauce (use low‑sodium if preferred)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
- 2 green onions, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves.
- Place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce mixture evenly over them.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry.
- Stir the slurry into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce, then cook on HIGH for the remaining 20–30 minutes until the sauce is glossy and thick.
- Once done, shred or slice the chicken and toss it with the sauce in the pot.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions before serving.
Notes
- Chicken thighs are preferred because they remain juicy and soak up the sauce beautifully. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
- You can substitute boneless chicken breasts for a leaner version—but adjust cook time slightly as breasts tend to cook faster.
- For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes or sriracha to the sauce.
- Double the sauce ingredients if you’d like extra glaze for drizzling over rice or noodles.
- To make it gluten‑free, replace the soy sauce with tamari. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3–6 hours (depending on slow cooker setting)
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Asian American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (approx.)
- Calories: ≈ 380 kcal
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 630mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
