Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
Looking for a fresh and new weeknight dinner that is easy, nutritious, and family-approved? This slow cooker teriyaki chicken has the potential to become a family favorite – for those eating AND making! And it’s great for busy weeknights. You can prep the chicken ahead in just a few minutes and then let the slow cooker do the rest of the work. Serve with some rice and a veggie for a balanced and satisfying meal that has both sweet and savory flavors.
I’m so proud to partner with Fresh Thyme to bring you this slow-cooked chicken teriyaki recipe. Fresh Thyme is a special store – a trusted, local community-focused grocer in the Midwest that offers real fresh food at real affordable prices. Unlike some of the other specialty stores, Fresh Thyme is truly a one-stop, with a wide variety of the brands you know and love, all at great prices. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this site, we appreciate you!
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
What You’ll Love About Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Delicious sweet and savory flavors
- Nutritious and satisfying meal
- Easy prep (5 minutes of prep time)
- 3-4 hours cook time (hands off)
- Made with just 5 ingredients
- Uses shortcut bottled teriyaki sauce to cut down on prep
- Family-friendly meal that’s perfect for weeknights
Ingredients
- Chicken – I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the crockpot teriyaki chicken as it results in a much more juicy and tender chicken. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer, but the flavor is better with thighs.
- Fresh Thyme Sesame Teriyaki Sauce – This sauce has delicious sweet and savory flavors and a simple ingredient list – soy sauce, sugar, water, corn starch, garlic, onion, toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, sesame seeds, ginger, and Vitamin E. The sauce ingredients are almost identical to how I make my homemade teriyaki sauce, but require zero prep.
- Rice – Use your favorite type of rice. For a chicken teriyaki bowl, I like to use a Jasmine white rice or something similar, but you can use brown rice if you prefer.
- Fresh Thyme Coconut Milk – This is optional, but also not optional, it adds such rich and delicious flavors to the rice. Highly recommend!
- Veggie – Use your favorite vegetables or whatever veggies look good or are in-season. See plenty of ideas below.
- Garnish – Sesame seeds, sliced green onions, red pepper flakes
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
This is an overview on how to make slow cooker teriyaki chicken thighs, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
FAQs
Can I use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs?
You certainly can, but we loved the flavor and texture so much more with chicken thighs. The extra little bit of fat helps keep the chicken tender and juicy. We did test it with chicken breasts and it is still delicious, but the texture is much better with thighs.
Can you put a jar of sauce in a slow cooker?
Yes and that’s what we’re doing here. We’re using Fresh Thyme Sesame Teriyaki Sauce for a premade shortcut to help cut down on prep time. It’s a great way to take advantage of high-quality sauces.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or a hot skillet until cooked through.
How to meal prep:
If you want to pack this up for meal prep, divide rice, veggies, and chicken into microwave-safe containers. Depending on your individual needs, you’ll have about 4-6 servings.
What to Serve with Teriyaki Chicken
If you serve this recipe for slow cooker teriyaki chicken with coconut rice, all it needs is a veggie side:
- Sauteed Haricot Verts
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Bok Choy Stir Fry
- Frozen Broccoli
- Cauliflower rice
- Sauteed snap peas or sugar peas
- Egg rolls or other frozen appetizers
How to Feed Teriyaki Chicken to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.
I would recommend serving the chicken teriyaki in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter if they don’t do coconut rice.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
If you like this slow cooker teriyaki chicken with bottled sauce, you might also like some of these other slow cooker chicken recipes:
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes
- 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
Description
This slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe is easy, nutritious, and family-approved! Perfect for busy nights and made with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup Fresh Thyme Teriyaki Sauce, plus more for serving
- 2 cups white rice (jasmine or similar)
- 15 oz. can Fresh Thyme coconut milk
- veggie for side
- garnish: sesame seeds, sliced green onion, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add chicken to slow cooker. Top with teriyaki sauce and stir so all chicken is coated. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees F.
- About 30-45 minutes before you’re going to eat, prep your sides.
- Make rice according to package instructions, but swap out some (or all) of the water for the coconut milk. You may need to add a little bit more water to cook, but it will depend on the exact instructions you are using. Use all the coconut milk and add extra water if necessary.
- Prep veggie.
- Add cooked rice to a bowl and top with cooked chicken (scoop out with a slotted spoon), and drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce if desired. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve with veggies.
Notes
- Veggie ideas: bok choy stir fry, air fryer broccoli, sauteed green beans,
- Nutrition facts include rice, but do not include veggie
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Made this with broccoli and everyone loved it. Great for school nights.