
Hey guess what? I made you a new recipe with your three favorite words in the title — slow cooker chicken.
That’s right. Without fail, requests for slow cooker recipes and chicken recipes seem to far outweigh all other topics in surveys and your emails. So today I’m doing a two-for-one and also introducing a healthier new take on a classic — Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken!
This version includes all of the delicious sweet and savory teriyaki flavors you love. But this easy homemade teriyaki sauce is naturally sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar. And since your slow cooker is going to do most of the work for you, there is very minimal prep time required. I think we can call that a win-win.
Speaking of winning, we’re also giving away not one but two amazing new Crock-Pot slow cookers in a giveaway below. Yep, the winner will receive one to keep and one to give to a friend. How cool is that?! So read on for this tasty recipe and take a minute to enter the giveaway too.

I mean, really, just look at that chicken drenched in that thick, sweet teriyaki sauce. It’s calling your name.
Here’s how to make it happen.

First we begin by making the teriyaki sauce base. Simply whisk together the ingredients.

Then lay your chicken breasts out in a single layer in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over them. Cover and cook on high for about 4-5 hours, or until the chicken basically falls apart when shredded with a fork. Get ready, because your home is going to smell a-ma-zing.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon and shred it on a separate plate or in a bowl.
Then transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce to a small saucepan, and whisk a cornstarch slurry. Bring it to a boil and let it thicken. Then pour the sauce on top of your shredded chicken.

Gently toss to combine. And then comes the hardest part — deciding how you’re going to enjoy it!

I actually enjoyed my first serving on a little teriyaki chicken slider. So simple!

But of course, the classic way would be over rice. Or quinoa. Or even just on its own, with a side of veggies. I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong any way you choose, especially with that heavenly homemade teriyaki sauce. You’re gonna love it!
Here’s the recipe (and be sure to also check out the giveaway below!)
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (use low-sodium if desired)
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- (optional toppings: sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds)
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and black pepper until combined. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken breasts. Cover slow cooker, and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl and shred it using two forks. Transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker to a medium saucepan.
- Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved and no longer lumpy. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce mixture, and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and pour the sauce on top of the shredded chicken. Toss to combine.
- Serve topped with scallions (green onions) and toasted sesame seeds if desired.


Crock-Pot Giveaway
Giveaway Prize:
One winner will receive two (2) Crock-Pot® Digital Slow Cookers with iStir Stirring Systems — one for you, and one for you to give to a friend. And get ready, because they are going to knock your socks off! And here’s why:
iStir™ does the stirring for you so you don’t have to. With the slow cooker’s countdown digital timer and automatic stirring, you are provided the convenience of preparing food with perfect results, even if you are not in the kitchen. Simply prepare ingredients, set cook time and attach the motor housing with proper paddle in place. Choose the general purpose paddle for soup and chili or the stew paddle for thick stew and more dense dishes. After an initial 2-hour delay, the stirring self-activates every 30 minutes to ensure thorough mixing and even heating until turned off. Pretty darn cool.
I especially stirring system when making dips and chilis. It’s really handy, especially when just keeping the slow cooker on the “warm” setting while entertaining, to not have to constantly be stirring my recipe. But this Crock-Pot is also a pro at making all of your other favorite slow cooker meals that don’t need stirring. It pretty much does everything. :)
How To Enter:
Follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.
Disclaimer: This giveaway was sponsored by Crock-Pot. I received a complementary slow cooker to test and review, but was not paid and all opinions are 100% my own as always. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this site — and great giveaways — possible!




What about freezing the raw chicken and sauce, and then defrosting/dumping into crockpot at a later date?
We think that should be fine! We hope you enjoy. :)
Do you have any suggestions on how to make this freezer friendly? Meal prepping for baby time!
Hi Jessey! This freezes well — we’d recommend freezing individual portions. Congratulations, and we hope you enjoy!
Ok, this is a super dumb question. In a GIANT hurry to get out the door and run errands I mixed all ingredients together and poured over chicken to cook….including the water and cornstarch. Oops. So my question is, do you think this will thicken too much and burn or get sticky before the chicken is cooked? Let me know if you get a chance in the next three hours! Lol!
Hi Chelsea! We apologize for getting to your comment so late! We hope this still turned out okay — let us know!
LOVE this recipe! it’s been a staple in our house for a while. I got to thinking about what I could do with the pork tenderloin I have onhand and using the pressure cooker…& this sauce came to mind! any thoughts? thanks!!
We’re so happy to hear that, Dawn, thank you for sharing! And while we haven’t tried this with pork tenderloin, we think it’s worth a shot! :)
Can I replace the chicken breasts with chicken thighs?
We haven’t tried that, but we don’t see why not!
I made this the first time, and followed the recipe, and it came out perfect. The second time I made it, I subbed the rice wine vinegar for white vinegar and it was so disappointing. Wanted to throw that out there for anyone looking to make that sub- don’t!
We’re sorry to hear that, Stephanie, that’s helpful to know about the white vinegar!
Hi! I’d love to make this in my Instant Pot. Do I need to make any modifications? Also, how long should I cook it for?
Made this during my lunch hour today. THE BEST TERIYAKI SAUCE I HAVE EVER HAD. My fiancé was super impressed. We kept picking at the chicken before the sauce was even finished. I am thinking this is a dish I will make when I have to entertain for many guests!
Thank you, Meghan — we’re so glad you and your fiancé enjoyed this!
I was looking to replicate my favorite sushi restaurant;’ s chicken teriyaki and found this, I like the idea of using a slow cooker to make the chicken extra tender, so thank you for this!
You’re very welcome, we hope you enjoy this!
I am meal planning and making this recipe this week! I do have a question for you. How do you tell how to gauge your crock pot? I have noticed that even on “low,” my chicken always seems to be done 2-3 hours prior to the 6-8 hours that most crock pot recipes call for. Do you have a method for calibrating crock pots? A friend shared your site with me a while ago, and I also recently heard the “Boo Mama Cast” podcast mention you. Thanks for the recipes!
Hi Mandy! Thanks for sharing with us, and that’s really cool about the podcast, we’ll have to check it out! As for crock pot calibrating, we’re afraid we don’t know much about that ourselves, but we did find some tips that may be helpful (we hope)!