Please do yourself and your taste buds a service; ditch the takeout and make this Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken recipe instead!
Along with General Tso’s Tofu, teriyaki chicken was my high school fast-food favorite.
Whenever I was out running errands with my mom, I’d beg her to stop at Japan Express so that I could order their jumbo-sized bowl of teriyaki chicken with sticky rice.
While it was absolutely a step up from the mall food court, that chicken, though tasty, never left me feeling particularly stellar afterward.
I’d often experience a serious afternoon slump, which I now recognize as a sugar crash.
I’m pleased to report that today’s homemade slow cooker honey teriyaki chicken recipe has the same takeout flavor I remember but is made with real, more wholesome ingredients you can feel good about enjoying any night of the week.
You don’t even need bottled teriyaki sauce to make this teriyaki chicken.
- The homemade teriyaki sauce recipe is only six ingredients, most of which I bet you have in your pantry right now: soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, and garlic and ginger. (If you’re a fan of teriyaki sauce, you’ll love this Teriyaki Salmon recipe too.)
- Simply stir the sauce ingredients together, place the chicken in your crock pot, then pour the teriyaki sauce over the top. Bye-bye bottle.
What is Teriayki Chicken?
Teriyaki chicken is pieces of tender cooked boneless chicken breasts or thighs in a teriyaki chicken marinade. It’s tossed in a teriyaki sauce sauce that is sweet, sticky, and savory. It is typically served over rice.
Teriyaki chicken sauce is made of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and sugar (I used a combination of brown sugar and honey for this recipe).
While Teriyaki chicken is actually Japanese, what we order at takeout restaurants in America is typically a much sweeter version of a classic Japanese teriyaki chicken recipe.
5 Star Review
“A hit! This was so easy to make, and my hard-to-please eaters really enjoyed it!”
— Jenni —
How to Make Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
With easy prep and an even easier ingredients list, this crock pot teriyaki chicken recipe is one you’ll want to make on repeat.
It’s family-friendly and tastes amazing leftover.
The Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs. For max tenderness, I opted for slow cooker teriyaki chicken thighs. Even though I usually prefer white meat, by the time the chicken thighs are bathed in that wonderful homemade honey teriyaki sauce, the dark meat is undetectable.
- Soy. The main flavor maker in our homemade teriyaki sauce. It adds delightful umami goodness. I used low-sodium soy sauce to keep the sauce from becoming too salty.
- Rice Vinegar. Acidity with a hint of sweetness.
- Honey + Brown Sugar. Teriyaki sauce needs some sweetness, so I chose to use a combination of honey and brown sugar. Both ingredients also help make the sauce thick and sticky.
- Garlic + Ginger. The classic duo that creates exceptional, can’t-be-missed flavor.
- Cornstarch. A teriyaki chicken cornstarch slurry helps thicken the sauce.
The Directions
- Add the chicken to a slow cooker.
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together, then pour it over the chicken.
- Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours. Shred the chicken. Strain the sauce into a saucepan.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan, cooking over medium-high heat until thickened. Remove it from the heat.
- Stir the chicken into the sauce. Serve with rice or quinoa, sesame seeds, and green onions. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze teriyaki chicken in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Slow Cooker. Perfect for making slow cooker teriyaki chicken and vegetables.
- Instant Read Thermometer. A foolproof way to tell when your chicken is done.
- Measuring Spoons. Double-sided measuring spoons means less dishes to wash.
Programmable Slow Cooker
This slow cooker switches to “keep warm” after the cooking time has ended to deter overcooking. It’s perfect for any of your favorite slow cooker meals!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can overcook pulled chicken in a slow cooker. 2 hours on HIGH or 4 hours on LOW is how long chicken cooks in a crockpot. To ensure you don’t overcook the chicken, follow the cook times listed in the recipe instructions. For ease, you can also use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness.
Generally, takeout teriyaki chicken is not good for you because of its high levels of sugar and sodium. This crock pot teriyaki chicken, however, uses less sugar than most restaurant-style teriyaki chicken dishes. To keep the sodium level low, I also made this as a low-sodium Kikkoman teriyaki chicken slow cooker recipe.
While it is safe to slow cook chicken in a crock pot, you cannot put frozen chicken in a crockpot. The chicken may spend too long at room temperature and become unsafe to eat.
To boost the recipe’s nutrition content and add flavor, you could make this into a crock pot teriyaki chicken with pineapple (add diced pineapple a the end) or a crock pot teriyaki chicken and broccoli (serve it with my Grilled Broccoli or Air Fryer Broccoli, or stir in broccoli florets during the last hour or so of cooking).
Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Toasted sesame seeds for serving
- Chopped green onions for serving
- Prepared brown rice quinoa, or other whole grain, for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Pour over the chicken thighs.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and shred with two forks. Strain the cooking liquid through a mesh sieve and into a medium saucepan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to the strained cooking liquid, whisk to incorporate, then heat the saucepan over medium high, stirring constantly until the sauce bubbles. Continue cooking and stirring until glossy and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the chicken to the sauce. Toss to coat. Serve warm with rice or quinoa, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions as desired.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze teriyaki chicken in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Okay, this is such a traditional recipe that most people love and yet somehow you have made it look WAY BETTER and SO DREAMY LOOKING! You go girl! And did I mention how much I love that it is a crockpot meal? GORGEOUS PHOTOS!
hey girl- This looks so good! Good luck on your stove! I’ll be praying!
This looks really wonderful Erin! Love that you shared a way to make teriyaki sauce at home with staple ingredients. Shared!
Hi Erin! Sorry to hear about your stove. I am happy to hear that there will be lots of crock pot recipes coming in store on your site – my crockpot has a special place in my heart ❤️ and in fact I call my Pinterest board for crockpot recipes ‘crockpot saviors’ because that’s what those recipes are to me – they save me so much time!! – Bita
Bita, if you love the crockpot, keep an eye out for next Monday’s recipe :-) Thank you so much for your kind words!
HI Eric,
I look forward on seeing what else you my have that is new. I really like all your recipes. Thank you for having this Web site.
Thank you, Milene! I hope you find some new favorite recipes!
thank heavens for a slow cooker!!! but is this a blessing in disguise…slash are you shopping for your dream stove?
You know it girl! xo
I can’t imagine being without a stove, but at least you’re a fabulous cook and can create delicious slow cooker recipes like this! It looks so delicious – teriyaki is definitely a long time favorite of mine.
Hi, Erin! This sounds delicious. Have you tried it with boneless chicken breast? I am thinking about cutting the chicken breast into bite sized pieces before cooking. I would appreciate your opinion. Thank you!
Hi Candy! To be honest, chicken breast is really tricky in the slow cooker, because it dries out so easily. You definitely don’t want to cut it up, because that will make things even worse. If you truly don’t care for chicken thighs (which although I’m more of a white meat girl myself I don’t notice at all in this recipe), then I would suggest you use bone-in chicken breast if you can. If you do decide to use boneless chicken breast, definitely keep it whole and check the cooking time early. I hope that helps!
Hi, Erin! I thought about the chicken breast getting too dry so I will give the chicken thighs a try. Love your recipies!!
Thank you for your response!
Hi Just thought I would add my comment here, I just used with 3 large chicken breast (I didn’t even think about it drying out, whoops) and honestly it turned out perfect. Great flavour! Lovely recipe :)
Sarah, thank you for sharing this note, and I’m so glad that you loved the recipe!!
I hope you get your new stove soon! You’re going to love having a gas stove.
This recipe looks great! I printed it for dinner. I love that it’s a slow cooker recipe. I appreciate that you started adding nutritional info. It’s useful to have as a guide.
Leila, thank you and I really hope so too! We are just waiting to confirm a delivery date. And I’m so glad that you like the recipe and that the nutritional info has been helpful for you. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out :-)
Hi Erin. I was wondering why you have to strain the cooking liquid. Recipe sounds great, however. Can’t wait to try it.
Ann, there is some fat from the chicken that gets into the cooking liquid. I prefer to strain that out so that the teriyaki sauce is nice and smooth. I hope you love the recipe!
I’m wondering if you can use salmon instead and what the cook time would be? It looks delicious! Thank you!
Hi Sophia! Although you could experiment with making a scaled-down version of the sauce on the stove and brush it over salmon, I’ve never heard of making salmon in a slow cooker. Since salmon cooks so quickly, I fear it would become mushy and dry. If you’d like to make salmon, these two recipes are great: https://www.wellplated.com/balsamic-glazed-salmon/ and https://www.wellplated.com/balsamic-glazed-salmon/. I hope that helps!
Hi Erin,
I’d like to add some veggies to this–perhaps broccoli and/or mushrooms. Do you have thoughts on how best to do that?
Thanks!
Hi Dawn!
I wouldn’t suggest putting veggies in the slow cooker w/ the chicken, as they will get overly mushy and the fat that cooks out of the chicken (and that you strain before making the sauce) might give them a weird texture. I’d suggest simply sautéing or steaming some veggies on the side, then mixing them in with the chicken once it’s done. Peas, red peppers, and broccoli would all be great!
Made this chicken last weekend, with a slight variation -threw in some frozen stir fry veggies and brown Minute Rice for the last 30 minutes to make it a complete meal in the slow cooker. Love having one-pot recipes like this that I can easily throw together on a Friday when we’re all tired and don’t want to cook or do dishes!
Kelly, I am so happy to hear that you all enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing the tip about the veggies too!
I made this tonight, and it was incredible! It’s my new go-to chicken in the crockpot recipe! The chicken is tender and moist, and the saucy is so yummy! I also love that it can be cooked in 2 hours on high because I forgot to put it on until 2pm today!
Thanks for another great recipe, Erin! :)
HOORAY!!! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and stopping back by to share your review. It means a lot :)
that looks so good. thanks for your sharing the recipe
How would you suggest cooking the chicken if you don’t have a crockpot? The sauce sounds great so I would love to try this recipe!
Hi Rose! I’ve never made this recipe any other way besides the crockpot, so I cannot say for certain. You could try cooking the chicken in the sauce on the stove, and just watch it for doneness. You should be able to reduce the sauce on the stove the same way the directions specify. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it turns out. I hope you enjoy it!
Tried it today and it turned out awesome! Made the sauce in a saucepan first and then transferred it to a skillet and cooked the chicken in the sauce :)
I am so happy to hear that Rose! Thanks so much for sharing how the stovetop method worked for you as well—it’s so helpful to know and I know will benefit others too. You are the best!
Hi.could you tell me how long you cooked on stove please?
Can you use with frozen chicken thighs? I am trying and cooking for 4-5 hours in high. Will this affect the sauce?
hi Leila! You cannot put frozen chicken in a crockpot. The chicken may spend too long at room temperature and become unsafe to eat.
Wow, just wow. Found your recipe this morning, and used it for this weeks meal prep – lunch. Just tasted the chicken, and it is nothing short of amazingly delicious! Thank you for sharing, this one is definitely going in my meal prep rotation.
Shannon, I am so excited to hear that you loved this so much! Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing this kind review!
Looks so yummy. Can you make a big batch of this and freeze leftovers? I’m all about having something on hand for crazy days and for family to eat when I’m out of town. Would be great to pull this out of freezer for a quick meal.
Hi Annie! Yes, this recipe freezes beautifully. I would suggest cooking the recipe as instructed, cooling completely, and then freezing. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. I’d recommend reheating on the stove with some chicken stock to prevent it from drying out. I hope you love the recipe!
so delicious! I served with roasted carrots..only change I made was slicing the chicken so I didn’t have to shred & put the cornstarch mixture in the crock pot.(saving on dishes)…it’s a keeper!!!!
Yay, Karin! So glad this turned out to be a keeper for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind review!
Hi sounds sooo good, would like to make for our Sunday dinner. If i dont have rice wine vinegar what can i use?
Hi Brenda, rice vinegar has a unique taste of its own, and that’s what I recommend, but if you’re really in a pinch, cider vinegar would be the best option. Like rice vinegar, it’s mild, so the flavor won’t overpower the dish like a wine or balsamic vinegar would. I hope you enjoy it!
Where is the high sodium coming from? Any suggestions on cutting it down?
Hi Susan, the soy sauce is the source of sodium here. It’s a tricky ingredient to substitute to decrease the sodium, however, since this recipe already calls for a low-sodium soy sauce. I’ve never tried substituting the ingredient myself, so you’d be experimenting, but I know that some people use coconut aminos for a lower-sodium substitute. If you do decide to give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes.
Love how simple this ingredient list is, so perfect for weeknights!
Hi Erin,
What is the serving size? Is it one cup? Thanks!
Hi Meg, the serving size is 1/4 of the recipe. Unfortunately I haven’t measured the specific portion sizes, so I don’t have an exact cup amount to share. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’m going to make this tomorrow night and serve it over a bed of spiralized vegetables..broccoli stems, broccoli flowerettes, red pepper, carrots, sautéed in garlic. We’re going to have some happy campers lickin their lips.
That sounds delicious! I hope you enjoy!
Another fantastic recipe! I seriously can’t wait to try this one out…likely will be in my meal plan for next week. Knowing your love for pressure cookers, I will likely turn this one into a pressure cooker recipe as well. Thank you for the share!
I love the simplicity of this. I like teriyaki and the list of ingredients here is perfect. Another good excuse to use my crockpot.
Thanks, Susan! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Dinner winner!
Free samples are my jam! and so is this recipe. My crock pot has been busy, thanks to you! YUM!
Looks totally bonkers delicious!!
hey girl- this looks so good!
Thanks so much, Shawnna!
My kind of dinner!!
This was delicious! I cut back on the honey and brown sugar as we don’t like things really sweet, and it was perfect. Great easy meal. Thanks.
Sue, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing your tweaks and how it went!
do you use frozen chicken or does it have to be already thawed out?
Hi Lesley, the chicken should be thawed before using it in this recipe. I hope you enjoy!
This recipe is delicious! I’ve made it three or four times in the month or so since I discovered it. So easy to throw together on a busy weeknight, and the chicken turns out perfectly tender in the crockpot. My husband and I have it with riced cauliflower to keep calories low (he’s trying to lose a few pounds!). It’s also great with cooked broccoli tossed in at the end!
YAY Stephanie, I’m so happy to hear this recipe is a new favorite! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful review and share how you like to serve it!
not sure how this is good for a busy weeknight, you get home from work and then have to spend a few hours cooking this? Sure, you can toss it in and do other stuff, but dinner is then how late?
Hi Justin! I suppose it depends on when you get started and if you want to cook the recipe on low heat or high. You could prep everything in the morning, then toss it into your slow cooker on high when you get home. Otherwise, I’d look at some non-slow cooker recipe if you tend to get home on the later side.
Delicious! The house smelled wonderful after the 4 hour slow cooking. Made last night for the family with brown rice and broccoli. My son suggested a fried egg on top would gone really well too.
The fried egg would be delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lindsay. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I just threw this in the cockpot a while ago so we can go out to the pumpkin patch and have a healthy dinner waiting when we get back. I made sauce as written but added some mushrooms and peppers. It already smells amazing in here! Can’t wait to eat it!!!
Kylie, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Hi Erin- Have you tried doubling or tripling this recipe? I’d like to do so and am wondering if it will change the cook times and amount of other ingredients? Thank you!
Sachi, I have not! I think you can get away with about 1.5 times the recipe though.
Can I pour the cornstarch/water mixture in the slow cooker right away? I’m just scared of spilling when pouring out the crock pot.
Hi Matthew! You’ll want to strain the cooking liquid, so I suggest pouring it slowly and carefully. Just use a big sieve and big bowl if you want to try to give yourself more wiggle room. Also, pour with confidence and don’t hesitate. I bet it will go better than you think!
I’m a nooby cooker, so I probably put a tad too much or smidge too little of some ingredients into this and the seasoned brown rice I made, but I wasn’t impressed by the taste of the chicken :( Sure it tasted alright and home-cooked and all, but maybe I just don’t like Teriyaki flavor like I thought I did? Personally, I would prefer to get Chinese takeout
Hi Nick, I’m sorry this wasn’t to your taste! As you can see from the comments, many readers have made it and enjoy it, but I know everyone’s preferences are different. I truly wish you would have enjoyed it!
This recipe is unbelievably tasty and very simply to make! I tossed this together yesterday afternoon and my husband and I voted it one of our top 3 meals! I used this recipe with 4 chicken breasts. Cooked about 3 1/2 hours on low. Tossed in some peas and corn at the end because I had them in the freezer. Served over brown rice. I even used crystallized ginger because I didn’t but have any fresh in the house and it worked out just fine! LOVED this, will be a staple in our kitchen!
Christine I am so so happy to hear that you all enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know!
Tried it today and LOVED It!!!! so easy to make and absolutely delicious!!! thanks so much for sharing!!!
I didn’t use ginger or vinegar just because I didn’t have any but it still came out great!
Added some sliced courgette in the last 30 minutes for some veggie and was great. Will try mushroom and other veg next time :))
SOOOOO happy to hear you loved this, thank you for letting me know and sharing this lovely review! I love your veggie idea too :)
My family LOVES this recipe. I’ve made it twice, once with Chicken Breasts and lastly with thighs. It was so much better with chicken thighs. It definitely dried out more with the Breasts and was more shredded so thighs are the way to go. We served it with roasted cauliflower and it was delicious. Next time I will double it because there were no leftovers for four of us and leftovers are great! Thanks Erin. Love your website and can’t wait for your book. Recipes never disappoint!
Donna, I’m glad this recipe is a hit! Thanks for the kind words about my site and upcoming book too—I truly appreciate it!
BEWARE! Watch your sodium levels with this one. I just made the dish with low sodium kikkoman’s soy sauce. It has 575mg of sodium per serving, which is 1 tbsp. There are 16 tbsp in a cup. So 575 x 10.67 = 6135.25mg of salt with this recipe from the soy sauce alone (if you use kikkoman’s).
In my opinion this dish was overwhelmingly salty (again with kikkoman’s). If you do make this I’d suggest lightly coating the chicken with the sauce instead of using all of the sauce. I did try the chicken before coating it with the sauce and the chicken tasted pretty good. So maybe use the sauce while cooking the chicken, but don’t thicken it and use it again. That feels like a lot of wasted materials though.
Hi Justin! The amount of sodium in this dish will certainly vary based on the specific ingredients used. If sodium intake is a concern, you could experiment by using less soy sauce or by swapping it with a lower-sodium substitute like coconut aminos. I’ve never tried substituting the ingredient myself, so you’d be experimenting. I’m happy you were able to enjoy the flavor of the chicken!
I liked it but it was really salty, how could I make it sweeter?
Hi Heather! The saltiness in this dish will certainly vary based on the specific ingredients used. You could experiment by using less soy sauce or by swapping it with a lower-sodium substitute like coconut aminos. I’ve never tried substituting the ingredient myself, so you’d be experimenting. I’m happy you were able to enjoy the dish!
Big hit in our house tonight! I used about a pound extra of the chicken and had plenty of sauce. Yum. And so easy.
Kelly, I am so so happy to hear it. Thank you for sharing!
I liked it and will make again but it came out a little sweet for me. I’m going to cut back on the sugar next time.
I’m happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Kim! Thank you for taking the time to report back!
How do you not include the protein on the nutrition info?
Hi John, I’ve updated the recipe with the protein estimate. If nutritional content is important to you, I recommend using a nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal to find the best estimate based on your specific ingredients.
So tasty and so good! Adding this to my recipes!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Sabrina! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
I made this tonight. I will say that I was super salty. I followed the directions and ingredients as well. Is there a way to not make it so salty?
Hi Feen! The saltiness in this dish will certainly vary based on the specific ingredients used. You could experiment by using less soy sauce or by swapping it with a lower-sodium substitute like coconut aminos. I’ve never tried substituting the ingredient myself, so you’d be experimenting. I hope you were able to enjoy the dish!
This looks so delicious! I wonder if there is a way to make this in an instant pot. I don’t have a slow cooker ?
Hi Anna! I actually have a recipe for Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken on my site. I hope this helps!
My husband and I love this recipe. I made it last week and it was better than the take out that we get. A definite bonus is how quickly this recipe comes together. This will definitely be in the monthly meal line up!
I’m so happy to hear that this was a hit, Emily! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
My slow cooker is only 4.5 quarts. Is it really too small for this recipe?
Brandon, I think that will be OK! I hope you love the recipe.
can I use ginger spice instead of fresh ginger
Hi Tracy! Ground ginger won’t have the same liveliness and punch that fresh does, but if you don’t mind losing some of the flavor in the name of ease (which I totally get!), you can use 1/3 the amount of ground. I hope this helps!
Hi Erin
I made the teriyaki chicken with the fresh ginger root. It was delicious. The only problem that I saw was that when I try to take the Teriyaki juice to make it the the sauce it would not coagulate or it would not stick in so I was disappointed in that part. But it was still delicious. Next time I’m going to make a double batch and double the recipe.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the dish, Tracy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Delicious. Will make again. Added a few drops of chili oil to get a small bit of heat.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Barbara! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Could I make this with frozen chicken breasts with a longer cook time?
Hi Ruth! I do not recommend using frozen chicken in a slow cooker, as it may spend too much time at room temperature and become unsafe to eat. I suggest thawing them first. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
This is an amazing easy healthy recipe! It turned out great and taste delicious. Definitely will make it again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Azianess! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I am dying to try this but I’m confused. The directions say to “shred the chicken,” but the pictures clearly show chunks of chicken. And I’d rather have chunks than shredded bits! Which is correct?
Hi Feebee! The chicken in the photos is shredded (I just left my pieces chunky). You can shred them as chunky or as fine as you like.
This came out wonderfully! My husband says he doesn’t like slow cooker foods, but he really likes this. I made it in my 2 1/2 qt slow cooker (still plenty of room to spare) and modified it by mixing in the cornstarch along with all the other ingredients, omitted the water, subbed 1tsp ground ginger for the fresh, and used a homemade soy sauce substitute- as I must *really* watch my sodium. Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Laura! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi! Newbie cook here. Our supermarket don’t normally sell boneless chicken thigh, and I worry I will waste a lot of meat if I cut out the bones myself. Is it ok to use bone in chicken thighs? Do I need to make any adjustments? Thank you!
Hi Chachie! That should work great. They may take a little longer to cook, so you’ll want to check them for doneness before shredding/serving. I hope this helps!
Bone in thigh worked well. Tastes good ?
I’ll probably use a different brand of low sodium soy sauce next time though. Seems all of us who used Kikoman find it a little salty. I just added more honey to balance it out.
Thanks again (appreciating you all the way from Asia)!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Chachie! Thank you for reporting back!
What would be the cook time for chicken breast? The same?
Hi Ali! It will depend on the type and size of your chicken breasts. I would suggest you use bone-in chicken breast if you can to help make sure it doesn’t dry out. If you do decide to use boneless chicken breast, definitely keep it whole and check them early and often. I hope that helps!
Super easy to make! Was a hit with my husband! Chicken thighs were flavorful and moist! Will make again! I love that it’s a slow cooker meal, but doesn’t take all day long.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kaitlin! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hello! Love the recipe! But how is this low fat?! When I entered the recipe into my fitness app to track my macros, it said this recipe was anything but low fat! I followed the recipe to a T. Thanks in advance!
Hi Jessica! The nutrition information is just an estimate based on the ingredients I used, so the numbers can change based on your specific ingredients. The estimate also does not include the rice. I’m happy that you enjoyed the recipe!
Jessica,
The use of chicken thighs will add to the fat content. If you want a lower fat version, try using chicken breat.
Make sure that when you put the recipe into your Fitness App tracker you say boneless SKINLESS chicken thighs or else it will count the skin towards your fat content. If that is still too high in fat for you, then use chicken breasts instead of thighs. It won’t taste as good, but the fat content will be much lower.
What happens if I use thighs with bones and skin??
Hi Creshendah! Bone-in should work fine. They may take a little longer to cook, so you’ll want to check them for doneness before shredding/serving. However, I would recommend removing any skin before cooking, as it will get soggy. I hope this helps!
One of my favorite recipes! We make this about every couple of weeks. I want to make this tomrorow, but I won’t have time to prepare the sauce in the morning before work; can the sauce be prepared a day ahead of time and refrigerated overnight?
Hi Alicia! So glad you enjoy the recipe! You should be able to put it together ahead of time but you may need to give it a good whisk before pouring it over the chicken. If you decide to experiment with it, let me know how it goes!
What happens if you put cornstarch in liquid mix
Hi KK! I recommend creating the cornstarch slurry called for in the recipe. This will help keep the cornstarch from clumping in the sauce. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Hi. I don’t have corn starch on hand. Can I use flour instead?
Hi Aim! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so you’d be experimenting. You’d likely need to use more flour to thicken it up. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
This was genuinely so good and easy to cook! I loved it
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Alicia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This looks delicious! What should i adjust my cooking time to when using chicken breast instead of thighs? I don’t want to dry it out. Thank you!
Hi Carolyn! It will depend on the type and size of your chicken breasts. I would suggest you use bone-in chicken breast if you can to help make sure it doesn’t dry out. If you do decide to use boneless chicken breast, definitely keep it whole and check them early and often. I hope that helps!
Love this recipe! I stuck to the recipe as written and served over jasmine rice. Loved the recipe so much that I am making it again this weekend!!
Thank you, Erin for a delicious recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Janice! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Highly recommend. Very easy recipe and pretty delicious. The onion and sesame really add to it. After being disappointed with a crockpot lo mein I decided to give this one a try. Glad I did. Thanks for the recipe, this will be a go to now.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Max! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I loved this recipe! So easy to make and tastes so good. I even tried it with beef and that was just as delicious :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Jade! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This was a hit with my family of 5 (3 kids). Definitely put into dinner rotations. I only had ground ginger instead of minced, and it still turned out delish!
So glad the whole family enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
Can I make this in the Instant Pot and would anything need to be changed?
Hi Fran! I have an instant pot version you’d might like! https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-teriyaki-chicken/
A hit! This was so easy to make, and my hard-to-please eaters really enjoyed it! I thought the chicken was tasty without adding the sauce back on. Both ways were delicious!
Hi Jenni! So glad you enjoyed the chicken! Thank you for this kind review!
As a single gal, I have one of those small 3qt round rival crockpots passed down from my mom, will this recipe fit or will I need to make adjustments?
Hi Amanda, I’m sorry but I haven’t tested this out in a 3qt crockpot. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes.
Trying this recipe out today. It looks good. For those who are asking about chicken breasts instead of legs try coating them in cornstarch and letting them set 20or 30 minutes.
Hope you enjoy it Marilynn!
Hi Jess, I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it, so I truly wish it would have been a hit for you. I would definitely make sure you are using low-sodium soy sauce and if it’s too much for you, feel free to reduce the amount.
Any chance I can make this without the brown sugar? Ideas for a substitute or just omit? Thank you!!
Hi Mandee! You can just omit it. Hope you enjoy it!
You don’t mention how much of each ingredient! It makes a difference!
Hi Rita. I’m confused because I see it on my end. The full recipe with the measurements was right in the recipe card above the area where you commented. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page as well to help get you to the recipe card faster. Can you please double check? Thanks!
Easy to make and everybody loves it.
Hi Cindy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
The method was super easy and the texture of the chicken was good, but the flavor was disappointing. SO salty, only a little sweet (and yes, used low sodium soy sauce).
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Mamainsea. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it, so I truly wish it would have been a hit for you.
Made it several times!! The chicken is so moist and the sauce is amazing!
Hi Melissa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
What is the serving size???
Hi Sam! It’s 1/4 of the recipe without the rice. Hope you enjoy it!
I used powdered ginger instead of fresh and the dish was so salty we could not eat it. Used low sodium teriyaki and ingredients as labeled. Ginger, powdered, has very low sodium. Why was the dish so salty? Seems everyone else had good luck with it.
Hi Keta, the powdered ginger would definitely not give you a salty taste at all. This calls for soy sauce not teriyaki sauce so wondering if that was the reason?
The same happened to me as well. I followed all instructions and meal prepped this for the week. It’s so salty my stomach is turning from a single bite.
I used regular soy sauce- I am now worried how much sodium I am consuming if I neutralize it out.
I’m sorry to hear that Maddie. This recipe was intended to be made with low sodium soy sauce.
Unfortunately this was a disappointment to me. It smelled delicious when cooking but at the end of 4 hours on low I was left with dry chicken thighs and a sauce that tasted oily and salty. I added brown sugar to try to help and it made it eatable but nothing could help the dry texture of the thighs.
Sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would of been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it not turn out for you.
I made this meal today for dinner everyone enjoyed it the homemade teriyaki sauce is the best especially that the chicken marinating into it for four hours easy to prepare just follow directions
Hi Yvette! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
So I want to try this tonight, do you think the cook time will be longer if I did 5lbs of chicken instead of 1? Also, do you think 5lbs is going to fit/cook right in an average size crockpot?
Hi Lauren! I haven’t tested it out myself so it would be hard for to say if it fits into your crockpot. You would likely need extra time, but again can’t say for sure. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Hi Erin, I did end up experimenting and I’m so happy I did! All 8 thighs, 5.36 lbs, fit nicely and I tripled the recipe to make enough sauce and it turned out wonderful! The cook time remained the same, I got nervous half way through but checked it with the meat thermometer at time and it was done! All 4 of my picky eaters were silent through dinner last night because they couldn’t get enough!
Really happy to hear this Lauren! Thank you for taking the time and coming back to tell us!
I like to saute a bag of teriyaki veggie salad mix, and mix that and the rice into the pot after I shred the chicken. Makes for a delicious complete meal in one pot.
Thanks for the tip!
How come it doesn’t say what quantities of each ingredient to use? Have no clue how much soy sauce etc is needed. Useless. Every other recipe site has all measured ingredients.
Hi Ryan! I’m so confused, because I see it on my end! The recipe is in the recipe card, right above the area where you commented. You can also click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the screen to get you there faster. Could you please check again!
My kids are sooooo picky!! I just finished making this for dinner. Everyone had a clean plate, including my 14 year old who barely eats meat. This recipe is definitely going in the recipe rotation, we all loved it and it was so easy to make!! Thank you!!
So happy to hear that Terri!
Absolutely a hit both times I’ve made it. I’m definitely glad I bought low sodium soya sauce instead of using the regular that I already had. Delicious with a cheater veggie fried rice. Great meal for company or just with the family although I am planning on doubling it next time as there weren’t leftovers
Hi Lauryn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious!! I made this with about 6 chicken thighs and only needed about half the sauce in the end. The other half is perfect for a tofu marinade or mixed into a fried rice. Amazing work as always Erin, your blog is always my favorite to visit :)
Hi Em! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made it and everyone really liked it. The only thing that was not as expected was the sauce was not as sweet as our normal teriyaki sauce we get, say panda. :) very flavorful dish will make white rice as the side.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
On a whim, I made the chicken teriyaki….a triple batch. It was absolute 🔥🔥🔥🔥. So much so, that I am not searching for her recipe books lol. SUPER EASY!!!
Hi Nate! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can you cut chicken into chunks and then cook in crockpot
I’m sure you could Pam. I think it will cooking quicker that way. Enjoy!
This was wonderful! I added some frozen vegetables during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Everyone loved it!
So glad to hear it Mandy!
Made this tonight for meal prep lunch this week and my goodness- so damn yummy! Homemade sauce was a crowd pleaser as my sisters were here to eat the leftover sauce that I laid over sautéed veggies and rice 😂 good job, Erin! Killer recipe. The only tidbit I changed was seasoning the chicken just a bit before pouring the sauce in the crockpot. Thanks!
Hooray! Thank you Aliyyah!