Japanese-inspired
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Chicken thighs cook in a soy-ginger sauce until they reach 165°F, then the sauce is thickened on the stove. Serve it over rice so the sweet-salty glaze has a place to land.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- The sauce is soy, honey, ginger, and garlic, not a bottle of corn syrup.
- Thighs stay juicy while the flavor concentrates.
- A cornstarch slurry at the end turns the broth into a glaze.
- The temperature check is simple: 165°F in the thickest piece.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Thaw the chicken completely in the refrigerator if it was frozen. Do not put frozen chicken in the slow cooker. Pat the thighs dry. Do not rinse the chicken.
- 2
Stir the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, broth, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in the slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn it to coat.
- 3
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- 4
Check the thickest thigh away from any pooling sauce. It must read 165°F. If it does not, cover and continue cooking, then check again.
- 5
Move the chicken to a board and shred or slice it. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan. Stir the cornstarch and water together and whisk that slurry into the sauce. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- 6
Return the chicken to the sauce and toss. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Pro tips
- Honey scorches on high. Keep the cooker on low.
- Reduce the sauce in a saucepan, not in the crock, so you can see it thicken.
- Slice rather than shred if you want neater pieces over rice.
Easy substitutions
- Honey
- Brown sugar, 1/3 cup packed.
- Rice vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Chicken thighs
- Chicken breasts. Check early and pull them at 165°F so they do not dry out.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate chicken and sauce for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm in a covered skillet with a splash of water until the chicken reads 165°F.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 330
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Budget friendly · Slow Cooker, Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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