Last Updated on January 13, 2023 by Anne-Marie

Serve this slow cooker teriyaki chicken with broccoli for dinner. Making this easy recipe at home is so much better than getting takeout from your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Why this recipe works

When you make this easy slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe for dinner you'll find that everyone will ask for seconds.

This is one of our family favorite weeknight dinners because of the delicious chicken.

But it’ll be your favorite new recipe, too. That’s because it’s so easy to start this slow cooker recipe at lunchtime with a minimum of meal prep.

See below on how to make this slow cooker chicken recipe a quick and easy freezer meal, too!

(Looking for more Asian recipes? Check out 35 of the Best Recipes to Serve with Fried Rice! )

Ingredients

• boneless skinless chicken breast
• white sugar or Swerve Sweetener
• brown sugar or Swerve Sweetener, Brown, packed
• minced garlic
• fresh minced ginger
• low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
• cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• fresh orange juice
• cornstarch
• water
• sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

How to make crock pot teriyaki chicken

Use slow cooker liners for easy crock-pot cleanup. Serve this slow cooker recipe with steamed vegetables and rice for a complete meal.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and brown sugar (or sugar substitutes) minced garlic, and minced ginger.

Then whisk in soy sauce, cider vinegar, and orange juice until well combined.

2. Prepare slow cooker liner by spraying it with cooking spray or lining it with a slow cooker liner.

3. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker.

4. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts.

5. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.

6. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

7. In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and water. Stir the cornstarch slurry until well combined with no clumps.

8. Ladle or pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a small saucepan. Heat the sauce slightly, then slowly pour the corn starch mixture into the teriyaki sauce, whisking constantly.

9. Cook while whisking until thick and heated, about 10 minutes.

10. Slice or pull the chicken and place it in a serving bowl. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the chicken.

11. Serve the recipe for crock pot teriyaki chicken immediately with vegetables, white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.

12. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if you wish.

13. Store crockpot chicken teriyaki leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FAQs

What kind of chicken?

This recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Can I use frozen chicken?

Yes, you can use frozen chicken. Just make sure it’s boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?

Sure, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this crockpot teriyaki chicken recipe.

However, if you’re watching calories you may want to do a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breasts just to keep it a healthy dinner.

If you love Asian chicken recipes, check out my Best Gluten Free General Tso Chicken Recipe.

Can this recipe be made ahead of time?

Here are some meal prep ideas for making this easy recipe ahead of time:

Ziploc bag method

1. Place chicken in a large resealable bag.
2. Then make the sauce and pour it over chicken.
3. Place it in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Then dump the marinated chicken in your prepared slow cooker, either lined with a slow cooker liner or sprayed with cooking spray.
5. Then cook per the directions.

Right in your slow cooker

You can also prepare this crock pot chicken teriyaki recipe right in your slow cooker crock.

Then store the crock with the lid on in the fridge overnight. Then cook per the directions.

More recipe tips

Jarred minced garlic: Save time using jarred minced garlic. One teaspoon of minced garlic equals a clove of garlic.

Mincing ginger: The easiest way to mince fresh ginger is by using a citrus zester. Just cut off the tough outside skin, then grate it on the zester.

I love the Zesty Citrus Lemon Zester & Cheese Grater. I’ve had it for over four years now and it works great for cheese, citrus, and ginger.

Vinegar: You can use either apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. White and rice wine vinegar also work in a pinch.

Can I make this a keto recipe?

Yes, here’s how:

Use a sugar substitute

If you're on a keto, low-carb, or diabetic diet, feel free to use a sugar substitute for the white and brown sugars.

I love Swerve Sweetener. You can also use  powdered monk fruit sweetener, which is another natural no-calorie sweetener.

My favorite brown sugar substitute is Swerve Sweetener, Brown.

Here are two other low-carb sugar-free brown sugars that get 4 stars and better reviews on Amazon:

● Sukrin Gold - Natural Brown Sugar Alternative

● Health Garden Monk Fruit Sweetener, Golden

All of these taste great and have no funky aftertaste.

What about the orange juice?

You can use a lower carb orange juice like Tropicana Trop50.

Or use half 1/8 cup orange juice and 1/8 cup water to dilute the sugars.

Rice substitutes

Cauliflower rice is a terrific low-carb substitute for rice.

Then serve up this healthy dinner with your favorite keto-friendly vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, eggplant, and bell peppers.

Making a gluten-free chicken teriyaki crock pot recipe

Soy sauce: When making a gluten-free homemade teriyaki sauce you must make sure that your soy sauce is gluten-free.

Try to find a gluten-free low sodium soy sauce for this teriyaki sauce recipe.

Or use low-sodium tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos.

What to serve with teriyaki chicken

You can serve slow cooker chicken teriyaki recipes with a variety of family favorite side dishes like:

Rice: Make rice in a rice cooker. I love using rice cookers since you get perfect rice every time.

If you cook rice frequently, invest in the best rice cooker you can afford.

You can serve white rice or brown rice with slow cooker teriyaki chicken.

Quinoa: I like serving chicken teriyaki in crock-pot with quinoa for an extra boost of protein and fiber.

Some people find quinoa kind of bitter. That’s because you have to rinse your quinoa before cooking! You see, rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy.

To remove the saponin, place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 2 minutes. Problem solved.

I also use quinoa in Shrimp Puttanesca and a wholesome Fruit and Yogurt

Salad: Try a crunchy and zesty salad like Cucumber Onion Salad or an Asian-flavored salad like Asian Watermelon Fruit Salad.

Can I add veggies to this?

Serve up this delicious chicken dish with your favorite vegetables like tender broccoli, sliced bell peppers, snap peas, chopped broccoli rabe, or some bean sprouts.

Make this an easy dinner by using frozen vegetables:

1. Microwave a bag or two of Asian stir fry veggies.
2. Drain the bags of any extra moisture.
3. Adding the vegetables to the serving bowl.
4. Then pour the rest of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and vegetables.

How to turn this into a freezer meal

You can turn this recipe into a freezer meal by storing it uncooked in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Just place the uncooked chicken in a large resealable bag. Then make the sauce and pour over the chicken.

Label and date the bag and store flat in the freezer. The uncooked meal should stay good for three months.

Defrost it on a plate in the refrigerator overnight and cook as directed in the recipe below.

You can also make a double batch. Cook half and freeze half.

More slow cooker chicken recipes

Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Try these:

● Crockpot Whole Chicken

● Crock Pot Crack Chicken Recipe

● Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe

● Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe

● Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders Recipe

● Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Recipe with Quinoa

● Slow Cooker Creamy Verde Chicken Chili Recipe

What's your go-to slow cooker chicken recipe for dinner?