Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken (+ Instant Pot) + Recipe Video

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken – this recipe is the perfect set and forget meal with a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. Best of all, just 10 minutes of prep made in a crock-pot or your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Plus keto-friendly options and a step-by-step recipe video!

I decided to re-post this Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken recipe with some updated photos and include instructions for making it in an Instant Pot.

And for those that are following a paleo, low carb or ketogenic diet, in the recipe I’ve also included some substitutes that you can use.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER TERIYAKI CHICKEN?

This recipe for chicken teriyaki couldn’t be easier to make. It’s a simple set and forget meal with just 10 minutes of prep making it just perfect for busy weeknights.

Skip the bottled sauce by making this homemade teriyaki sauce. It’s super easy to make with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, Mirin, garlic and ginger.

Mirin is pretty easy to find these days in the International section of most large grocery stores and online but you can definitely leave it out or use dry sherry or rice wine instead.

For a keto friendly version of teriyaki chicken, swap the honey for a low carb sweetener and leave out the Mirin.

Everything gets tossed into the slow cooker while the chicken soaks in all that amazing sweet and savory sauce. Once the chicken is nice and tender, just grab two forks and shred them into bite-sized pieces.

You can serve this over your favorite rice, zoodles, quinoa or noodles. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds and scallions and you’ve got a delicious meal that can easily rival your local take-out restaurant.

This Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken would also make great leftovers or if you prep this on your Sunday meal prep, you can have yummy work or school lunches for the rest of the week. You could even pack some chopsticks to make it an authentic Asian meal.

MEAL PREP TIPS FOR SLOW COOKER TERIYAKI CHICKEN:

• Mix the sauce ingredients together the day before and store in an air-tight container in the fridge
• Make the rice or noodles the day before and store in an air-tight container in the fridge
• Weekly meal prep or the leftovers can be packed into lunch containers for the week – I use this lunch container
• Pack with your favorite vegetables (broccoli & edamame shown here) and carbs – Jasmine rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or spiralized vegetables – zoodles

More lunch bowl ideas:

General Tso’s Chicken Lunch Bowls

Chicken Chow Mein Lunch Bowls

Slow Cooker Orange Lunch Bowls

Chicken Lo Mein Lunch Bowls

Sweet and Sour Chicken Lunch Bowls

Asian Lemon Chicken Lunch Bowls

Honey Lime Chicken with Asparagus Lunch Bowls

Shrimp Teriyaki Zoodles

Print

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken (+ Instant Pot) MEAL PREP + VIDEO

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs

Total Time

3 hrs 10 mins

 

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki makes the perfect easy set and forget crock-pot meal. Best of all, only 10 minutes of prep with a delicious homemade Teriyaki sauce. Skip the takeout!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Asian chicken recipe, chicken teriyaki, slow cooker recipes meat

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 338 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
• 2/3 cups low sodium soy sauce or can use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free or paleo
• 1/3 cup honey or low carb sweetener for keto
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar for paleo
• 1 Tablespoon Mirin or dry sherry (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated or minced ginger

OPTIONAL

• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes or Sriracha sauce optional

CORN STARCH SLURRY

• 2 Tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot/tapioca starch for paleo or leave out for keto
• 3 Tablespoon cold water
• For garnish: sliced green onions sesame seeds
• For lunch bowls: cooked rice quinoa or noodles, cooked shelled edamame beans, roasted or stir-fried broccoli (or other vegetable of your choice), lunch containers

Instructions

For Slow Cooker Method:

1. Place the chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours.

To thicken sauce, combine the corn starch with water and stir into the slow cooker (lskip this step for Keto if desired). Cook on HIGH for another 30-40 minutes, or until sauce has bubbled and thickened up (You can thicken the sauce in a saucepan on the stove top at medium high heat, if that works better for you). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Shred chicken into pieces with two forks and serve with any remaining sauce along with your favorite rice, quinoa or noodles.

1. For lunch bowls, make rice (or zoodles) and vegetables and divide evenly among lunch containers. Add chicken and drizzle on remaining sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

For Instant Pot Method:

1. Place the chicken in the Instant Pot.
2. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger and pour over chicken.
3. Close and seal Instant Pot.
4. Turn the venting knob to SEALING and press MANUAL (old models) or PRESSURE COOK (new models) on high for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure.
5. Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking the chicken and beeps, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes.

6. Open the lid and remove chicken from Instant Pot and shred with two forks.

7. Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. Combine the cornstarch with water and stir into the Instant Pot (skip for Keto if desired). Allow the sauce to bubble and thicken up. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, black pepper and/or hot chili flakes needed. Add the chicken back into the Instant Pot and combine with sauce and heat until hot. Serve with any remaining sauce along with your favorite rice, quinoa or noodles.

8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, green onions and serve over rice, quinoa or zoodles, if desired.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken (+ Instant Pot) MEAL PREP + VIDEO

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 338 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 108mg 36%

Sodium 1651mg 69%

Potassium 720mg 21%

Total Carbohydrates 33g 11%

Sugars 24g

Protein 38g 76%

Vitamin A 1.8%

Vitamin C 3%

Calcium 1.8%

Iron 8.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More take-out favorites:

Slow Cooker Chicken Lo Mein Noodles

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapples and Bell Peppers