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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Slow Cooker

    Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

    Published: Jan 23, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 22 Comments

    191 shares
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    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Low Fat

    A super easy slow cooker dish that the whole family will love. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken involves very little prep (none if you use a store bought teriyaki sauce) and is a healthier alternative to a Friday night takeaway. Lean and protein packed chicken breasts and homemade teriyaki sauce is all you need for this easy and delicious slow cooker dinner.

    A bowl of shredded chicken on a bed of rice.

    We love any kind of meal that you can just throw everything in and leave, and this slow cooker teriyaki chicken is just that. Even with our homemade sauce, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and then you can let the slow cooker do all of the work. This is one of those meals for a busy weeknight.

    Jump to:
    • Why should you try it?
    • What you will need
    • Step by step
    • Teriyaki sauce
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More slow cooker recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why should you try it?

    • An easy and delicious chicken meal
    • Less than 10 minutes prep time
    • Freezes well and great batch cooking
    • The whole family loves it

    What you will need

    • Teriyaki sauce - You can use our Homemade Teriyaki Sauce as it only takes 5 minutes to make. If you use a store bought version, the nutritional values will be considerably different.
    • Chicken breasts - we used chicken breasts to keep this a lighter dish, however you could swap them for boneless and skinless chicken thighs. This would make this dish much juicier, however the nutritional information would vary.

    Step by step

    One: Make the teriyaki sauce.

    Cooked teriyaki sauce in a saucepan.

    Two: Put the chicken breasts into a slow cooker and cover with the teriyaki sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours.

    A slow cooker bowl with four chicken breasts and teriyaki sauce.

    Three: Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred into large chunks. Return the chicken to the sauce, mix well and serve.

    A wooden chopping board with chopped teriyaki chicken on it.

    Teriyaki sauce

    This recipe uses our homemade healthy teriyaki sauce. Healthy is such a subjective word and whilst this is still fairly high in sugar and salt (which you would expect from a teriyaki sauce), it is lower than a store bought sauce. So, it is a "healthier" version. We are all about making lighter changes where we can, and making sauces from scratch is a good place to start.

    Store bought sauces, like teriyaki, usually have a lot of unnecessary ingredients in it, whereas our homemade version just has the essentials, which you probably already have in your cupboards. Soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and pineapple juice - so simple.

    A spoon drizzling teriyaki sauce into a bowl.

    We have used a low salt soy sauce to reduce the salt levels, and we have swapped the brown sugar or corn syrup for a little honey to give the sauce that sweetness that we know and love from a teriyaki. If you wanted to make this vegan, you could swap it for maple syrup. We only used a little honey, as we added some pineapple juice too for some extra natural sweetness.

    We also packed it with more garlic and ginger that you would probably find in a store bought sauce, as they both have so many health benefits. The key with this sauce is moderation.

    A fork picking up teriyaki chicken.

    FAQs

    Is slow cooker chicken teriyaki healthy?

    If you are making our healthy teriyaki sauce to use in this, then it is a healthy dinner option. We have used a low salt soy sauce, but it does still have a high salt content, so be mindful of portion control. This is a protein packed meal though, which will help keep you fuller for longer. 
    This meal is also a good opportunity to add more of vegetables on the side. Steamed greens like broccoli and spinach would work well.

    What vegetables can you add to slow cooker teriyaki chicken?

    We love any meal that is a good opportunity to add lots of vegetables and this is one of those. You can add peppers, courgette, aubergine, broccoli, or peas. Make sure to only add the vegetables half way through cooking, as they will be too mushy if you cook them from the beginning with chicken.

    Can you use chicken thighs instead?

    Yes, chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts, however it will change the nutritional information. It will make the dish juicier though. We recommend using boneless and skinless chicken thighs.

    How to thicken teriyaki sauce?

    Once the chicken is shredded, it does soak up all the liquid, so we don't find that we need to thicken it, but every slow cooker cooks differently. However, if you wanted a thicker sauce to use as a marinade, then you can add an extra tablespoon of cornflour (or a little less). Add it a little at a time, as it can change the flavour.

    What to serve slow cooker teriyaki chicken with

    We served ours with rice for a really simple dinner (use a bag of microwaveable rice to make it even easier). However there are lots of options when it comes to how to serve it. You could serve it on mashed potato or even a crispy baked potato. You could swap the rice for cauliflower rice for a low carb option or even put it in a brioche roll with a big pile of our Asian Slaw.
    We think some sesame seeds and slices of spring onions (scallions) are a must for serving.

    How to store slow cooker teriyaki chicken?

    You can store this in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 days, or you can freeze it, which makes it great for batch cooking. To freeze, make sure it is completely cooled and then store in an air tight container/freezer bag and it will keep in the fridge for 3 months.

    How to reheat

    To reheat it after frozen, thaw it in the fridge and then you can heat it through in a frying pan for 5-8 minutes or put it in the microwave until heated through.

    Can you freeze uncooked slow cooker teriyaki chicken?

    If you wanted to prepare this in advance and freeze it before cooking, put the chicken and teriyaki sauce in a zip lock freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can then fully defrost it and cook following the instructions in this recipe.

    How to cook it without a slow cooker?

    If you don't have a slow cooker, you can still make this recipe. You can dice the chicken and fry it until it is crispy and cooked through and then stir through the homemade sauce and cook for 2 minutes.

    Extra tips

    • We used a homemade teriyaki sauce, however you could use a good quality store bought one if you wanted to save some time.
    • If you find this too dry (we think the chicken is moist enough), then make some extra sauce and save it until serving and drizzle it over the chicken. Remember, the sauce is fairly salty though, so you don't want to use too much.
    • Try not to over shred the chicken. It's best with larger chunks, so be careful when mixing everything up as this will shred it further.

    More slow cooker recipes

    • Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole
    • The BEST Slow Cooker Beef Casserole
    • Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
    • Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken
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    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓

    Recipe

    Slow cooker teriyaki chicken on a bed of rice topped with chopped spring onions.

    Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

    A super easy slow cooker dish that the whole family will love. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken involves very little prep and is a healthier alternative to a Friday night takeaway.
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    5 from 20 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Japanese
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a cow's head.
    Meat
    An illustration of soyabeans.
    Soya
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 261kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures
    • 700 g Chicken breast
    • 8 portion Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

    Instructions

    • Make the teriyaki sauce.
    • Put the chicken breasts into a slow cooker and cover with the teriyaki sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours.
    • Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred into large chunks. Return the chicken to the sauce, mix well and serve.

    Notes

    • We used a homemade teriyaki sauce, however you could use a good quality store bought one if you wanted to save some time.
    • If you find this too dry (we think the chicken is moist enough), then make some extra sauce and save it until serving and drizzle it over the chicken. Remember, the sauce is fairly salty though, so you don't want to use too much.
    • Try not to over shred the chicken. It's best with larger chunks, so be careful when mixing everything up as this will shred it further.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1029mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 3mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kristina

      March 28, 2021 at 4:27 am

      5 stars
      This chicken was perfect. So easy, too!

      Reply
      • Dannii

        March 28, 2021 at 9:05 am

        Yay! So glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    2. Angela

      February 02, 2021 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      I love slow cooker meals. They are so handy on busy days. My family loved this recipe!

      Reply
    3. Beth

      February 02, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      5 stars
      This looks so delicious and tasty! I can't wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe!

      Reply
    4. Claudia Lamascolo

      February 02, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      One of our favorite flavors in Asian Cuisine and this in a slow cooker makes life so much easier!

      Reply
    5. Mirlene

      February 02, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      This chicken came out juicy and delicious. Can't wait to make it again.

      Reply
    6. Rosemary

      February 02, 2021 at 4:33 pm

      So easy and simple. I love the idea of making my own homemade teriyaki sauce to add to it. Healthy and tasty, can't go wrong with that.

      Reply
    7. Claudia Lamascolo

      January 30, 2021 at 8:55 pm

      5 stars
      This is so easy and perfect to even fill wraps, an eggroll filling and so many other ways to serve its so versatile!

      Reply
    8. Tawnie Kroll

      January 30, 2021 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      Loved your homemade teriyaki sauce! Meal prepped this for the week and it was so so good. Thank you for a keeper recipe!

      Reply
    9. Wanda

      January 30, 2021 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      We use our slow cooker every week to help get dinners ready while we work. Definitely adding this recipe to the rotation!

      Reply
    10. Irina

      January 30, 2021 at 7:10 pm

      5 stars
      I am used to making teriyaki chicken over the stove, but I have not tried it in a slow cooker. WOW! I cannot wait to give it a try!

      Reply
    11. Andrea Metlika

      January 30, 2021 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      I love how easy and delicious this recipe is. My family is going to love it too.

      Reply
    12. Cathleen

      January 24, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      Gotta love the slow cooker! This recipe looks like a winner, thank you so much!! Bookmarked to make later :)

      Reply
    13. Rachna

      January 24, 2021 at 3:24 pm

      5 stars
      I love teriyaki chicken. Such a delicious and quick recipe to make. This looks just perfect.

      Reply
    14. Kacie Morgan

      January 24, 2021 at 9:57 am

      5 stars
      I love teriyaki chicken. I've never tried making it in the slow cooker before, but your recipe is making me think I should give it a go.

      Reply
    15. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      January 24, 2021 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      Teriyaki sauce is such a great flavour but I've never thought to use it in the slow cooker. What a great family meal.

      Reply
    16. Lindsay

      January 23, 2021 at 9:48 pm

      This recipe turned out perfectly, and I love that it has so much garlic and ginger in it. The homemade teriyaki sauce was so good!

      Reply
      • Dannii

        January 24, 2021 at 8:21 am

        So glad you enjoyed it. It's a favourite here.

        Reply
    17. Julie Menghini

      January 23, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      I really like how easy this is and that it uses a homemade teriyaki sauce.

      Reply
    18. Liz

      January 23, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      I love anything that is teriyaki flavor! I'll definitely be making this soon!

      Reply
    19. Heather Johnson

      January 23, 2021 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      i love chicken teriyaki - so easy in the slow cooker - definitely making this!

      Reply
    20. Beth Sachs

      January 23, 2021 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      I love easy slow cooker meals like this. A real family-friendly recipe and great with fried rice.

      Reply

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    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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