Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken: An Easy Dump-and-Go Dinner

There’s something deeply satisfying about coming home to dinner that’s already made. Not leftovers you’re reheating. Not takeout you ordered. Actual, freshly cooked food that smells amazing and is ready to eat the moment you walk in the door.

That’s the magic of crockpot cooking, and this teriyaki chicken is one of my favorite examples of why slow cookers are absolutely worth the counter space they take up. I discovered this recipe during a particularly chaotic work week when I was too exhausted to think about cooking but too broke to keep ordering delivery. I threw some chicken and a quickly-mixed teriyaki sauce into my crockpot before leaving for work, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.

What I came home to was honestly shocking. The chicken was so tender it was falling apart. The sauce had thickened into this glossy, sticky coating that tasted better than any restaurant teriyaki I’d had. And the best part? I’d done maybe five minutes of actual work that morning. Since then, this has become my go-to for busy weeks, meal prep Sundays, and those days when I just can’t be bothered with real cooking but still want real food.

Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

True Dump-and-Go Recipe: This is as hands-off as cooking gets. Mix your sauce ingredients in the crockpot, add chicken, turn it on, and leave. No browning meat first, no sautéing aromatics, no babysitting the stove. Just dump and go. Perfect for mornings when you’re barely awake and need to get dinner started before work.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce: We’re not using bottled teriyaki sauce that’s loaded with corn syrup and weird additives. This homemade version uses simple ingredients you probably already have—soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger. It takes literally two minutes to whisk together and tastes infinitely better than anything from a bottle. Plus, you control the sweetness and sodium levels.

Tender, Fall-Apart Chicken: The slow cooker turns even boring chicken breast into something juicy and tender. The long, gentle cooking breaks down the meat until it’s practically melting. You can shred it with a fork right in the crockpot. It’s the kind of texture that makes people think you spent hours on dinner when you really spent five minutes.

Minimal Prep Work: No chopping vegetables, no complicated steps, no special techniques. If you can measure ingredients and turn on a crockpot, you can make this. It’s the perfect recipe for beginners or anyone who’s just tired of complicated cooking. Sometimes simple is exactly what you need.

Feeds a Crowd: This recipe makes enough for 6 people, which means it’s great for family dinners, meal prep, or feeding guests without stress. You can easily double it in a larger crockpot if you’re feeding more people. The chicken reheats beautifully, so leftovers are actually a good thing.

Better Than Takeout: I’m not kidding when I say this beats most restaurant teriyaki. The sauce has depth and balance—sweet but not cloying, savory but not overly salty. The chicken is tender instead of dry. And you know exactly what went into it. IMO, that peace of mind is worth the minimal effort of making it yourself.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe uses pantry staples and basic ingredients. Nothing exotic, nothing expensive, nothing you need to hunt down at specialty stores. Just straightforward stuff that probably lives in your kitchen already.

For the Chicken:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for greasing the crockpot, optional)

For the Teriyaki Sauce:

• ½ cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• ½ cup water
• ⅓ cup honey (or brown sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water (for thickening at the end)
• Sesame seeds and sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

Key Ingredient Notes

Chicken Cut Options: Both chicken breasts and chicken thighs work here, but they behave differently. Chicken thighs are more forgiving—they have more fat, so they stay juicier even if you overcook them slightly. They also have more flavor. Chicken breasts are leaner and can dry out if cooked too long, but they work perfectly fine if you stick to the recommended cooking times. I usually use thighs because they’re cheaper and tastier, but use whatever you prefer or have on hand.

Fresh vs. Bottled Teriyaki Sauce: You could absolutely use bottled teriyaki sauce if you’re in a pinch—just pour it over the chicken and call it done. But homemade takes two minutes and tastes so much better. Bottled sauces tend to be overly sweet with a weird artificial flavor. Making your own lets you control the balance of flavors and avoid all those mystery ingredients. Plus, it’s cheaper. A bottle of soy sauce and some honey go way further than multiple bottles of premade sauce.

Cornstarch Slurry for Thickening: The sauce at the end of cooking will be thin and watery. That’s normal—the chicken releases liquid as it cooks. The cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) is what transforms that thin sauce into thick, glossy teriyaki goodness. Mix the cornstarch and water together until smooth before adding it to the crockpot, and make sure to stir it well. Don’t skip this step unless you like soupy sauce.

Optional Vegetables: You can add vegetables directly to the crockpot, but timing matters. Harder vegetables like carrots or potatoes can go in at the beginning. Softer vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or broccoli should be added in the last 30-45 minutes or they’ll turn to mush. Honestly though, I usually cook vegetables separately and serve them on the side—it’s easier and they taste better.

Ginger: Fresh ginger is ideal because it has bright, zingy flavor that ground ginger can’t quite match. But if you don’t have fresh, use 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. It’s not the same, but it still works. Don’t use more than that though—ground ginger is more concentrated and can taste medicinal if you use too much.

How to Make Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken (Step-by-Step)

This is embarrassingly easy. Like, so easy that calling it a “recipe” almost feels generous. But sometimes the simplest things are the best things, and this definitely qualifies.

Step 1: Mix the Teriyaki Sauce

In your crockpot, whisk together the soy sauce, water, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Give it a good stir until the honey is dissolved and everything is combined. This is your teriyaki sauce. Taste it if you want—it should be salty, sweet, and aromatic. If it tastes too salty, add a bit more honey. Too sweet? Add a splash more soy sauce.

That’s it. That’s the “cooking” part. Thirty seconds, maybe.

Step 2: Add Chicken to Crockpot

If your chicken breasts are huge (like those monster ones from Costco), cut them in half horizontally so they cook evenly and faster. Otherwise, just toss them in whole. If using thighs, you can leave them whole too.

Place the chicken in the crockpot with the sauce. Use a spoon or your hands (wash them first) to move the chicken around so it’s all coated with sauce. Make sure the pieces aren’t all stacked on top of each other—spread them out in a single layer if possible so they cook evenly.

Put the lid on the crockpot. That’s it. You’re done with active work until dinner time.

Step 3: Cook Low and Slow

Set your crockpot to LOW and cook for 4-5 hours, or set it to HIGH and cook for 2-3 hours. The low and slow method gives you the most tender, flavorful results, but high works if you’re in a hurry.

Chicken breasts are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F and shred easily with a fork. Chicken thighs can go a bit longer and benefit from the extra cooking time—they’re practically impossible to overcook.

Don’t open the lid to check on it constantly. Every time you lift the lid, you lose heat and add cooking time. Just trust the process and let it do its thing.

Step 4: Thicken the Sauce

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the crockpot and place it on a cutting board. The sauce in the crockpot will be thin and liquidy—that’s normal.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Pour this mixture into the crockpot with the thin sauce and stir well. Turn the crockpot to HIGH if it isn’t already, and let the sauce cook uncovered for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll see it start to thicken and become glossy. That’s the cornstarch doing its job.

While the sauce thickens, shred or chop your chicken into bite-sized pieces. You can use two forks to shred it, or just chop it with a knife if you prefer chunks.

Step 5: Serve

Once the sauce has thickened to your liking (it should coat the back of a spoon), add the chicken back to the crockpot and toss it in the sauce until every piece is coated.

Serve immediately over rice, noodles, or with vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if you want to look fancy. The chicken can stay on the “warm” setting for another hour or two if people are eating at different times, though the sauce may continue to thicken.

Serving Suggestions

This teriyaki chicken is incredibly versatile. The tender, saucy chicken works in so many different contexts depending on what you’re in the mood for or who you’re feeding.

Over Rice

This is the classic serving method and my personal favorite. White rice, brown rice, jasmine rice—they all work beautifully. The rice soaks up the extra teriyaki sauce and makes the meal more filling. I usually start my rice cooker at the same time I turn on the crockpot in the morning, then just reheat the rice when I get home. Or use one of those 90-second microwave rice packets if you’re feeling lazy. No judgment here.

Fried rice is another excellent option. Make a quick fried rice with scrambled eggs and frozen vegetables, then top it with the teriyaki chicken. It’s basically a complete meal in a bowl.

With Vegetables

Steamed broccoli is the obvious choice and it works perfectly. The teriyaki sauce drizzled over broccoli is delicious. Roasted vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or carrots add color and crunch. Sautéed bok choy or cabbage keeps things Asian-inspired.

You can also do a full stir fry situation—quickly stir fry a bunch of vegetables in a wok, then add the crockpot chicken and sauce at the end just to combine everything. This gives you restaurant-style teriyaki chicken stir fry without actually having to cook the chicken in the wok.

In Bowls or Wraps

Make teriyaki chicken bowls with rice, the chicken, edamame, cucumber, avocado, and a drizzle of extra sauce. Top with sesame seeds and green onions. It’s the kind of bowl you’d pay $15 for at a fast-casual place, but you made it at home for a fraction of the cost.

Or use the chicken as a filling for wraps or lettuce cups. Add some shredded cabbage, carrots, and a squeeze of lime. The lettuce cups are especially good if you’re doing low-carb and want to skip the rice entirely.

Meal Prep Ideas

This is fantastic for meal prep. Make a batch on Sunday, then portion it into containers with rice and vegetables. You’ve got lunch or dinner sorted for the week. The chicken stays moist and flavorful even after being refrigerated and reheated. Some meal prep recipes get weird or dry after a few days—this one just gets better as the flavors continue to develop.

Tips for Perfect Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken Breasts vs. Thighs: If using chicken breasts, stick to the shorter end of the cooking time range—4 hours on low or 2-2.5 hours on high. Longer than that and they can get dry and stringy. Chicken thighs, on the other hand, benefit from longer cooking. They can go the full 5 hours on low and will be even more tender and flavorful. If you’re new to crockpot cooking or worried about dry chicken, start with thighs. They’re much more forgiving.

Don’t Skip the Thickening Step: The sauce will be watery at the end of cooking. I know it’s tempting to just serve it as-is, but trust me—take the extra 15 minutes to thicken it with cornstarch. The difference between thin, soupy teriyaki and thick, glossy, restaurant-quality teriyaki is huge. It’s what makes this dish go from “pretty good” to “I need this recipe.”

Timing Adjustments: Every crockpot is different. Some run hot, some run cool. If this is your first time making this recipe, start checking the chicken at the earlier end of the time range. Once you know how your specific crockpot behaves, you can adjust timing accordingly. If your chicken always comes out dry, reduce the cooking time next time. If it’s not tender enough, add 30 minutes.

Adding Vegetables Directly to Crockpot: You can add vegetables, but be strategic about it. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or parsnips can go in at the beginning—they need the long cooking time to soften. Cut them into chunks and place them at the bottom of the crockpot under the chicken.

Softer vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or snap peas should be added in the last 30-45 minutes of cooking. Any longer and they’ll turn to mush. FYI, I usually just cook vegetables separately because it’s easier and they taste better, but adding them to the crockpot is an option if you want true one-pot cooking.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Refrigerator Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the chicken and sauce together—they keep each other moist. The chicken actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. It’s one of those rare dishes that improves with time.

Freezer Storage: This freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Let the chicken cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags. Portion it out into meal-sized amounts so you can defrost only what you need. Label it with the date so you remember what it is in three months when it’s buried under other frozen food. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheating Instructions: Microwave individual portions for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add a splash of water if the sauce has gotten too thick. For stovetop reheating, add everything to a pan over medium heat and stir until warmed through, about 5 minutes. You can also reheat it right in the crockpot on low if you’re reheating a large batch—just add a few tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce and prevent sticking.

Meal Prep Timeline: Make this on Sunday, portion it into containers with your choice of rice and vegetables, and you’ve got lunch or dinner ready for the week. It holds up perfectly in the fridge and doesn’t get weird or dried out like some meal prep proteins do. The sauce keeps everything moist and flavorful even after several days.