The Best Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken

Easy honey teriyaki chicken in the slow cooker. Use your crock pot to make this simple meal. Like your favorite stir fry only with a homemade honey garlic sauce kids and adults both love! Recipes like this are perfect for quick weeknight dinners. It's the best if you make this with thighs, but this also works with breasts.

Chicken teriyaki might not seem like an obvious weeknight meal, but teriyaki sauce is just a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sweetener, garlic, and ginger, thickened with a simple cornstarch slurry. Once I realized that I’m much more likely to have those things in my pantry than a bottle of the pre-made stuff, this meal has been a staple on my dinner table.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• For serving: cooked rice, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced scallions

Instructions:

1. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Scatter the onion and garlic over the top. Whisk the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, pepper, and ginger together in a small bowl and pour over the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 2 to 3 hours or on the HIGH setting for 1 to 2 hours. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest piece registers 165°F.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Pour the sauce left in the slow cooker into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Once the sauce has reduced, whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and pour in enough sauce to coat the chicken. Reserve any remaining sauce for leftovers. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and scallions.

NOTES:

• Storage: Refrigerate leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Make ahead: The chicken and sauce can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave before serving.