Pour teriyaki sauce and these 5 ingredients over chicken thighs into a slow cooker for a cozy dinner you’ll crave again and again. Full recipe 👇 💬

 This slow cooker teriyaki chicken is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it dinner that fits right into a busy weeknight but still feels comforting and intentional. Teriyaki, with its roots in Japanese cooking, combines soy, sugar, and aromatics to create that glossy, savory-sweet sauce many of us grew up loving in takeout form. Here, we lean on a good-quality store-bought teriyaki sauce and just five pantry-friendly add-ins, then simply pour everything over raw chicken thighs in the slow cooker. A few hours later, you have tender, saucy chicken that tastes like you fussed, even though you mostly just used gravity.

Serve the teriyaki chicken spooned over hot steamed rice—jasmine or short-grain are especially nice—so the sauce can soak in. Add a green vegetable for balance: quickly sautéed green beans, roasted broccoli, or a simple side of steamed edamame all work well. If you’d like more texture, top bowls with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. For a heartier spread, pair it with a crisp cabbage slaw dressed in rice vinegar and a light miso or sesame dressing to echo the flavors of the chicken.

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Slow Cooker 6-Ingredient Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup store-bought teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Directions

Place the raw boneless, skinless chicken thighs in an even layer in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. It’s fine if they overlap slightly, but avoid tightly stacking them.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the store-bought teriyaki sauce, chicken broth, honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger until the honey is dissolved and everything is evenly combined.

Pour the teriyaki mixture evenly over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker, making sure all of the chicken is coated in the liquid. Use a spoon to nudge the thighs so some sauce gets underneath as well.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.

Once cooked, taste the sauce and adjust if needed by adding a splash more teriyaki for extra saltiness or a drizzle of honey for more sweetness. If you prefer a slightly thicker sauce, transfer 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a small saucepan and simmer on the stovetop for 3 to 5 minutes to reduce slightly, then pour it back over the chicken.

Gently shred or roughly chop the chicken thighs directly in the slow cooker using two forks, stirring to coat the pieces evenly in the teriyaki sauce.

Serve the teriyaki chicken hot, spooned over rice or your favorite grain, with extra sauce from the slow cooker ladled on top.

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Variations & Tips

For a spicier version, whisk 1 to 2 teaspoons of sriracha or chili-garlic sauce into the teriyaki mixture before pouring it over the chicken. If you prefer a less sweet dish, reduce the honey to 1 tablespoon or omit it entirely and rely on the sweetness already present in your teriyaki sauce. You can also add vegetables directly to the slow cooker: layer sliced bell peppers, onion wedges, or carrot coins under and around the chicken so they soften in the sauce as it cooks. For a more pronounced sesame flavor, drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil into the sauce mixture, then garnish the finished dish with toasted sesame seeds. If you’re cooking for a smaller household, this recipe scales down easily—just keep the same proportions of sauce to chicken and watch the timing the first time you try a smaller batch. Leftovers reheat well and can be turned into teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps, stuffed into rice bowls with pickled vegetables, or used as a topping for simple fried rice.