Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki

While I love to throw pork shoulder or beef roast in the slow cooker, I always hesitate with what to do to chicken breasts. One of my frustrations with a lot of chicken recipes for the slow cooker is that so many of them contain cans of condensed soup. I’m okay with cutting some corners occasionally, but most of the time I like a clean and healthy meal for dinner if I’m cooking at home.

My stand-by chicken dishes for the slow cooker are are my Slow Cooker Taco Chicken and Slow Cooker Honey Lemon Chicken, but I wanted to switch things up a bit, which is how I came up with this Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki. An at-home Chinese take-out favorite?! Yes, please!

This recipe could not be easier to throw in the slow cooker before rushing out the door in the morning. The teriyaki sauce is a simple mixture of soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, garlic, and apple cider vinegar, which is poured over the chicken to cook in all day. Since we’re cooking chicken breasts, this recipe will come together a bit more quickly than a pot roast, so all the time they need is 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Luckily, if you have a slow cooker that has a timer, this will be no problem if you’re gone all day.

Once you are ready to eat, you simply shred the chicken breasts and then reduce the sauce over the stove with a bit of cornstarch and water to thicken it up. I served mine on top of brown rice topped with sesame seeds and green onions, but you could also use quinoa or couscous if you prefer. I also added a good helping of steamed broccoli as a side for some green on my plate. All in all, a healthy and delicious meal.