Description
An affordable, slow-cooked chicken dish featuring tender thighs in a homemade sweet and savory teriyaki glaze. This set-it-and-forget-it meal is perfect for busy weeknights and costs less than takeout.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 to 2.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water (for slurry)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- White rice, for serving
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Green onions, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry and place them in the bottom of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, 1/4 cup water, minced garlic, and grated ginger until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are coated.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate.
- Turn slow cooker to HIGH. In a small cup, mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry.
- Whisk the slurry into the hot liquid in the slow cooker.
- Simmer on HIGH for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze.
- Return chicken to the pot, turning to coat in the thickened sauce.
- Serve hot over white rice, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
Chicken thighs are recommended over breasts to prevent drying out. If using chicken breasts, reduce cooking time by about an hour. Always mix cornstarch with cold water before adding to hot liquid to prevent clumping. For a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1/4 of
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 1800
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 32
Keywords: crockpot teriyaki chicken, slow cooker chicken, budget meals, cheap dinner, teriyaki sauce, easy weeknight dinner, chicken thighs recipe