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This easy crockpot chicken teriyaki has a delicious sweet & sticky glaze that’s made with no refined sugars. It’s a healthier twist on a traditional teriyaki sauce, so you can enjoy a guilt-free pleasure. The chicken is slow-cooked until tender and lets all teriyaki stock infuse into the meat. This delicious crockpot chicken teriyaki pairs really well with green veggies and rice, giving you another healthy meal prep idea.
If you are looking for more healthy meal prep ideas, make sure to check out our 54 Best Healthy Meal Prep Ideas (All less than $3 per serving!).
How to Thicken Teriyaki Sauce
Thickening teriyaki sauce is super easy if your recipe is good. It doesn’t need any additional thickening agents like corn flour or starch, these aren’t traditional. The sauce naturally thickens during reduction into a sticky glaze. The thickening process comes from a mix of gelatine from the stock and sugar from the honey.
Ingredient & Cost Information – ($1.56 Per Serving)
6 Chicken Thighs – Make sure to use good quality chicken, this will make a difference! Many commercial brands ‘plumping’, inject chicken with water to make it appear larger. So if you ever notice your chicken shrink a lot during cooking, it’s time to change brands. You can use either boneless or boned chicken thighs. Chicken thighs with the bone will add more flavor and depth to the sauce. – $3
3 Cloves of Garlic – Make sure to use fresh garlic! The cloves should be firm without discoloring. – $0.12
0.85 fl oz Soy Sauce – The regular ‘light’ soya sauce works best. To further reduce the sodium, you may want to use low sodium soya sauce. – $0.29
0.85 fl oz Sesame Oil – Sesame oil can be found in the oil section of the supermarket, they normally come in smaller bottles, and are stacked with the rest of the specialist oils. – $0.37
4tbsp Honey – Use organic clear honey, if you are using a more budget-friendly brand check the label as some may use sugar syrup and brand it as ‘honey’. – $0.60
6.75 fl oz Chicken Stock, double concentrated – If you are using fresh chicken stock, reduce 13.5 fl oz down into 6.75 fl oz, then leave to cool. For people using stock cubes or stockpots, add double the amount of stock to water ratio suggested. – $0.30
The total price for 6 of these crockpot chicken teriyaki thighs is $4.68, which adds up to $0.78 each. Two chicken thighs are the equivalent to one serving, making this recipe $1.56 per serving.
Can I Use Chicken Breast Instead of Chicken Thighs?
Yes, chicken breasts work great too. With chicken breast it’s extra important to avoid overcooking or else it will become very dry. For a medium-size chicken breast cook for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low, then check carefully the temperature with a thermometer. The temperature should be 75c (167f), and ideally not above 80c (176f).
Once you have cooked the chicken and placed it on a plate, instead of reducing the teriyaki sauce until thick, reduce it all the way to a glaze. Then turn off the heat, add the chicken breast and thoroughly coat it with the teriyaki glaze. This way we avoid cooking the chicken breast any more than necessary.
Storage Information
Once the chicken teriyaki is cooked and glazed, transfer it to an airtight container to cool. Once cooled place a lid on and refrigerate. The chicken teriyaki will last for up to 3 days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
What Size Crockpot Should I Use?
The crockpot size is always an important factor when slow cooking, too full and you risk undercooking, to unfilled and you risk overcooking. For this recipe, I used a 3.5-quart crockpot that worked great. You could get away with using a 3.5 quart to 5-quart crockpot whilst keeping the recipe quantities.
If you are using a smaller crockpot or larger crockpot you may need to adjust the quantities.
1.8 quart to 3 quarts: Use 0.66 of the recipe. 3.5 quart to 5 quarts: Use 1 of the recipe. 5 quart to 7 quarts: Use 1.33 of the recipe.If you need more information on crockpot sizes, we have created a detailed guide on Different Slow Cooker Sizes. Also for more chicken recipes make sure to check out these 50 Healthy Chicken Meal Prep Ideas.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken Thighs?
Another bonus to this recipe is that you can use frozen chicken thighs. The method is exactly the same, the only difference is you need to add on to the cooking time. When cooking on high, add another 1 hour, when cooking on low, add another 2 hours. Make sure to use a good quality probe for the chicken thighs, which should be cooked to at least 75c (167f).
Step by Step Recipe
1) Measure all of the ingredients and place them to the side.
2) Mix together garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and chicken stock in a mixing bowl.
3) Place the chicken thighs into the crockpot.
4) Pour over the teriyaki stock, place a lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours.
5) Carefully place the chicken onto a plate.
6) Sieve the teriyaki stock into a large pot and reduce for 5 to 10 minutes, until the stock starts to thicken and becomes a sauce.
7) Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken thighs and continue to reduce until the teriyaki sauce becomes a glaze.
8) Reduce the heat to low and keep turning the chicken thighs into they start to glaze. Once the teriyaki sauce is sticky, and the chicken is glazed, turn off the heat and serve.
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CrockPot Chicken Teriyaki
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 25 ml Soy Sauce
- 25 ml Sesame Oil
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 200 ml Chicken Stock double concentrated
Instructions
- Mix together garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and chicken stock in a mixing bowl.
- Place the chicken thighs into the crockpot, pour over the teriyaki stock.
- Cook for 2 to 2 ½ hours on high or 4 to 6 hours on low.
- Sieve the teriyaki stock into a large pot and reduce for 5 to 10 minutes, until the stock starts to thicken and becomes a sauce. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the chicken thighs and continue to reduce until the teriyaki sauce becomes a glaze.
- Reduce the heat to low and keep turning the chicken thighs into they start to glaze. Once the teriyaki sauce is sticky, and the chicken is glazed, turn off the heat and serve.
Nutrition
Jack Slobodian is the Content Director at Mealprepify. He’s a Blogger and Professional Chef who has worked in many prestigious restaurants including luxurious 5-star hotels and James Beard award-winning restaurants. When he’s not cooking or writing you can find him travelling, exercising or spending time with family and friends.