Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

What sounds better, 20 or 30 minutes of hands-on work chopping and dicing and mixing and sauteing and such, or about five minutes of hands-on work and a four- to five-hour slow cook? If you’re thinking that a teriyaki chicken thigh recipe that lets the slow cooker do the work for you is the right answer, then we tend to agree. Slow-cooked teriyaki chicken thighs could not be much more tender or flavorful, and they make a wonderful anchor for many different meals.

You likely already have all the ingredients needed to make this dish, with a possible exception of ground ginger and the boneless skinless chicken thighs themselves, so make a quick run to the store, and then let’s get cooking. Or rather, let’s get the slow cooker going.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

• Chicken thighs: This recipe uses 3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Trim any excess fat, and consider lightly pounding larger pieces of meat to tenderize them.
• Sugar: Sugar goes delightfully well with the salty and savory notes in this dish. It’s an essential ingredient in the teriyaki sauce you’ll be creating.
• Soy sauce: We strongly recommend a reduced-sodium soy sauce for this recipe (and in most recipes, for that matter). You’ll hardly notice any less of a salty taste, and you’ll be cutting out a lot of sodium, of course.
• Cider vinegar: In most cases, cider vinegar and apple cider vinegar are the same thing, if you were wondering. You can use a product labeled as either.
• Garlic: Use one large garlic clove, and make sure to mince it well so it fully blends into the recipe.
• Ground ginger: Ground ginger is a potent spice, so don’t use more than the prescribed 3/4 teaspoon.
• Pepper: Just 1/4 teaspoon of pepper has a welcome little kick. You can add a bit more if you like things spicier.
• Cornstarch: The cornstarch is mixed with cold water to help form the perfect consistency for the finished sauce.
• Hot cooked rice (optional): Serving teriyaki chicken thighs with hot cooked rice is technically optional, but it’s a match made in heaven, so we recommend it!

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the sauce

Abbey Littlejohn for Taste of Home

Place the chicken in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and pepper, then pour the sauce over the chicken.

Step 2: Slow-cook the chicken

Abbey Littlejohn for Taste of Home

Cook the chicken, covered, on low for four to five hours or until it’s tender. Once the chicken has cooked, remove it to a serving platter and keep it warm, reserving the cooking juices.

Step 3: Continue cooking the juices

Abbey Littlejohn for Taste of Home

Transfer the cooking juices to a small saucepan, skimming off any fat, then bring the juices to a boil.

Step 4: Thicken the sauce

Abbey Littlejohn for Taste of Home

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water, stirring until they blend smoothly. Stir that blend into the cooking juices, return the pan to a boil, and cook and stir for one to two minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve the sauce over the chicken, along with rice, if desired.

Abbey Littlejohn for Taste of Home

Teriyaki Chicken Thigh Variations

• Use breast meat: If you have chicken breast on hand instead of thighs, feel free to substitute them in this recipe. Make sure to use a digital thermometer to check when the chicken breasts are cooked (160°F), because they might take longer than thighs.
• Spice it up: Adding red pepper flakes or even a spicy Japanese barbecue sauce to the mix is a great way to create a spicy and delicious take on this meal.
• Try store-bought sauce: To make this meal even simpler than it already is, you can use store-bought teriyaki sauce. Use about 1-1/2 cups, or more if needed to coat the chicken.

How to Store Teriyaki Chicken Thighs