Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Every time I use my crockpot, I wonder why we don't use it more often. I probably don't have to sing it's praises to anyone here - ready made meal, typically little "active" cook time, and let's be honest, it doesn't heat up the house. The heat factor alone could be enough to sing its praises when its >100 degrees every day!

This is a recipe that I found on Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. We have a teriyaki recipe we love, but the crockpot version here was intriguing. This recipe definitely surprised me. Asian-flavored dishes are almost always a hit around here (have we discussed my husband's Chinese buffet addiction in undergraduate?), but this exceeded my expectations. It uses boneless skinless chicken thighs which help keep the meat moist. The chicken here basically shredded itself! Even with that, I have to note my one negative point, although this is common to many chicken dishes in the crockpot. Cooking time during the work week. A 4-5 hour cook time just doesn't work very well with my work schedule. Nonetheless, this still makes for an easy dinner on the weekend!

Enough about work, back to the food :)

As written, this recipe calls for 3 lbs. of chicken. That's a lot of food! We halved the recipe with good success. One more tip. Be sure to concentrate the cooking liquid. It makes a great sauce served over brown rice. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
From Lake Lure Cottage Chicken

Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
4-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
4-1/2 tsp. cold water
brown rice, cooked according to package directions

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ground ginger, minced garlic, and pepper. Add chicken to the bowl of the crockpot and pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender. 

Remove chicken to a platter, keep warm. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Pour the liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water. Slowly add to the boiling pot, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Serve the chicken over rice, topped with the teriyaki sauce.