Slow-Cooker Chicken Teriyaki
A slow-cooker meal with easy prep is such a great recipe to have on hand for busy days, year-round. Prep it, set it and forget it. And the wonderful aroma of a meal in the slow-cook fills the whole kitchen as they day goes on The great thing about chicken in the slow-cooker is that only rarely do you need to brain or brown the meat before you add it to the pot. Dinner is even easier if you cook extra rice or noodles to reheat when serving the Chicken Teriyaki.
This recipe has broccoli as a green for the meal. I love how the sauce soaks into the florets. Feel free to add other veggies of your taste – add with or instead of the broccoli at the beginning of the cooking- chopped carrots are delicious, edamame beans (not in the pod) are so good, finely sliced cabbage, sliced peppers add colour and extra nutrition, even chopped mushrooms, spinach or kale in the last hour of cooking – this recipe is versatile and customizable.
Chickens is a great alternative to red meat, providing lean protein and amino acids to build, maintain muscle tissue and to support bone density. The tryptophan in chicken (like in turkey) is a mood booster as it helps to increase the serotonin levels in our brain. Chicken contains Vitamin B12, iron, copper, choline and zinc.
Broccoli is an excellent source of plant-based protein (yes!) and fiber and contains potassium, calcium, selenium and magnesium.
As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Slow-Cooker Chicken Teriyaki goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!
Prep time: 15 Minutes / Cook Time: 4½– 7½ Hours / Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients
½ Cup Tamari – alternate: soy sauce
1/3 Cup Sweet Chili Sauce
1/3 cup Veggie Bouillon or Water
¼ Cup Coconut Sugar – alternate: brown sugar
2 Tablespoons Honey – alternate: maple syrup
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
¼ teaspoon Chili Powder – more if you like your teriyaki to have spice/heat.
4 Cloves Garlic – chopped
1 Inch Grated Ginger (equivalent to about 1½ tablespoons) - see my tip for freezing ginger
6-8 Medium/Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Small Head Broccoli – cut into bite-sized florets
4 Green Onions – chopped, reserving some for serving
Generous Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt – Alternate: plain sea salt
Generous Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder – alternate: corn starch
1/3 Cup Water
Cooked Rice, Quinoa or Noodles for Serving
How It’s Made
Turn on your slow cooker to the setting that best fits your timeframe: High for 4 hours, Medium for 5 hours and Low for 6-7 hours.
I like to spray my slow-cooker pot with some olive oil and sprinkle some garlic powder on it to ‘season’ the pot.
Chop the garlic and set it aside to allow it to create its nutritional magic.
Whisk the tamari, sweet chili sauce, bouillon or water, coconut sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil and chili powder together. Add this sauce to the slow-cooker.
Add the garlic, grated ginger and chicken. Stir.
Add the broccoli and green onions. Stir. The mixture should all be coated in the sauce. If it’s not, add a splash more tamari and top with some water – but not too much, just so that the sauce is coating everything and there is some sauce between the pieces, but not covering the ingredients completely with liquid.
Season with the herbed seasoned sea a=salt or plain sea salt and the pepper.
Cover and let the slow-cooker do its cooking magic. Half way through, give the ingredients a good stir.
When the time is close to being finished, mix together the arrowroot and water to make a slurry. Lift the lid off and pour the slurry into the slow-cooker. Stir it well. Return the cover and let it cook for 20 minutes or longer if you can to let the sauce thicken slightly.
Serve over rice or noodles of your choice (rice noodles are great with this – and keeps it gluten free if there are sensitivities. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions on top.
Enjoy!
