Teriyaki pulled chicken is a delicious and versatile dish, perfect for busy weeknight meals, large gatherings, or any time you want something simple and tasty! It's so good with some rice and veggies, or stuffed in a bun for a sloppy burger...any way you eat it, it's a winner winner, chicken dinner!
Every now and then, we need a set-it-and-forget-it meal...
...a meal that takes minutes to prepare and that cooks away while you're off doing something else...
...a meal that is satisfying and tastes good...
...and a meal that makes enough for another day...bonus!
This teriyaki pulled chicken literally takes just minutes to put together and cooks all on its own in the slow cooker until you're ready to eat.
All you need to make this easy delicious pulled chicken is boneless, skinless chicken pieces. I use a combination of chicken breasts and thighs, but you can certainly use all of one type if you prefer.
Into a slow cooker it goes with soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and white pepper and you simple turn it on and forget about it.
When it comes time to pull the chicken, I remove all the pieces from the slow cooker and pour all the sauce into a pot or skillet and thicken it with a tapioca starch slurry. I then add the pulled chicken to the sauce and give it a good mix to coat all the meat.
And it is ready to eat! It's almost ridiculous how simple it is, but it truly isn't any harder than the steps I've just described.
Enjoy the pulled chicken on a bed of rice and veggies, or stuff it into a tortilla or lettuce leaf along with some coleslaw for an Asian style wrap. Add it as a tasty protein boost to a fresh salad, or pile it high into a bun like my Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Buns for a sloppy burger.
This teriyaki pulled chicken is a total winner-winner-chicken-dinner, especially when you're looking for an easy weeknight meal that doesn't need tending to. Give it a try this week!
~ Lisa.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pulled Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup tamari (soy sauce if not GF)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbs ginger minced
- 1 tbs rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tbs tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 2 tbs water
Instructions
- Combine soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and white pepper in a bowl and mix well.
- Combine chicken pieces and marinade in slow cooker pot.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours; low for 6-8 hours.
- Remove chicken and shred.
- Pour liquid from slow cooker into a large saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat.
- Mix tapioca flour and water into a slurry and stir into the sauce to thicken.
- Add pulled chicken to the saucepan and mix with the thickened sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use all chicken breasts or all chicken thighs or any combination of the two.
- For mincing the garlic and ginger, I love using my microplane. It's much easier than mincing with a knife!
- You can add some dried chili flakes or chili paste to the sauce in the saucepan if you want to add a kick to your teriyaki!
Nutrition
This post was originally published on March 12, 2017, but was republished in February 2020 with new photos, instructional photos, and updated writing.
Denise Williams
I love how simple this recipe is and it’s so good! My picky kids love this one. It’s definitely a keeper!
Hi Denise! I'm glad this recipe won over your picky kids! Thanks so much for making it!
Robyn Haddican
Very Tasty. Served my son first and then added some chilli flakes for myself and husband,
Will be adding this to the favourites!
Love that you added chili flakes at the end for a spicy kick to the chicken, Robyn!
Patricia
This recipe could not be simpler, and yet it's soooo tasty! I'm not a fan of chicken breast, but the slow cooker made it tender and flavourful. I was also too lazy to thicken the sauce at the end and just ended up ladling it over the chicken, and it turned out fabulous =)
That's fabulous to hear, Patricia! So glad you liked it!
Tanya
Wow, I have never done chicken in a slow cooker and was afraid it would be a bit chewy. I used all breast meat. It is so tender and so delicious - and the best part -EASY! (actually, the best part is the taste). This will be a keeper recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad you liked it, Tanya! Yay!