Teriyaki pulled chicken is a delicious dish that requires minimal effort! Chicken and sauce cook up in a slow cooker while you get on with your day. The chicken is easy to pull apart and is perfect served with a side of vegetables, on top of steamed rice, or sandwiched in a bun. It is great for weeknight meals, large gatherings, or any time you want something simple and tasty without a lot of work!
Ingredients
- Chicken (breasts and thighs)
- Japanese soy sauce
- Honey
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Rice vinegar
- White pepper
- Tapioca starch (for thickening the sauce)
Instructions
Combine the Japanese soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and white pepper in a bowl and mix well.
Add the chicken breast, chicken thighs, and sauce to the slow cooker. Move the chicken around so that the pieces are all coated in the sauce.
Cook the chicken on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 5-6 hours. Chicken should be fork tender when done.
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and pull/shred the meat using two forks.
In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch and water and mix well into a slurry. Stir it into the sauce in the crockpot.
Add the pulled chicken meat back to the slow cooker and cook on High for another 10 for the sauce to thicken.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve the teriyaki pulled chicken with hot rice and leafy greens, but it would also be delicious stuffed into a tortilla or lettuce leaf along with some coleslaw for an Asian style wrap. Add it to a fresh salad or stuff it into some gluten-free bread rolls for a sloppy chicken burger.
Check out these great recipes for pairings with the teriyaki pulled chicken:
- Fresh and Simple Apple Coleslaw
- Cold Spicy Cucumber Bites
- Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice
- Chunky Pickled Daikon and Cucumber
- Pickle Daikon & Carrots
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I replace the chicken thighs with chicken breasts?
Yes! You can use all chicken breasts or all chicken thighs.
What if I do not have Japanese soy sauce?
You can substitute with Chinese light soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos.
What can I substitute for the tapioca starch?
Cornstarch can be used in place of tapioca starch. You can also omit the starch slurry completely.
What can I use to substitute the honey?
The honey can be substituted with another liquid sweetener.
Can I omit the honey?
The honey/sweetness is what makes this sauce a teriyaki. Without the honey/sweetness, it would only be salty and not have the same flavor profile or depth you are looking for. I would not recommend omitting it.
Other Recipes You Might Like
If you are looking for more slow cooker recipes, you might like Asian Pulled Pork, Smoky Chipotle Beef Barbacoa, or Easy Pulled Pork.
For more easy Asian style recipes, consider Japanese Butadon Pork Bowls, Asian Pork and Shrimp Meatballs, Asian Ground Beef Rice Bowls, Rice Cooker Chinese Sticky Rice, or Chicken Skewers with Thai Curry Dipping Sauce, just to name a few!
I think you're really going to enjoy this teriyaki pulled chicken recipe. It is a total winner-winner-chicken-dinner, especially when you're looking for an easy weeknight meal that doesn't require a whole lot of effort. 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 Japanese soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Thickening slurry:
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoons water
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the Japanese soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, rice vinegar, and white pepper in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the chicken breast, chicken thighs, and sauce to the slow cooker. Move the chicken around so that the pieces are all coated in the sauce.
- Cook the chicken on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 5-6 hours. Chicken should be fork tender when done.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and pull/shred the meat using two forks.
- In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch and water and mix well into a slurry. Stir it into the sauce in the crockpot.
- Add the pulled chicken meat back to the slow cooker and cook on High for another 10 for the sauce to thicken.
Notes
- You can use all chicken breasts or all chicken thighs or any combination of the two.
- You can substitute with Chinese light soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos.
- Cornstarch can be used in place of tapioca starch. You can also omit the starch slurry completely.
- The honey/sweetness is what makes this sauce a teriyaki. Without the honey/sweetness, it would only be salty and not have the same flavor profile or depth you are looking for. I would not recommend omitting it.
- The honey can be substituted with another liquid sweetener.
- For mincing the garlic and ginger, I love using my microplane. It's much easier than mincing with a knife.
- You can add some sliced chili peppers to the sauce if you want to add some spice to the dish. You can also sprinkle chili flakes over your own serving.
**This post was originally published on March 12, 2017, but was republished in January 6th, 2025 with an updated recipe, new photos and writing.
Denise Williams says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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!