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!

Taste of Home