Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is so simple to make and everyone loves it. We eat a lot of chicken in our home and it gets to be pretty boring when you run out of ideas of how to make plain old chicken more exciting. 

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that it is cooked in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours on high. If you set your setting to low, you can cook it over an 8 hour period. This makes for a great meal that is ready to go after a long day if you precook your rice the night before. You can also prepare the teriyaki sauce for the rice and chicken the day before as well. I really like to mix the leftover chicken with Yakisoba noodles for a new dinner the following night. Costco has a large package of precooked noodles for under $10. 

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients: 

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cold water
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
sliced scallions 
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer if possible.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and black pepper until combined. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken breasts. Cover slow cooker, and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.

3. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl and shred it using two forks. Transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker to a medium saucepan.

4. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved and no longer lumpy. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce mixture, and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and pour the sauce on top of the shredded chicken. Toss to combine.

5. Serve topped with scallions and toasted sesame seeds on a bed of steamed rice.