Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef makes a tasty dinner that's perfect served over rice, noodles, or vegetables for a quick and satisfying dinner! Made with thinly sliced beef cooked until tender in a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce. It's an easy-to-make meal made with simple ingredients.
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Now you can make your favorite takeout meal at home in your slow cooker! It goes together in just a couple minutes and then slow cooks to perfection. The result is a sweet and salty steak that's packed with flavor and incredibly tender!
No matter how you serve it, we're sure this crock pot teriyaki beef will be an easy slow cooker dinner recipe you'll return to again and again! Looking for more slow cooker beef recipes, try this crock pot Mongolian beef or slow cooker beef and broccoli recipe next!
Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Teriyaki Beef Recipe
- Less Than 10 Ingredients. Even with the homemade teriyaki sauce this dish is made with few ingredients, most of which are pantry staples.
- So Good. This beef recipe is beefy, savory, salty, and a little bit sweet.
- Dump and Cook. There is no need to cook the beef beforehand. Just combine everything in the pot and let the slow cooker make it fork-tender!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sirloin Steak: This cut of beef is perfect for cooking in the slow cooker, but you can also use flank steak or skirt steak. Slow cooking it breaks down the connective tissue, making it very tender. Be sure to cut the strips across the grain for the most tender texture..
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: This adds a salty umami flavor to the sauce. I prefer low-sodium to keep the saltiness in check.
- Light Brown Sugar & Honey: Help thicken the homemade sauce while adding a hint of sweetness to the homemade teriyaki sauce. You can also replace the brown sugar with extra honey or some maple syrup instead.
- Rice Vinegar: A mild vinegar made from rice. This gives the sauce some acidity which balances with the salty and sweet flavors.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a mild nutty flavor you won't get with other types of oils so don't try to swap it.
- Ginger and Garlic: Adds traditional aromatic flavor used in Asian cooking.
- Cornstarch & Water: Mix these two together to create a slurry that will help thicken the sauce as it cools.
Variations
- Spicy Teriyaki. Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes or a few drops of Sriracha to add a spicy kick. On occasion, I've also added some sliced chilies for a bit of heat.
- Gluten-Free. Use tamari instead of soy sauce and ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free. You can also try this with aminos or coconut aminos as well.
- Add some veggies to the mix! Try adding a few cups of broccoli, bell peppers, or mushrooms 30 minutes before the end of cooking time.
How To Make Teriyaki Beef in the Slow Cooker
- Step 1: Make the teriyaki sauce: Combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and honey in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set it aside.
- Step 2: Cook the beef and sauce. Place the sliced beef in the slow cooker and pour the sauce on top. Cover it with the lid and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or until the beef is tender and cooked through.
- Step 3: Thicken the sauce. Mix the cornstarch and water together until there are no lumps to make the slurry. Pour it into the slow cooker and mix it into the sauce. Return the lid and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Serve and enjoy: Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Slice Across the Grain. The grain are the muscle fibers in the meat. When you cut across them, it shortens the grain, and results in more tender pieces of meat.
- Easy Slicing Tip. Freeze the meat for about 30-60 minutes before cutting it. This will firm up the beef and make it easier to slice.
- Consistency. The sauce will thicken as it cools so if you want a thinner sauce, serve it immediately after adding the cornstarch slurry.
- Avoid Lumps. Make sure there are no lumps in the cornstarch slurry before adding to the mixture. This ensures the sauce is smooth and doesn't become cloudy.
Serving Suggestions
We love this dish over a side of white rice in the crock pot or brown rice. It also goes great with fried rice as well. For a bit of variety, it's quite tasty with some lo mein noodles, rice noodles, or soba noodles. If you prefer low-carb try it with your favorite veggie noodles or some cauliflower rice.
Add on a veggie side like some stir-fried vegetables, Asian slaw, or glazed carrots. For a takeout feast at home, make some egg rolls, dumplings, or pair it with sweet and sour chicken or these crock pot PF Changs lettuce wraps!
Storing & Reheating
- Storing: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheat: Return the leftovers to a saucepan and heat on the stove over low heat until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions on a plate. If your leftovers are frozen, thaw them out overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
No, it's not necessary. I find it works just as well to skip that step and just add everything to the slow cooker.
Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled by using the "2x" option in the recipe card to automatically calculate the ingredients for a double recipe. Make sure your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate double the amount of ingredients and don't fill it up more than two-thirds full. You may need to extend the cooking time slightly as your slow cooker will be fuller and take longer to heat up.
Yes, simply follow the instructions and add everything to the pot. Cook on high manual pressure for 15 minutes and do a natural release. Remove the lid and turn on the sauté function. Mix cornstarch and water together to create a slurry and add it to the pot. Cook for another minute or until the sauce has thickened.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef
Ingredients
Beef
- 2 lbs sirloin steak (sliced into thin strips across the grain. You can also use flank steak.)
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (peeled and minced)
- 2 tsp garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp honey
Sauce
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and honey. Whisk everything together and set it aside.
- Place sliced beef in the slow cooker and pour sauce on top. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
- In a small bowl, add cornstarch and water. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Pour into the slow cooker and mix until well combined. Cover and continue to cook on high for 20 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
- Slice Across the Grain. The grain are the muscle fibers in the meat. When you cut across them, it shortens the grain, and results in more tender pieces of meat.
- Easy Slicing Tip. Freeze the meat for about 30-60 minutes before cutting it. This will firm up the beef and make it easier to slice.
- Consistency. The sauce will thicken as it cools so if you want a thinner sauce, serve it immediately after adding the cornstarch slurry.
- Avoid Lumps. Make sure there are no lumps in the cornstarch slurry before adding to the mixture. This ensures the sauce is smooth and doesn't become cloudy.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Pam says
Very nice flavor but not enough sauce for the three of us. We dished it over rice and had steamed broccoli on the side. Next time I make it I’ll double the sauce ingredients.
Ryan Allen says
It is always yummy to have a little extra sauce.