Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken and Low-Carb Rice

Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken and Low-Carb Rice

Recipe Classification: Keto • Low-Carb • High-Protein • Gluten-Free* • Dairy-Free • Meal Prep Friendly

Use certified gluten-free tamari and check the CiaoCarb rice label if gluten-free certification is required.

Introduction

This Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken and Low-Carb Rice delivers all the sticky, savoury-sweet flavour of classic teriyaki chicken while keeping carbohydrates considerably lower. Tender chicken thighs are slowly cooked in a homemade keto teriyaki sauce made with tamari, keto-friendly sweetener, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, garlic, and green onions before being served with CiaoCarb low-carb rice.

Using allulose or a brown keto sweetener creates the sweetness associated with traditional honey teriyaki without adding regular honey or brown sugar. Chicken thighs provide plenty of high-quality protein and remain beautifully tender during slow cooking, while xanthan gum can be used to create that glossy, sticky teriyaki-style sauce.

Whether you're looking for a keto slow cooker recipe, low-carb teriyaki chicken, a high-protein family dinner, or an easy keto meal prep recipe, this dish brings comforting takeaway-inspired flavours to your kitchen with much fewer carbohydrates than traditional chicken teriyaki and rice.

Benefits of the Main Ingredients

Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are an excellent source of complete, high-quality protein containing all nine essential amino acids. They also provide niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, and phosphorus.

Their slightly higher natural fat content compared with chicken breast helps the meat stay juicy and tender during long, slow cooking, making thighs particularly well suited to slow-cooker recipes.

Tamari

Tamari provides the deep savoury and umami flavour that's essential to teriyaki sauce. It requires only a relatively small amount to season a large quantity of chicken.

Tamari is commonly made predominantly from soybeans rather than wheat, making many varieties naturally gluten-free, although anyone avoiding gluten should still choose one specifically labelled gluten-free.

Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger provides the characteristic warm, aromatic flavour of teriyaki while containing naturally occurring compounds called gingerols.

Because only a relatively small quantity is distributed throughout the entire recipe, it adds plenty of flavour without contributing many carbohydrates per serving.

Garlic

Fresh garlic adds savoury depth and contains naturally occurring sulphur compounds. Together with ginger and tamari, it creates a flavourful sauce without needing bottled teriyaki sauces that can contain substantial amounts of added sugar.

Green Onions

Green onions add freshness and mild onion flavour while contributing vitamin K, vitamin C, and small amounts of fibre.

Allulose or Keto Brown Sweetener

Replacing traditional honey or brown sugar with allulose or another keto-friendly sweetener dramatically reduces the amount of digestible carbohydrate in the teriyaki sauce while maintaining its characteristic sweet-and-savoury flavour.

Allulose also works particularly well in sauces because it behaves more similarly to regular sugar than many alternative sweeteners.

CiaoCarb Low-Carb Rice

Using low-carb rice instead of conventional white rice allows you to recreate the comforting combination of teriyaki chicken and rice while keeping the overall carbohydrate content more compatible with a ketogenic eating pattern.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe gives you the convenience of a set-and-forget slow cooker dinner while delivering the sticky, savoury flavours of takeaway-style teriyaki chicken.

It's particularly good for high-protein keto meal prep. With 1.4 kg of chicken thighs, you can prepare several generous portions at once and divide the chicken and low-carb rice between containers for lunches or quick dinners throughout the week.

Making the teriyaki sauce yourself also gives you control over the sweetness. Instead of conventional recipes containing honey, sugar, or sweet bottled sauces, you can adjust the keto sweetener according to your preference.

For extra freshness, finish each serving with sliced green onions or a small sprinkle of sesame seeds.