Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef

Busy day? Let your slow cooker do the work to get a delicious dinner on the table in a hurry! This slow cooker teriyaki beef is full of flavor, super easy to make and a meal that the whole family loves!

This easy slow cooker meal is one of our favorites because it is full of teriyaki flavor and the delicious beef is nice and tender. It is filling, delicious, and perfect for busy weeknights. This beef has a tasty homemade teriyaki sauce that is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. It can be served over rice or noodles to make a dish that your whole family loves.

• Other Posts You’ll Love
• Sheet Pan Chicken Teriyaki– Sheet pan meals are so easy for busy weeknights! This sheet pan chicken teriyaki has juicy flavorful chicken and tender veggies in a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. It is a delicious meal the whole family loves!
• Teriyaki Chicken Burgers Chicken teriyaki burgers are a delicious combination of juicy chicken patties and sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. This unique twist on a classic burger is perfect for those who love Asian flavors and want to try something new.
• Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli- This sheet pan beef and broccoli recipe is a super easy meal with all of the flavor of your favorite take out! The juicy beef, fresh broccoli and tasty sauce makes a dinner that the whole family will love!

FAQ & Tips for this Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef Recipe

Don’t skip marinating your beef-

Since this recipe uses a tough cut of meat it is super important that it is marinated so that the final result is tender and delicious. I recommend marinating for at least 2 hours and for the most flavor I marinate overnight.

Can I use a store bought teriyaki marinade?

If you’re looking for a short cut to make teriyaki beef you can skip making your own marinade and use your favorite store bought. We love this one from Primal Kitchen or for a sugar free option for delicious teriyaki beef this is our favorite.

How to serve teriyaki beef-

We love to serve this over white rice, brown rice or noodles. It is also tasty over quinoa, or cauliflower rice for a low carb option. We like to garnish it with fresh green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Can I use different vegetables?

Absolutely! Broccoli is super easy and pairs well with the beef but you can easily swap it out for different veggies or add additional vegetables. We love to add snow peas, red peppers or green peppers, mushrooms or even green beans. Keep in mind different vegetables cook at different speeds in the crockpot so some may be softer than others.

How to make this ahead of time-

This is a great recipe for meal prepping to have ready to just add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and turn it on! I like to chop my veggies, chop and marinate my beef and mix up the sauce all ahead of time so that when it is time to cook assembling the dish is super easy. You can also prep the meat and place it and the marinade in a freezer bag to have for longer storage. To make a full freezer meal you can mix the chopped veggies and sauce ingredients in another freezer bag and freeze. To cook everything from frozen just place the ingredients in the slow cooker and add an an additional 1-2 hours to the cooking time.

Storage and reheating-

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat it in the microwave or over medium heat in a pot on the stove. When heating on the stove stir frequently until it is heated through.

For shorter cook time-

This easy crockpot recipe is cooked in two parts, first the beef is cooked and then the broccoli is added. If you don’t have time to add the broccoli and cook for another hour you can tweak the cooking a bit and make this easy weeknight meal even more simple. Mix the cornstarch and water together before adding it to the slow cooker and then cook as directed. Then just stir in steamed broccoli to coat it with the sauce before serving.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki

Skirt Steak– Skirt steak is an affordable cut of meat because it tends to be a bit tough. Marinating it and cooking it in the crock pot helps make it tender and flavorful. If you can’t find skirt steak you can use flank steak, hanger steak, or flat iron steak. No matter what cut you use be sure to cut it against the grain for nice tender beef.

Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is used in the marinade and the teriyaki sauce for this recipe. You can use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer a less salty dish. If you have a soy sensitivity you can use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. They are a little sweeter so you may want to cut down the brown sugar.

 Brown Sugar– Brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness to this dish and helps the teriyaki sauce caramelize nicely. If you are watching your sugar intake you can use brown sugar Swerve.

Minced Garlic– You can use fresh minced garlic cloves for this recipe or you can use jarred minced garlic.

Ginger Paste– I prefer ginger paste over ginger powder because it gives you delicious fresh ginger taste. If you prefer to use fresh grated ginger you can. If you need to use powdered ginger use 1/4 tsp for every teaspoon.

Sesame Oil– Sesame oil has a delicious toasted sesame taste that adds delicious flavor to the marinade and teriyaki sauce.

Honey– This adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce. If you don’t like honey or can’t have it for some reason you can use a little more brown sugar, agave nectar or maple syrup.

Cornstarch– This is used to thicken the sauce so that it coats the beef and broccoli nicely.

Broccoli– I like to use fresh broccoli for this recipe but you can use frozen broccoli. If you use frozen the cooked broccoli will be softer than if you us fresh.

Green onions– These add a touch freshness and crunch to the final dish, you can skip them if you’re not a fan.

Water or Beef Broth– Having liquid in the crockpot is an important part of slow cooking and in this recipe you can use water or beef broth or beef stock. I like to use broth for a little extra flavor but if you don’t have any on hand you can use water.

How to Make Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef

The first step is to slice and marinade the steak.

Cut the steak against the grain into thin slices.

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a medium size bowl. Place the steak and the marinade in a large zip top bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook-

Place the marinated beef in the slow cooker.

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger and water in a medium bowl stir to mix everything well. Pour into the slow cooker and stir to coat the beef.

Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Remove the steak from the crock pot. Mix the corn starch to the juices and whisk well to incorporated.

Add the steak back in, add in the broccoli, cover and cook on high for 1 more hour.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Sharing is caring!