Beef Teriyaki in Crock Pot For An Easy Rice Bowl Dinner

Beef teriyaki in a crock pot is an easy slow cooker dinner made with chunks of stew meat simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce with garlic and ginger. As the beef cooks, the sauce thickens into a rich glaze that coats every piece. Serve it over warm rice with green onions and sesame seeds for a simple dinner that feels a little special but takes only a few minutes of prep.

Two bowls of white rice topped with saucy beef, sliced green onions, and sesame seeds. Chopsticks are beside the bowls, and a cutting board with green onions and sesame seeds is nearby. A slow cooker is also partially visible. this for later
Serve beef teriyaki in a crock pot for an easy slow cooker dinner with tender beef and a rich, sweet, savory sauce, then spoon it over rice when serving.
Save This Recipe Form

Send This Recipe To Your Inbox

Enter your email and I'll send it directly to you! Plus, enjoy new recipes, entertaining tips, and a free surprise bonus!

It’s a simple slow cooker dinner that comes together with just a few minutes of prep. I usually serve it over rice with a handful of green onions and sesame seeds on top. It reheats well, too, so the leftovers are perfect for the next day’s lunch.

Main Ingredients

A tray with raw beef cubes, brown sugar, soy sauce, green onions, garlic cloves, ginger slices, black sesame seeds, white sugar, and a small bowl of yellow liquid, arranged in separate bowls and plates.

Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Beef Stew Meat: Look for evenly cut small cubes with some marbling. Pieces that are similar in size cook at the same pace in the slow cooker. If you love hearty, melt-in-your-mouth beef, try this 4-ingredient beef skirt steak in the crockpot for another simple, set-it-and-forget-it dinner.
  • Soy Sauce: Regular soy sauce brings the salt and base flavor to the sauce.
  • White Sugar: This dissolves into the sauce early and brings the first layer of sweetness.
  • Brown Sugar: Adds deeper sweetness and helps the sauce darken as it cooks. It also helps the sauce cling to the beef once it thickens.
  • Garlic: Minced garlic blends into the sauce during the long cook time. Fresh garlic gives a fuller flavor than jarred garlic here.
  • Ginger: Finely minced ginger spreads through the sauce and sits in the background of the flavor. 
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Just enough to keep the sauce from turning heavy or overly sweet after the sugars cook down for several hours.

Smart Substitutions

A chuck roast cut into cubes can replace stew meat and cooks the same way in the slow cooker. Low-sodium soy sauce can be used if you want a lighter salt level. Rice vinegar can replace apple cider vinegar if that is what you keep in the pantry.

Beef Teriyaki Kitchen Essentials

How To Make Beef Teriyaki In The Crock Pot

This comes together right in the slow cooker. The sauce is mixed first, the beef is stirred in, and it cooks until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens at the end.

A white slow cooker containing a dark brown marinade with visible spices and garlic pieces, and a light blue whisk resting inside.

In a 5-quart or larger slow cooker, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, minced garlic, ginger paste, and ground black pepper. Stir until the sauce is well mixed.

Chunks of raw beef marinating in a dark sauce inside a white slow cooker on a light-colored surface.

Add the beef stew meat to the slow cooker. Stir well so all of the beef is coated in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the beef begins to get tender. Check the beef with about 1 hour of cooking time left so you can monitor the texture.

A white slow cooker filled with beef in a dark brown sauce, garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Nearby are chopsticks, a sauce dish, a napkin, and green onions on a wooden board.

The last hour of cooking, shake the cornstarch and water in a small jar until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, then continue cooking until the beef is tender and the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Serve over rice and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

Tip: If the sauce looks thin before serving, allow the slow cooker to continue cooking uncovered for a short time.

Quick Tips and Variation Ideas

Broccoli florets work well with this, but they only need to be added in the last 20 to 30 minutes in the slow cooker. Any longer and they soften too much in the sauce. I prefer making Instant Pot broccoli in less than 10 minutes separately to keep it bright and crisp.

Sometimes I add thin carrot slices and sliced green peppers for the last 2 hours of cooking.

A small pinch of red pepper flakes adds a light heat to the sauce.

Two bowls of white rice topped with glazed beef, sliced green onions, and sesame seeds sit on a table near a slow cooker, with green onions and a small dish of sesame seeds nearby.

Hospitality with Beef Teriyaki in A Crock Pot

A fun way to build a night around this beef teriyaki in the crock pot is a relaxed Japanese-inspired dinner party. Keep the table setup simple with white bowls, dark serving dishes if you have them, chopsticks or simple flatware, and maybe bamboo placemats. Since the slow cooker does most of the work, you can just set the beef out family-style and let everyone scoop their own over easy Instant Pot jasmine rice and add their own sesame seeds and green onion. Serve it alongside other Japanese-inspired sides like pickled cucumbers or daikon, miso soup, and a crisp cucumber salad with honey dressing for a full, balanced meal.

Sharing a meal like this reflects the principle in Proverbs 22:9, which shows that those who are generous with others are blessed. It’s a nice reminder that opening our home and sharing a meal isn’t really a loss at all. Hospitality is something God values and often brings more joy, connection, and blessings than what we give.

Try beef teriyaki in the crock pot for an easy meal that makes saucy beef, has simple prep, and feeds well straight from the slow cooker. If you have any questions about making this recipe, feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help! You can also snap a photo and tag @intentionalhospitality on Instagram.đŸ’› I love seeing your creations!

Two white bowls filled with rice and tender beef in a brown sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Green onions, sauce, and a slow cooker are in the background. Chopsticks rest beside the bowls.
No ratings yet
Gina Dickson

Beef Teriyaki In A Crock Pot

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Beef teriyaki in a Crock Pot is made with chunks of beef stew meat slow cooked in a sweet and salty soy sauce with garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and vinegar. The beef becomes tender while the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze perfect for serving over rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into cubes

Sauce

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced very fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Slurry

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Garnish

  • green onion
  • sesame seeds

Instructions
 

Make the Sauce

  • In a 5 quart or larger slow cooker, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, minced garlic, ginger paste, and ground black pepper.
    1/3 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Stir until the sauce is well mixed.

Add the Beef

  • Add the beef stew meat to the slow cooker.
    2 pounds beef stew meat
  • Stir well so all of the beef is coated in the sauce.

Cook the Beef

  • Cover and cook on high until the beef begins to get tender.

Thicken the Sauce

  • When you have about 1 hour left of cooking time in a small jar with a lid, combine the cornstarch and water. Shake well.
    1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
  • With a whisk, mix the cooking juices and then pour the slurry into the slow cooker and stir well.

Finish and Serve

  • Continue cooking until the beef is tender and the sauce is thickened and glossy.
  • Stir everything well before serving.
  • Serve over rice and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.
    green onion, sesame seeds

Gina’s Notes and Tips

Make Ahead Tip: The sauce ingredients can be mixed the night before and stored in the refrigerator. In the morning simply add the beef to the slow cooker and start cooking.
  • Storage: Store leftover beef teriyaki in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: Let the beef cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe container or bag with the sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan or microwave until heated through. Add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.

Equipment

Slow Cooker Digital Programmable with Temp Probe
Slow Cooker Digital Programmable with Temp Probe
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 484kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 1754mg, Potassium: 887mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 6mg
Cuisine: Asian
Course: Dinner
Intentionalhospitality.com content and photographs are copyright-protected. Sharing this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Tried this recipe?

Please consider Leaving a Review!

Follow along with Intentional Hospitality on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more yummy recipes that help you bring people together around your table.

Two white bowls filled with rice and glazed beef topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Nearby are chopsticks, a cloth napkin, sauces, and a small cutting board with sliced green onions.