Make this simple Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki for a delicious Asian-inspired meal with lots of flavor and texture! Beyond easy to throw together in the morning, this 5 ingredient recipe is your new weeknight favorite.
When dinner time rolls around, just cook up some rice (and you can even cheat and use instant rice or a microwaveable pouch) then toss up a simple green salad and you’re good to go! The entire family will love this perfect weeknight meal, great for meal prep, busy weeknights, and more.
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Craving your favorite Chinese takeout, but want something on the healthier and less expensive side? This slow cooker teriyaki beef served on a bed of white rice is the perfect solution!
With just a couple of simple ingredients, you can easily put together this crock pot meal that will rival classic takeout beef and broccoli. With the addition of canned pineapple, this dish combines the best of sweet and umami flavors for a comforting and satisfying dish.
Just like my Braised Garlic and Soy Pork or Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef, this is a fantastic way to curb those takeout cravings for a fraction of the price and with much more nutritional value. Let's get to slow cooking!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- canned pineapple - the tender pineapple and its tangy juice add the perfect dimension of tropical sweetness.
- pepper and onion strips - I love using a frozen blend of chopped onions and bell peppers to streamline prep.
- ground ginger - provides a bit of extra warmth.
- teriyaki sauce - gives this dish its balance of sweetness and satisfying savory flavor.
- stew meat - perfect for the slow cooker, cubed beef will get nice and tender as it slow cooks.
- frozen broccoli - you can also use fresh broccoli if you prefer, but I like frozen florets because there's no extra chopping involved!
- flour or cornstarch - you'll use this to create a slurry that thickens the sauce and gives it a rich and luscious consistency.
🔪 Instructions
- In a slow cooker, combine beef with pineapple (including the juice), pepper and onion strips, ginger, and teriyaki sauce.
- Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
- Stir in the broccoli about 30 minutes before serving.
- As an optional step, combine cornstarch or flour in a small bowl of water to create a slurry.
- Pour the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and stir until sauce thickens.
❔ FAQs
Absolutely! As long as you cook your slow cooker beef teriyaki all the way through, there's nothing wrong with putting raw beef (or any kind of raw meat) in the slow cooker.
This refers to a mixture of cornstarch with room temperature water (or any room temperature liquid). Cornstarch is a fantastic thickening agent and is often used to make sauces more rich. The reason you have to combine it with water before adding it to the sauce is that dry cornstarch will clump up if you just add it without mixing it up first. A typical slurry combines equal parts liquid and cornstarch.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the beef reaches an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.
- Serve your slow cooker teriyaki beef over top of brown rice, white rice, or your favorite noodles.
- For best results, be sure not to add the broccoli until the end of cooking or it may end up getting too soft and mushy.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro, or some fresh chopped green onions or scallions.
- Use all of that sauce in the slow cooker! Spoon extra over your beef or save the sauce for other recipes.
📌 Delicious and great to pair with rice, noodles, and more, this Asian beef teriyaki includes sweet pineapple for a hint of tangy flavor that compliments the hearty, savory goodness of tender beef!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Add other vegetables like carrots, snow peas, water chestnuts, or fresh bell pepper chunks to your slow cooker beef teriyaki. You'll want to add these when you add the broccoli to prevent mushiness.
- Be sure to taste the sauce before serving. Adjust the flavor by adding a bit of soy sauce (I prefer low sodium soy sauce) if it's too sweet, or if you want more sweetness you could mix in some white or brown sugar.
- For a little kick of heat, add some red pepper flakes to your crock pot beef teriyaki.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Allow leftovers to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze this dish for several months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat, you can pop your beef teriyaki in the microwave for about a minute and give it a zap. Continue to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until it's heated through. Another method is to return to a skillet or pan, add a bit of liquid (like beef broth or just water) and cook over medium heat.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Serve your Asian beef teriyaki recipe over top of Zucchini Walnut Fried Rice or Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, and pair with a Cucumber Salad or a simple mix of greens with your favorite dressing!
✔️ More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Love
- 2 Ingredient Pulled Pork - All you need is pork and your favorite BBQ sauce for this incredible pulled pork!
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken - Making a hearty chicken dish has never been easier! Perfect for holiday meals or Sunday night dinner.
- Slow Cooker Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal - Use your slow cooker to make a filling and fiber-filled breakfast with comforting and subtly sweet flavors.
- Carnitas Tater Tot Nachos - This exciting recipe from JZEats turns frozen tater tots into a delicious loaded dish perfect for a shareable appetizer or main course!
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef Recipe
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📋 Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki (Only 5 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 20 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice (no need to drain) (1 can)
- 20 ounces frozen pepper and onion strips (1 bag)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- ¾ cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 ½ pounds cubed beef chuck stew meat
- 10 ounces frozen broccoli florets (1 bag)
- flour or cornstarch for sauce thickening (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.20 ounces pineapple chunks in pineapple juice (no need to drain), 20 ounces frozen pepper and onion strips, 2 ½ pounds cubed beef chuck stew meat, ¾ cup teriyaki sauce, 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Set to low and cook for 6-7 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the broccoli florets, re-cover and continue cooking.10 ounces frozen broccoli florets
- For thicker sauce, mix together about 2 tablespoons of flour (or cornstarch) with about ¼ cup of water. Slowly pour into the slow cooker while stirring. Cover and continue to cook until done.flour or cornstarch for sauce thickening
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
- Customize with different vegetables. You can use carrots, snow peas, water chestnuts, fresh bell pepper chunks, or other vegetables. Add them during the last hour of cooking.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds, chopped green onions, or cilantro on top just before serving for added freshness and flavor.
- Taste the dish before serving and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You can add a bit more soy sauce, sugar, or other seasonings to suit your preferences.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in November 2013, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in February 2024.
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Happy cooking!
Shelby
Delicious, easy, and nutritious. Love the sweetness of the pineapple!