Slow cooker steak teriyaki is a delicious easy recipe that requires only a few minutes of prep time. This quick dinner recipe features tender beef and sweet pineapples in a thick teriyaki glaze that’s served over a bed of white rice. Skip the takeout menu and satisfy your craving with this savory meal instead!

When life gets busy I am all about fast, simple meals that I can set and forget.

The slow cooker is my best friend if I know we have a busy day ahead because it lets me make delicious dinners I feel good about feeding to my boys, without having to devote hours to the process, like this slow cooker steak teriyaki.

Featuring tender bites of beef and chunks of caramelized pineapple in a sweet teriyaki sauce, this recipe comes together in the bowl of your slow cooker with minimal effort.

Set it, forget it, and come home to a delicious dinner that’s sure to satisfy any Chinese takeout craving!

What is teriyaki?

Teriyaki sauce is an Asian seasoning or marinade.

It’s normally a combination of soy sauce, sake or mirin, sugar and ginger.

This sauce pairs well with almost any meat or vegetable and gives them so much flavor, which makes it an easy way to infuse a simple meal with loads of flavor.

Ingredients Needed

Making this easy steak teriyaki recipe only requires a handful of easy ingredients to come together.

You’ll need:

Beef – 3 lbs of beef stew meat, trimmed of any fat and cut down to bite sized pieces (if needed)
Teriyaki Sauce – Look for a thicker sauce, and preferably not one stuffed full of sesame seeds.
Pineapple – Canned pineapple tidbits, drained.
Water Chestnuts – These are optional, but they do add a nice bit of texture to the finished dish.
Slurry – A blend of cornstarch and cold water, mixed together until completely smooth. This will act as a natural thickener for the sauce.
Rice – Steamed white rice, for serving

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, you’re ready to begin!

How to Make

This is one of those dinners I fall back on when I know I won’t have a lot of time to put something together because it’s so easy.

Simply start by adding the beef, pineapple and water chestnuts to the bowl of your slow cooker and season it with salt and pepper. Then pour the teriyaki sauce evenly over top and stir everything together until evenly combined.

Turn the slow cooker on low, cover with the lid, and let the mixture cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the meat is cooked through and tender.

30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker up to high.

Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until it forms a slurry. Pour the slurry into the crockpot and give everything a stir.

Cover and continue cooking for the last 30 minutes so that the sauce thickens. Don’t worry if your sauce isn’t super thick yet, because it will continue to thicken as the mixture cools.

Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Stir fried veggies, steamed broccoli, or our garlic ginger green beans make a great side to serve with this Asian inspired beef.

Can I Use A Different Cut Of Beef?

I use stew beef in this recipe, which I absolutely love.

A single package goes straight into the crock with all the cutting and prep work already done for me.

It makes it worth stocking up on to me. However, I don’t always have stew beef on hand and I can’t resist a great sale.

Flank, or skirt, steak cut into strips works perfectly as a substitute.

I’ve also been known to pull a chuck roast out of the deep freezer, let it thaw, and then cut it up in roughly one inch cubes to throw in this recipe.

If you want a beef alternative, my sister uses cubed pork loin and swears by it!

Can I Make It Spicy?

Teriyaki is not spicy on it’s own with it’s signature slightly sweet and salty flavor with a hint of ginger; however, you can definitely give this dish a kick if you’d prefer.

Add some crushed red pepper flakes or a couple dashes of sriracha sauce to the mixture before cooking to infuse it with some heat.

What Toppings Should I Use?

If you’re anything like my family, we enjoy customizing our takeout with a mixture of our favorite toppings.

We love the traditional pairing of sesame seeds & thinly sliced green onions, but there’s also many other yummy options including:

Nuts – like peanuts or cashews
Wonton Strips
Chow Mein Noodles
Wasabi Peas
Red Pepper Flakes
Cilantro – Fresh cilantro, washed well to remove dirt and grit

Use one, or even a combination. Experiment and find the flavors that work best for you.

Storing

This beef teriyaki recipe somehow gets even tastier as leftovers where the flavors have had time to deepen and intensify.

Cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat either pop it back in the slow cooker on low until it is warmed through or spoon out individual servings and microwave in a microwave safe dish.

Tips & Tricks

For quicker cooking cook on HIGH heat for 2-3 hours, just until the beef’s cooked through and tender. Follow the slurry directions as instructed.
Add some crushed red pepper flakes or a couple dashes of sriracha sauce to the mixture before cooking to infuse it with some heat.
Serve over steamed white rice, and pair with a simple side like steamed broccoli or sauteed green beans to make it a full meal.

Other Easy Crockpot Recipes

Make this crockpot steak teriyaki the next time you want an effortless, delicious meal your family will love!

Looking for other easy crockpot recipes to enjoy?

Try these:

Easy Asian Slow Cooker Recipes

Skip the takeout menu, try your hand at making some of your other favorite Asian style dishes at home.

Looking for other Asian inspired recipes for your slow cooker?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this CROCKPOT STEAK TERIYAKI, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on.