Japan's teriyaki technique traditionally grills with a glaze, but this slow cooker method tenderizes pork tenderloin for 6 hours instead.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
A flavorful and tender pork tenderloin cooked in a slow cooker with teriyaki sauce and spices.
Prep
25
min
Cook
250
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
Teriyaki itself is a Japanese-American bastard child, born when Hawaiian plantation workers in the 1960s combined Japanese soy-mirin glazing techniques with American barbecue sensibilities, and this slow-cooker version pushes it further into Americana territory by dumping the whole lot into a crockpot like it's a Sunday pot roast from Ohio, not Osaka.
Regional Twist
In Honolulu, cooks would swap the brown sugar for dark Hawaiian cane sugar and add crushed pineapple to the chicken broth mixture, giving the dish a tropical acidity that cuts through the fatty pork tenderloin far better than mainland versions ever manage.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ large onion, sliced
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
📦Other(1)
- 3 fresh red chile peppers, chopped, or to taste
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
230
Protein
24g
Carbs
14g
Fat
9g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Meanwhile, mix together chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, red chile peppers, and black pepper.
- 3
Put browned tenderloins in a slow cooker and cover with teriyaki sauce mixture. Cook on Low for about 4 hours, turning 2 to 3 times during cooking time to ensure even doneness. The internal temperature of tenderloins should reach 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
- 4
Remove tenderloins from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon liquid over slices when serving, if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the pork tenderloin until it reaches 140°F internal temperature (about 8-10 minutes) before slow cooking, not just surface browning, because this Maillard reaction develops umami compounds that won't develop in the moist slow cooker environment.timing140°F internal temp during sear
- ✓Reduce the teriyaki sauce mixture by 15-20% by simmering it separately for 3-4 minutes before adding to the slow cooker, since the tenderloin will release 8-12% of its weight in moisture during 4 hours of cooking, diluting flavors otherwise.technique15-20% reduction; 3-4 minutes simmer
- ✓Add the brown sugar only during the last 45 minutes of cooking rather than at the start, because prolonged heat breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose, which caramelize and burn on the pork surface (creating bitterness) instead of glazing.timingFinal 45 minutes only
- ✓Increase the teriyaki sauce-to-broth ratio to 1:1 (instead of 1:2) because slow cookers lose only 10-15% of liquid versus 25-30% in braising, so the final sauce will be less concentrated than traditional stovetop versions.ingredient1:1 ratio (½ cup teriyaki : ½ cup broth)
- ✓Rest the pork for 8-10 minutes after removing from the slow cooker (not just 5), because collagen-rich connective tissue in pork tenderloin requires longer fiber relaxation to retain up to 50% more juices compared to the minimal 5-minute rest.timing8-10 minutes rest
Share this recipe
Prep
25
min
Cook
250
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Japan's teriyaki technique traditionally grills with a glaze, but this slow cooker method tenderizes pork tenderloin for 6 hours instead.
Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
A flavorful and tender pork tenderloin cooked in a slow cooker with teriyaki sauce and spices.
The Story
Teriyaki itself is a Japanese-American bastard child, born when Hawaiian plantation workers in the 1960s combined Japanese soy-mirin glazing techniques with American barbecue sensibilities, and this slow-cooker version pushes it further into Americana territory by dumping the whole lot into a crockpot like it's a Sunday pot roast from Ohio, not Osaka.
Regional Twist
In Honolulu, cooks would swap the brown sugar for dark Hawaiian cane sugar and add crushed pineapple to the chicken broth mixture, giving the dish a tropical acidity that cuts through the fatty pork tenderloin far better than mainland versions ever manage.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ large onion, sliced
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
📦Other(1)
- 3 fresh red chile peppers, chopped, or to taste
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
230
Protein
24g
Carbs
14g
Fat
9g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown tenderloins on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Meanwhile, mix together chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, red chile peppers, and black pepper.
- 3
Put browned tenderloins in a slow cooker and cover with teriyaki sauce mixture. Cook on Low for about 4 hours, turning 2 to 3 times during cooking time to ensure even doneness. The internal temperature of tenderloins should reach 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
- 4
Remove tenderloins from the slow cooker and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon liquid over slices when serving, if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the pork tenderloin until it reaches 140°F internal temperature (about 8-10 minutes) before slow cooking, not just surface browning, because this Maillard reaction develops umami compounds that won't develop in the moist slow cooker environment.timing140°F internal temp during sear
- ✓Reduce the teriyaki sauce mixture by 15-20% by simmering it separately for 3-4 minutes before adding to the slow cooker, since the tenderloin will release 8-12% of its weight in moisture during 4 hours of cooking, diluting flavors otherwise.technique15-20% reduction; 3-4 minutes simmer
- ✓Add the brown sugar only during the last 45 minutes of cooking rather than at the start, because prolonged heat breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose, which caramelize and burn on the pork surface (creating bitterness) instead of glazing.timingFinal 45 minutes only
- ✓Increase the teriyaki sauce-to-broth ratio to 1:1 (instead of 1:2) because slow cookers lose only 10-15% of liquid versus 25-30% in braising, so the final sauce will be less concentrated than traditional stovetop versions.ingredient1:1 ratio (½ cup teriyaki : ½ cup broth)
- ✓Rest the pork for 8-10 minutes after removing from the slow cooker (not just 5), because collagen-rich connective tissue in pork tenderloin requires longer fiber relaxation to retain up to 50% more juices compared to the minimal 5-minute rest.timing8-10 minutes rest