Description
This Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken recipe offers a deliciously flavorful and easy-to-make meal that rivals takeout. Tender, breaded chicken pieces cook slowly in a savory and tangy sauce infused with ginger, garlic, and cashews, making it a perfect family-friendly dinner served over rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Mixture
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless skinless, about 4 pieces, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Sauce and Add-ins
- 1/2 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 4 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup cashews
Instructions
- Coat the Chicken: Combine cornstarch and black pepper in a resealable food storage bag. Add the chicken pieces and shake well to coat them evenly with the cornstarch mixture.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces for about 2 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and cashews. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cook the Dish: Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to become tender. (For crunchier cashews, add them just before serving.)
- Serve: Serve the cashew chicken hot over cooked rice. Enjoy this comforting slow cooker meal that makes 6 servings.
Notes
- If using regular soy sauce and you find it too salty, opt for low sodium soy sauce to control saltiness.
- To increase the amount of sauce, double the sauce ingredients or mix 1.5 times the suggested quantities.
- Adding cashews during cooking softens them; add them at the end if you prefer a crunchier texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
