Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken Recipe
A flavorful and easy Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken recipe featuring tender chicken breasts coated in a savory cornstarch mixture, browned to perfection, and slow-cooked in a tangy soy sauce-based glaze with cashews. This dish provides a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, ideal for a comforting weeknight dinner served over rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 pieces)
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Sauce and Flavorings
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 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 evenly coat the chicken with the cornstarch mixture. This coating will help thicken the sauce slightly and give the chicken a tender texture.
- 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 they have a light golden color. This step locks in flavor and ensures a better texture after slow cooking. Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker.
- Mix the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and cashews. Pour this flavorful sauce mixture evenly over the chicken in the slow cooker. For softer cashews, add them now; for crunchier cashews, add them just before serving.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, allowing the chicken to become tender and absorb all the delicious sauce flavors. The slow cooking melds the savory, sweet, and spicy elements perfectly.
- Serve: Once cooked, serve the cashew chicken hot over steamed rice for a complete and satisfying meal that feeds 4 to 6 people.
Notes
- Use low sodium soy sauce to reduce saltiness if desired.
- If you prefer more sauce, increase the sauce ingredients by 1 to 1.5 times.
- For crunchier cashews, add them at the end of cooking or just before serving instead of during the slow cooking process.
- This recipe can be prepared ahead and reheated gently before serving.
Keywords: Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken, easy cashew chicken recipe, crockpot cashew chicken, slow cooker Asian chicken, chicken with cashews
Find it online: https://busyrecipe.com/slow-cooker-cashew-chicken-recipe/