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Slow cooker cashew chicken garnished with green onion
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Crockpot Cashew Chicken

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cashew chicken, slow cooker cashew chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 736kcal
Author: Rachael

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha or red pepper flakes optional

For Serving:

  • 1 cup roasted or unsalted cashews
  • 4 green onions sliced
  • Sesame seeds optional
  • Cooked white rice brown rice, or cauliflower rice
  • Steamed broccoli or vegetables

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

  • Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and toss with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until lightly coated.
  • Optional: For a more authentic takeout-style texture, quickly brown the chicken in a skillet with olive oil before adding it to the crockpot. This step adds extra flavor but is not required.

Step 2: Make the Sauce

  • In a small bowl, or the crock of the slow cooker, whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and sriracha.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker. Or add the chicken into the sauce.

Step 3: Slow Cook

  • Cover and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  • Cook: LOW: 4–5 hours or HIGH: 2–3 hours
  • Avoid overcooking, especially if using chicken breast, as it can become dry.

Step 4: Add Cashews

  • Stir in cashews just before serving so they stay crunchy.
  • Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
  • Serve warm over rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 736kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 2840mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg