Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
This Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken is full of flavor. All of the work is done in the slow cooker for an easy quick dinner.
People think that just because I have a food blog that I’m an amazing cook who has dinner perfectly plated on a perfectly set table every night of the week. Oh, I wish that was the case.
I have flops. This week alone I tried five recipes and only two I can say were worth keeping. I misread recipes. I forget entire ingredients. My son twists the knob on the oven to BROIL and next thing you know dinner is burnt.
I will say that since I do cook a lot, I’ve learned tips and tricks along the way to know what works and what doesn’t.
My friend always tells me that she’s intimidated to have me over for dinner. Oh please. If I didn’t have to cook it, it will be the best meal I’ve ever tasted.
I realize by saying that is sounds like I hate cooking which I don’t. I just don’t love getting a dinner on the table every night that will most likely elicit a complaint from at least one child. And I don’t love trying to make dinner while simultaneously doing homework, feeding my baby, and clearing the dishwasher.
I do love trying new recipes. I do love cranking up my Coldplay station on Pandora in the kitchen while making dinner. I do love making cookies in the middle of the day just because I’m craving a bite of dough. I do love making something that as soon as I taste it, I know will be a family favorite. THAT…I love.
This cashew chicken has been all over Pinterest and I finally gave it go on a day that I needed a no-fuss meal. My husband still isn’t sold on chicken thighs but he didn’t even mind them in this dish. In fact he loved it. This dish has great flavor that had me going back for seconds. I’m sure you could use breasts as well just make sure to cook them for less time.
Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
Slow cooker cashew chicken is better than takeout. Let it cook while you go about your day.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thigh
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger see Note
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup cashews
Instructions
- Note: I don't use ginger a lot so to buy fresh ginger for just a small amount isn't reasonable. My grocery store sells pureed ginger in a tube that lasts longer and you can use it as you need. Or you can freeze your fresh ginger.
- For the chicken: Trim any visible fat off the chicken. Combine the flour and black pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
Recipe Notes
Source: 365 Days of Slow Cooking
The sauce should be doubled if you want plenty to pour over rice
Love love love. Halved the recipe and made 3 portions. Sweet, nutty and on point. Thank you x
You’re welcome!
I wish I had read the comments before making this. A great, easy recipe idea and I can see it being very tasty but I too doubled the sauce and found this inedibly salty. I also found the cooking time too long. I cooked on low for the longer end of the 4-5 hours because I doubled the recipe (4 lbs of chicken) and the chicken was falling apart — not in a good way but in a stringy, mushy way like it was trying to be pulled pork for sandwiches. Not exactly appetizing over rice. I added some orange juice and molasses per Internet suggestions to cut saltiness, and rinsed my salted cashews before adding them — but it’s still too salty. I really hope the unseasoned rice and broccoli I’m serving it with will balance out the flavor.
Hello! Would the cooking time be the same for chopped chicken breasts? I plan on making this for tomorrow’s dinner with, oh dare I say… Coconut Jasmine rice 🙂
It would definitely not be as long for cut up chicken. Probably about an hour less depending on your slow cooker.
I just recently discovered your website and immediately found several recipes I wanted to try. Cooking used to intimidate me a great deal and I am always on the lookout for easy recipes. I am so happy to report that this cashew chicken (which is one of my favorite dishes) is not only easy but so tasty. I agree with another reviewer that doubling the sauce was a bit salty for me, so I appreciate the suggestion to use part water…however, my husband and kids loved it as is. I will definitely make this again. Many thanks to The Girl Who Ate Everything!
I doubled the sauce so I’d have enough to pour over rice and HOLY COW, it was ridiculously salty. I even used low sodium soy sauce. Next time I’ll do 50% soy sauce and 50% water. Other than that it was very good and easy. I did brown the chicken first although I’d like it try not doing that next time to see if it makes a difference.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Im already dreaming about when I can make it again! You have so many terrific recipes and I know they will be an instant hit whenever I make one. Thank you!
Aww. Thank you Heather.
I’ve seen cashew chicken recipes before but have never attempted any as they all seemed too much of a hassle.. this one looks a lot simpler in terms of ingredients and looks so good! I wonder if ground ginger works just as well? I tend to buy ground just in terms of that it lasts longer and easier to use..:/
Yes, I would totally use ground. I’m with you on that…
I do not have a slow cookery (unfortunately)… Do you have any suggestions as to how i could make this recipe without one? Thank you!
You could bake it as well. I would assume 30-45 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees would work.
Oh! and I wanted to pass along my ginger hint. It freezes well and is easy to grate frozen. I buy a piece of ginger, peel it and cut it into 2″-4″ chunks, put it in a labeled zipper bag, and when I need fresh ginger just pull a piece out.
We had this tonight for dinner and it was delicious! My sauce wasn’t very thick so I added a little cornstarch and it was just right. Thanks for the yummy crockpot recipe!
First of all love your blog! Thank you for being such a trusted source for wonderul recipes.
For this recipe, is there a subsitute for rice wine vinegar? I don’t have it and can’t see it at my store.
Thanks!
Caroline,
Any vinegar will do. Red wine vinegar or just white is fine…
Do you think this would work with bone-in chicken?
I’m sure it would work!
Made this for the group I cook for on Mondays – it was a BIG hit! Loved it!!