Description
This Crock Pot Cashew Chicken is a flavorful and easy slow-cooker recipe that combines tender chicken with a savory, slightly sweet sauce and crunchy cashews. Perfect for a hands-off meal that you can prepare ahead and enjoy served over rice or noodles. The sauce features soy, honey, hoisin, and a hint of ginger and garlic, creating a delicious Asian-inspired dish with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (low-sodium preferred)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional for a little heat)
Thickening and Garnish
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup unsalted roasted cashews
- 1-2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Place the chicken pieces into the bottom of the crock pot, spreading them out evenly to ensure even cooking throughout.
- Make the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, and red pepper flakes if you want some heat. This sauce will give your chicken a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken in the crock pot, stirring gently to coat all the pieces thoroughly with the sauce for even flavor distribution.
- Slow Cook the Chicken: Cover the crock pot and cook the chicken on low heat for 4 to 6 hours, or on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked through.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth to create a slurry. Stir this mixture into the crock pot to thicken the sauce. Cover again and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce reaches a nice thick consistency.
- Add Cashews: Stir in the unsalted roasted cashews and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. This allows the cashews to warm through and absorb some of the flavorful sauce, adding a delightful crunch to the dish.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the cashew chicken hot over cooked rice or noodles. Garnish with chopped green onions to add a fresh, vibrant finish to your meal.
Notes
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to control salt levels in the dish.
- Chicken thighs provide more moisture and flavor but boneless breasts work fine too.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your heat preference or omit for mild flavor.
- For a thicker sauce, you can add a bit more cornstarch slurry as needed.
- Serve with steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles to soak up the delicious sauce.
- If you want to keep this gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce and hoisin sauce alternatives.
