Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken Recipe

Cashew chicken is a healthy Chinese takeout favorite, but recipe developer Jessica Morone tells us that it's easier to make your own than it is to order out. She notes that along with a few hours in the slow cooker and "only about 15 minutes of active cooking time, you get a delicious, flavorful meal with very little effort." The is sweet and tangy and even though it's not too spicy, but you can add more crushed red pepper once the dish is done cooking.

It's true that using a slow cooker takes a lot longer than stir-frying, but doing so allows you to prepare the meal a few hours before you plan to eat it rather than having to wait until the last minute. Morone also notes that cooking cashew chicken low and slow "means the sauce has tons of time for the flavor to deepen and thicken up" so your patience will be rewarded with an extra-tasty dish.

To make this cashew chicken, you'll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts and some cashews. Besides these two main ingredients, you'll need a dozen additional items: flour, baking soda, black pepper, canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, sweet chili sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Sliced green onions and sesame seeds are optional ingredients that can be sprinkled on top of the dish. Once you've rounded up these ingredients, you'll be ready to get started.

Mix the flour with the baking soda and pepper, then use this mixture to coat the chicken. Morone recommends the shake & bake method, putting all of these ingredients in a Ziploc bag. If you're wondering why baking soda is in the mix, Morone assures us, "It doesn't affect the flavor at all, the coating just helps the chicken to stay pretty crispy and not get soggy when it cooks in the crockpot." If you'd prefer, she says you can use baking powder, instead.

Heat up the oil over medium-high, then fry the floured chicken chunks for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. You're just browning the meat at this point — don't worry if the chicken is still pink inside, since it will finish cooking in the crockpot. 

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, chili sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and red pepper, then add this mixture to the slow cooker. Put the chicken in, then cover the pot and cook everything on low for 2 to 3 hours. As Morone points out, "The longer you cook it, the thicker the sauce will be."

About ½ hour before you plan to dish up the chicken, toss the cashews into the crockpot. Close the lid once more and resume cooking.

When your cashew chicken is done, you might wish to garnish it with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or both. You could also serve it with either rice or noodles to put some starch in your meal.