Here’s a flavorful Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken—tender chicken, crunchy cashews, and a savory-sweet sauce with minimal hands-on time:
🥘 Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
🧾 Ingredients
- 500–700 g (1–1.5 lb) boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cashews (unsalted)
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce (or honey + soy as substitute)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (optional, for flavor)
- 1 tsp ginger, minced or grated
- 1–2 tsp cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
🔪 Instructions
1. Prep the slow cooker
- Add chicken, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
2. Make the sauce
- In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger.
- Pour over chicken and vegetables.
3. Cook
- Low: 4–5 hours
- High: 2–3 hours
4. Add cashews & thicken (optional)
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in cashews.
- If you want a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with 1–2 tbsp water and stir in; cook until thickened.
5. Serve
- Spoon over rice or noodles and garnish with extra cashews or green onions.
🍽️ Tips
- Use chicken thighs for juicier, more tender results.
- Toast cashews lightly before adding for extra flavor.
- Add broccoli or snap peas in the last hour for more vegetables.
- Adjust sweetness or saltiness by tweaking hoisin or soy sauce amounts.
This recipe is perfect for a hands-off weeknight dinner with rich, nutty flavor.
I can also give a quick stovetop version if you don’t want to wait for the slow cooker.
