Crock Pot Cashew Chicken is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that combines tender chicken pieces, crunchy cashews, and a flavorful sauce. This slow cooker recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, as it requires minimal prep and lets the crock pot do all the work. The result is a savory, slightly sweet, and nutty chicken dish that pairs perfectly with rice or noodles.
7. **Serve:** Once the cooking time is complete, give the chicken and sauce a good stir. Serve the Cashew Chicken over steamed rice or noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
### Tips:
– **Vegetables:** Add vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, or snap peas during the last hour of cooking for added nutrition and color.
– **Cashew Toasting:** If your cashews are not roasted, you can toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they are fragrant and lightly browned.
– **Thickening the Sauce:** If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Stir this into the crock pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
### Variations:
– **Spicy:** Increase the red pepper flakes or add a dash of hot sauce to the sauce mixture for a spicier version.
– **Honey Cashew Chicken:** Add 2 tablespoons of honey to the sauce for a sweeter profile.
– **Nut-Free:** Substitute cashews with almonds or peanuts, or omit them altogether if you have nut allergies.
### Serving Suggestions:
– **Steamed Rice:** Serve over white or brown rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.
– **Noodles:** Toss with cooked noodles for a different texture and presentation.
– **Vegetable Sides:** Pair with steamed or stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.
**Crock Pot Cashew Chicken** is a versatile and crowd-pleasing dish that brings the flavors of Chinese takeout right to your home with minimal effort. The combination of tender chicken, crunchy cashews, and savory sauce makes it a perfect choice for a comforting and satisfying meal. Enjoy!
This is better than most Chinese takeout cashew chicken. Throw it all in the slow cooker and have a delicious, no-fuss dinner!
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders
- 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 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup cashews
Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side.
Place chicken in a slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.
Makes 4-6 servings.