Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Make tonight takeout night with this simple and delicious recipe for Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken | Mother Thyme

Who’s hungry for some takeout?

Even though it’s grilling season, I love to use my slow cooker a lot during the summer.  From sunrise to sunset, my kiddos want to be outdoors.  When I toss dinner in the slow cooker I can enjoy the beautiful day without having to worry about taking time away from being outside to prepare dinner.  I simply prep the ingredients and let the slow cooker do the rest of the work.  When Mr. Mother Thyme gets home, we can enjoy the evening playing with the kids or even enjoying a dip in the pool.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken | Mother Thyme

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken | Mother Thyme

Thankfully we have air conditioning, but on those hot summer days regardless if you have air conditioning or not, who wants to heat up the oven to cook dinner?

Just the thought of that makes me warm.

When you use the slow cooker, you don’t have to worry about heating up the kitchen or cooking over a hot stove.  Stay cool my friends, enjoy the summer and let the slow cooker do the work.

Slow cooking has been on my mind a lot lately.  I have been working on an awesome slow cooker project with my friend Christine from Cook the Story that includes many talented food bloggers.  I can’t wait to share more details about this with you in a few months.

Takeout inspired meals are one of our favorites.  I actually prefer takeout recipes over some of the dishes I get at our local takeout restaurant.  This Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken is a dish I have been whipping up for awhile.  It is simply cubed chicken breast lightly coated in a flour/cornstarch mixture and cooked on the stove for a few minutes, just until brown.  The reason I do this is to make the outside of the chicken a little crispier, however you can totally omit this part and just toss the cubed chicken in the slow cooker without the flour.  It won’t have that crispier outside, but I have omitted that step before and I don’t tell much of a difference.  Whip up an easy sauce with some common pantry staples, stir it in with the chicken and switch on the slow cooker.  This cooks up rather fast, about 4-5 hours on low so this is something you don’t want to have cooking if you are gone all day.  Before serving, stir in the cashews, heat up some rice and dinner is served.  It’s super easy, so tasty and a meal your family will love.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken | Mother Thyme

More slow cooker takeout favorites
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Print

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha or to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup whole raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
  • Steamed broccoli for serving (optional)
  • Cooked rice for serving

Instructions

  1. Add chicken, flour, corn starch, salt and pepper to a large resealable bag. Seal bag, and toss to coat evenly.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes per side until it starts to brown.
  3. Place chicken in slow cooker.
  4. In a medium bowl mix soy sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, Sriracha and ground ginger until combined.
  5. Pour over chicken and toss to coat.
  6. Cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
  7. Stir in cashews and cook for about 20 minutes longer.
  8. Before serving, garnish with chopped scallions. Serve over rice and with broccoli if desired.

Notes

You can omit tossing the chicken in the flour/corn starch mixture if you would like. Just season cubed chicken with salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker. Mix with sauce and cook on low for about 5 hours until thoroughly cooked. Add in cashews 20 minutes before serving. The chicken won’t have a crispy outside but it is still very good.

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