Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken–This crockpot cashew chicken is just as good as your favorite Chinese restaurant. It’s super easy and flavorful and it’s all made in the comfort of your own kitchen
Get the Instant Pot version of the recipe here
Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
This slow cooker cashew chicken recipe comes from year one of my blogging (2009!). It is one of my favorites (and your favorites too) so I decided it needed to get a second wind with better pictures. Also I really just wanted to make it for dinner last night! My husband had one bite and gave me the signal that it was a 10! The only complaint my family made was that there wasn’t enough.
This recipe takes a few minutes of extra prep work but I think you’ll find that it is totally worth it!
First, you’ll cut the chicken thighs into about 6 pieces each. I love using kitchen shears for this step. I trim off excess fat and then just cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Next you’ll use some thick paper towels to blot the chicken. Try to get as much moisture off of the chicken as you can. It’s important that the chicken is dry so that it can get a good browning on it.
Give the chicken a shake! Shake the chicken in a zipper plastic bag with some flour and pepper to coat the chicken evenly.
Heat a bit of oil in a pan and then when the oil is hot, brown the chicken 2 minutes on each side. Spread the chicken out so that each piece gets it’s own little spot of heat.
Finally you’ll add the chicken to the slow cooker and pour an easy, homemade sauce over the top. Cook on low for just 4 hours and you’ll have the most amazing, tender and flavorful chicken ever!
Oh, and one more thing! Don’t forget the cashews. It is “cashew chicken” after all. You’ll add in the cashews after the chicken is cooked and let them warm up for about 10 minutes. I like to top my chicken with slices of green onions but you could throw some cilantro on the top instead.
What Slow Cooker Did You Use?
For this slow cooker cashew chicken I used my small 3 quart slow cooker. I love this little slow cooker because it’s super cute and it’s just the perfect size for side dishes, drinks or small meals. It fits into my sink so I can easily handwash it and it fits in the bottom or top of my dishwasher so I can easily stick it in there to get clean. I try to use this 3 quart slow cooker any time I can!
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Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours on low
- Total Time: 57 minute
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This crockpot cashew chicken is just as good as your favorite Chinese restaurant. It’s super easy and flavorful and it’s all made in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut each thigh into about 6 pieces (don’t use chicken breasts)
- 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
- Green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Blot the pieces of chicken with a thick paper towel. You’ll want to get as much moisture off of the chicken as possible.
- Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to thoroughly coat with flour mixture.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, brown the chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Make sure you have a large enough pan that each piece of chicken can sit on the bottom of the skillet. After the chicken is browned transfer it to the bottom of the 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. Gently stir in the cashews and let cook on low for about 10 more minutes. Serve chicken over hot cooked rice of noodles and garnish with sliced green onions.
- Method: Slow Cooker
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This recipe is very good. if I double it, shall I double the sauce exactly or not increase the brown sugar?
Monique
I’d double everything
Just saw your explanation about chicken breasts! So sorry! Thank you
Hi Karen: I am anxious to try the Cashew Chicken recipe! I am wondering why you don’t want us to use chicken breasts. I believe the recipe calls for cutting the thigh into 6 pieces. As long as I have 6 pieces of chicken, does it matter if it’s thigh or breast?
Thank you
Wonderful, you are an excellent cook. Thanks for all the recipes. I am new with the pressure cooker and only burned my noodles one time. Haven’t tried them again.
I am going to try the cashew chicken recipe tonight, 12/19. If I want to add Broccoli, when should I add it to the slow cooker?
Are using frozen or fresh broccoli? If you’re using frozen I suggest placing it in a colander and running hot water over it. Then add it to the pot with the cashews. If you’re using fresh broccoli I would suggest steaming it or blanching it before adding it to the slow cooker. Otherwise it gets weird and doesn’t taste great.
problem is we don’t get boneless chicken thighs and akinless doesn’t exist either in Germany. I’d have to use chicken breasts. What is the problem with using them?
The original Springfield cashew chicken uses boneless chicken breast. Very good. I have eaten at the original joint for years.
I made this last night and it was very good! I used the recipe exactly as stated and it came out great. I put it over rice.. (“Rice O Roni” Fried rice with seasoning)… This is the third time I have made one of your slow cooker meals and all have been 5 star recipes and easy to make… The other two were Pecan Chicken and Chicken Tarragon (“so easy a husband could make it” …. its true!) Thanks!
This is really delicious. I’ve made it twice recently, and my only mistake is that I didn’t go ahead and double it. haha. Thanks for sharing!
I love this one too Dana!
Are pepper flakes chilli?
yes 🙂
The second recipe made in our slowcooker
(the first was chickensoup, as wel all had flu!)
and it was done exactly as described, and it
was delicious! Very tasty indeed!
Recommended recipe!
sooo happy to hear this!
Do you think it will still taste good with all ingredients except I want to replace Soy sauce with Worcestshire sauce??? and would it be the same amount…I have to eat gluten free and my soy sauce had gluten and I don't have time to go to store. Please advise
No I wouldn't do that 🙂
I would make it on a day when you have gluten free soy sauce.
love it!! i need to go fix a dish right now
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دهان بالرياض
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I love this idea, Karen! And it looks SO much healthier than take-out! 🙂
oh totally, Blair.
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اثاث مستعمل
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Can I use chicken on the bone? should I cook first as well?
Yes, you can use chicken on the bone. I'd remove the skin first though. Add raw to the crock with the sauce and cook for 6 hours on low.
I'm not familiar with a ketchup substitute! Sorry 🙁
I'm allergic to tomatoes…. any ketchup substitutes?
Try a little worcestershire sauce?
Ketchup is a fruit well tomato’s are a fruit which has sugar and ketchup has sugar. Anyways I heard someone say use puréed carrots as a straight substitute for tomato paste or in this case ketchup. Carrots are pretty high in sugar for a vegetable. You can just buy the baby food carrots. For something as small as a few tablespoons, just leave out the tomatoes.
Just made it today and it was delicious! I used some sriracha sauce instead of the red pepper flakes. I may add the cashews closer to the end next time so they still have some crunch. I added cut up brocolli for the last 30 minutes and I served over brown rice (the frozen kind from Trader Joe's that you cook in the microwave – so quick and easy!).
sorry that you didn't like it.
I am a huge cashew chicken lover, so I was excited when I found this recipe. I have a family of four, and none of us liked this meal. I will not be making this again.
This sounds SOOO good! Can wait to try it. Have you ever tried baking it? (I'm sure I shouldn't say this on your site, but crock potting is difficult for me with my work schedule)
Miranda, I bet you could totally do it as a freezer meal! Let me know how it turns out.
Do you think it would work as a freezer meal? I am stocking up for after my baby is born… If so, would you just put the raw chicken in the sauce in the freezer bag with the sauce to marinade then cook it all in the crock pot? I know that cooked chicken doesn't freeze as well and doesn't keep as many nutrients as when it's frozen raw. — Let me know if anyone has tried it. Thanks! It looks delicious!
-Miranda
http://lifes-greatest-blessings.blogspot.com/
was thinking of doing the same thing Miranda? did you try it?
I did. It makes a fantastic freezer meal.
I don't find it too salty. Maybe next time use a low-sodium soy sauce.
No one found it a lil salty I'm wondering if I did something wrong?
Tried this recipe today—perfect meal for after Church! This is now going into our rotation!
Do you ever substitute powdered ginger for fresh? If so, how much powdered form ginger do you put in?
Thank You for this quick, easy and tasty recipe. Everyone loved it!!
Erin, chicken breasts get really tough in the slow cooker because there isn't enough fat or collagen. Check here for a post about it:
http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/2010/08/411-on-chicken-breasts-and-slow-cooking.html
and
http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/2012/01/kitchen-tip-tuesday-keeping-chicken.html
Why do you discourage chicken breast for this recipe?
Joan, I love this one too! So easy too.
I almost NEVER comment on recipes, but I have to tell you, this one ROCKED!!!! It was seriously, SO, SO good! My whole family loved it (including my picky eaters) and asked for it on leftover night as well. I served it with steamed broccoli and brown rice. GREAT meal to come home to – thank you!
This was a great recipe, I substituted soy sauce for oyster sauce and skipped the ginger… Fantastic!
Brand-Eye
I made this using carbalose flour to keep it low carb, and it was delicious!
Brand-Eye,
you could try it. What the flour does is add a nice thickness to the sauce. If you leave the flour out, still go ahead and brown the chicken (seasoned with pepper). Then add 1 tbsp of quick cooking tapioca to the other sauce ingredients that are poured on top of the chicken. The tapioca will help thicken things up a bit. Good luck and let me know what you think!
My family loved this. Thank you!
Do you think it would be as good if I didn't coat the chicken in flour first in order to cut back the carbs/calories? Sounds pretty awesome.
Try coating with arrowroot or almond flour for low carb option. Use liquid aminos or coconut aminos in place of soy sauce , tomato paste instead of ketchup & coconut sugar instead of regular cane sugar. I substituted all of this for low carbs & it came out great!
Loved the recipe. My wife thought it was too spicy though. I doubled all the liquid ingredients except for the red pepper flakes. I also forgot to buy cashews, so….. I substituted water chestnuts. Definitely a 5 to me!
I've only ever purchased chicken breast tenders frozen at Costco… Where do you get thigh tenders? Raw at the meat department of a normal grocery store?
And do you get water chestnuts and rice wine vinegar in the Asian section of a store?
Thanks for your help!!
Stephanie, if you buy the thigh tenders you don't have to cut them up but if you buy the whole thighs then you should cut them up into bite-sized pieces.
Are you supposed to cut the chicken up into small bites or cook the chicken thighs whole?
Just tried it and my kids – that swear they hate nuts – loved it!
OH SO GOOD!! I have never cooked with thighs before and was a little apprehensive about trying them, but it was FABULOUS! I forgot to put the red pepper in, but it was still super yummy! I agree…5 stars all the way! Oh, by the way…I know your sister Alisha from church in Spokane! Small world!
I agree with the 5 star rating! This was so good and so easy to make. Everybody had seconds!
My 5 year old sons comment, "You made this sooo great Mommy!" Of course said with his mouth full of chicken!