Instant Pot Spicy Cashew Chicken

Looking for a delicious cashew chicken recipe? Wait until you taste how amazing this spicy cashew chicken tastes. Fast and Easy you will want this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken recipe.

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Easy Fast Delicious Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

I love Chinese food take out. I think everyone does. Except it gets expensive. I don’t want to pay to eat out all the time, so to satisfy my cravings, I like to recreate my favorite recipes so that I can eat them at home anytime. Thanks to Instant Pot Cashew Chicken, I can make this Chinese classic anytime. Healthy, easy and delicious, this is going to be a recipe you will love.

What is Cashew Chicken

Cashew chicken is a classic Chinese restaurant take out special. Featuring stir fry chicken with a spicy garlic sauce, this chicken can be battered and fried or sauteed like the way I do mine. Packed with flavors, this version of cashew chicken is healthy and it tastes amazing. After cooking the chicken in the sauce, with the aid of the pressure cooker, the cashew are added at the end for one last bit of delicious flavor.

What to Serve with this Cashew Chicken Recipe

Typically I serve this cashew chicken recipe over rice. It makes a nice and easy dinner that doesn’t take much time. You can round the dinner out by making stir fry veggies, or use the spicy garlic sauce to cook your veggies, for even more flavor. Roasted vegetables also make a great side dish for this chicken.

Whenever I use my Instant Pot to do all the hard work of making dinner, I like to make a dessert to go with it. While these desserts are not Chinese food inspired, they are amazing and simple, which means they get a double gold star in my book.

• No Bake Oreo Pie with Chocolate Ganache Recipe – This no-bake oreo pie is out of this world amazing! Decadent, creamy, sweet, and a perfect dessert to end a meal with. You can never go wrong with an oreo pie recipe no bake because you don’t even have to heat the house.
• Pina Colada Pie Recipe – This Pina Colada Pie is beyond amazing! Every bite is filled with toasted coconut with a graham cracker crust and a creamy coconut filling with crushed pineapple, crunchy pecans, and maraschino cherries.
• Black Forest Brownies Recipe – These black forest brownies will knock the socks off of any chocolate lover! Rich and decadent, these delicious cherry brownies from scratch are much easier to make than their delightful flavor would have you assume!
• Fried Nutella Dumplings – Fried Nutella Dumplings are a Nutella dessert recipe that’s quick, easy and oh-so-good. Made with only 3 ingredients, these dessert dumplings are guaranteed to be a hit!
• Cherry Almond Bundt Cake – This Cherry Almond Bundt Cake is a light and delicious dessert cake, full of flavor and topped with sweet and tasty cream cheese glaze. A great cake any time of the year, whether served at a summer potluck or holiday party.

Variations to Chinese Cashew Chicken Recipe

There are not too many ways to change up this easy Chinese Cashew Chicken Recipe. That is because it is a basic recipe with classic spices. If you are making this chicken recipe and want to change it a bit I can recommend:

• Different Cuts of Chicken: While this recipe calls for chicken breast, it can also be made with different cuts of chicken. You can make it with boneless, skinless, chicken thighs or even leftover rotisserie chicken.
• Fried: If you truly wanted this recipe with a battered and fried chicken you can. I prefer the taste of the sauteed chicken because I feel the crispiness doesn’t hold up in the sauce, but many say they love the battered chicken.
• Less Heat: If you do not love the spicy flavor of this recipe, you can kick the spices down a little bit. This will give you the same great flavor that everyone can handle.

How to Store Spicy Cashew Chicken

When you have leftovers of the spicy cashew chicken, you will want to wait for them to cool. Once cooled, you can wrap the inner sleeve of the pressure cooker with plastic wrap or move the chicken and sauce to an airtight container. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  

Ingredients in Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Sesame oil
• Rice vinegar
• Ketchup
• Soy sauce or coconut aminos
• Honey
• Sugar
• Ginger paste
• garlic
• Arrowroot powder
• Red pepper flakes
• Chinese 5 spice powder
• Water
• Cashews
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Step 1. Place the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl, and coat with 1 tablespoon of arrowroot flour as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2. Turn the Instant Pot to the saute function, and place 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil into it.

Step 3. Add the coated chicken to the Instant Pot, and sear on all sides.

Step 4. In a bowl, combine the other tablespoon of sesame oil, rice vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, honey, sugar, minced garlic, ginger paste, red pepper flakes and 5 spice powder, whisk to combine.

Step 5. Add the sauce mixture to the Instant Pot, and stir the chicken to coat it well.

Step 6. Set the Instant Pot to the manual setting for 10 minutes. Close the lid, and make sure the release valve is in the sealing position.

Step 7. When the cook time is over, do a quick release by moving the release valve to the venting position to relieve the remaining pressure.

Step 8. Mix together another tablespoon of arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of water, and add it to the Instant Pot.

Step 9. Set the Instant Pot to the saute feature, and cook until the sauce has thickened.

Step 10. Add in the cashews, and stir to combine.

Step 11. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or and other choice of side dish.

Enjoy!

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 5

You really need to sink your teeth into this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken Recipe. It's one of the best homemade, quick, and easy cashew chicken with rice recipes I've ever made. Using the instant pot to make this cashew chicken recipe gives you a hearty meal that is packed full of lots of flavors. 

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Ingredients 

• 1 lb chicken breast cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 cup cashews
• 2 cups white rice prepared
• 1 green onion sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

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Instructions

• Place chicken, oil, and garlic into the instant pot and saute until chicken is cooked on all sides.
• In a small bowl add the soy sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar and hoisin sauce.
• Mix well.
• Set to the side.
• Add pepper, celery, and zucchini to the instant pot, stir to combine.
• Saute’ until soft.
• Add the chicken back to the instant pot.
• Pour the sauce on top.
• Place the lid on the instant pot and close the pressure valve.
• Set the pot to Manual, High Pressure for 5 minutes.
• When the cooking cycle is complete, quickly release the pressure and open the pot.
• If the mixture is thin, add cornstarch and mix well.
• Stir in cashews.
• Serve over a bed of white rice
• Garnish with green onions

Author: Laura

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