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    Home » Chicken » Chicken with Cashew Nuts

    Chicken with Cashew Nuts

    Published on Jun 25, 2021 Modified: Jun 18, 2021 by The Foreign Fork This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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    This recipe is made so much simpler with the use of the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker! Chicken is served in a unique and delicious sauce, with bell peppers, green onions, and cashews. Serve it over a bed of rice for a yummy dinner. 

    Bowl of Cashew Chicken with Chopsticks

    Recipe Origins

    Though you’ve seen it on many Chinese takeout menus, Chicken with Cashew Nuts (or Cashew Chicken) is not a Chinese Dish (sound familiar, crab rangoons?) 

    Instead, this now beloved Chinese-American recipe was created in 1963 by David Leong, the owner of Leong’s Asian Restaurant in Springfield, Missouri. 

    Leong was a Chinese immigrant who came to the United States in 1940. Like many Chinese immigrants, he knew that opening a restaurant was his best chance for success in the USA (in the early 20th century, the amount of Chinese restaurants in the USA quadrupled in a decade). 

    The opening of Leong’s first restaurant was delayed by a month after 10 sticks of dynamite were thrown into the restaurant to destroy it. But after the restaurant finally opened, customers were blown away by the food! 

    Leong wanted to cook Cantonese food to represent his heritage but was worried the recipes wouldn’t be well received in Missouri. Instead, he blended his two cultures. At the time, chicken fried steak was very popular in Missouri, so Leong capitalized on the idea. 

    close up of chicken with broccoli and red pepper

    He created a recipe in which he cut up chicken into small nuggets, breaded, and fried them. Then, he coated them in a delicious sauce and served them with cashews. Suddenly everyone was enjoying his creation, and the country was raving about Cashew Chicken. 

    Even McDonalds visited Leong begging for his recipe… a year later they released their now-classic chicken nuggets. 

    These days, even Hong Kong has Chicken with Cashew Nuts on the menu, though it is clear that the recipe originated in none other than Springfield. 

    This recipe today takes the delightful cashew chicken but makes an instant pot version instead! The chicken may not be fried in this recipe but you’re going to love it all the same. 

    Why Make this Recipe

    1. “Takeout” Taste without the Price: We looove ordering takeout chinese in my home, but sometimes it can get expensive! This recipe makes enough to feed 4 while being so much more affordable than ordering from a restaurant. 
    2. Instant Pot: I love using my Instant Pot because it takes the guesswork out of cooking chicken. I love that I can put the lid on and walk away while this dish cooks! 

    What Do I Need to Make this Recipe

    Ingredients

    labeled ingredient shot
    1. Produce: Broccoli, red pepper, green onions, garlic, ginger
    2. Pantry Staples: Olive oil, all purpose flour, chicken broth 
    3. Sauces and Oils: Hoisin sauce, soy sauce,  honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil
    4. Cashews: Unroasted, unsalted

    Tools

    1. Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    2. Mixing Bowl 
    3. Whisk 
    4. Measuring Cups/Spoons

    How to Make this Recipe

    Step 1: Cook the Broccoli 

    Broccoli in the Instant Pot

    Open your Instant Pot and pour 1 cup of water into the liner. Insert your steamer basket or trivet, and place the broccoli inside. 

    Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it to steam for 2 minutes. When the cook cycle is up, remove the lid and set the broccoli aside.

    Step 2: Cook the Chicken 

    Chicken with a flour coating

    In a small bowl, coat the chicken pieces in 1 tbsp flour. Mix until the chicken is fully coated.

    Chicken in the pressure cooker

    Add olive oil to the liner of the pot. Turn the pot to SAUTE, and add the chicken pieces. Saute the chicken until the outside is browned on all sides. 

    Step 3: Pressure Cook

    Turn off the SAUTE function and add chicken broth into the pot. Use a spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pot. 

    cashew chicken sauce in a bowl with whisk

    In a small separate bowl, mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger together in a bowl. Pour into the IP. 

    Add the red bell pepper into the pot as well. 

    Cooked chicken in the pressure cooker

    Put the lid on the pot and turn the pressure to HIGH. Cook for 6 minutes with a 6 minute Natural Pressure Release. After the 6 minute Natural Pressure Release, perform a Quick Release to release the rest of the steam. Open the lid.

    Step 4: Thicken the Sauce

    In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp flour with 6 tbsp water. Whisk until the flour dissolves completely. 

    Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and bring the sauce in the pot to a simmer. Pour the water and flour mixture into the instant pot. Allow it to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. 

    Step 5: Add Finishing Touches and Enjoy 

    Adding broccoli, cashew chicken, and green onions in the instant pot

    Once the sauce has thickened, add the reserved broccoli, cashews, and chopped green onions into the pot. Mix to combine. Serve over rice and enjoy! 

    Expert Tips 

    • This recipe is best served fresh, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
    • If you want breaded/fried chicken for your Chicken with Cashew Nuts Recipe, this may not be the best recipe for you. Fried chicken tends to get soggy in the Instant Pot, so this is best for grilled chicken lovers. 
    • If you want really crispy cashews, you can toast them before starting the recipe. To do this, turn the pot to SAUTE and dry saute the cashews over the heat until they start to brown. 

    Recipe FAQs 

    What Else Can I Add to Cashew Chicken Sauce? 

    Cooked cashew chicken in the instant pot

    Other great additions would be: 

    • Sweet chili sauce
    • Oyster sauce
    • Brown sugar
    • Red pepper flakes
    • Ketchup 
    • Or anything else that sounds good! 

    How Can I Serve Cashew Chicken? 

    Cashew chicken can be enjoyed in many ways. Some of my favorites are: 

    • Over white rice
    • Plain 
    • Over lettuce

    What Other Vegetables Can I Add to this Recipe? 

    cashew chicken on a bed of rice

    The vegetables in this recipe are merely a suggestion. If you want to add other veggies, you are more than welcome to do so! Just make sure to check if they are sturdier or more delicate vegetables. Veggies like red peppers can be pressure cooked with the chicken, but more fragile veggies (like broccoli) should be pressure cooked beforehand. 

    • Water chestnuts
    • Edamame 
    • Onions
    • Kale 
    • Anything else that sounds good to you! 

    Did you enjoy this recipe for Chicken with Cashew Nuts? If so, don’t forget to check out these other recipes, which I picked out just for you: 

    • Instant Pot Ramen Noodles 
    • Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli Recipe
    • Dim Sum Chicken Feet
    • Chinese Sweet and Sour Sauce
    • Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken with Cashew Nuts

    This recipe is made so much simpler with the use of the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker! Chicken is served in a unique and delicious sauce, with bell peppers, green onions, and cashews. Serve it over a bed of rice for a yummy dinner.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Pressure Building: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 457kcal
    Author: The Foreign Fork

    Equipment

    • Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot
    • Mixing Bowl
    • Whisk
    • Measuring Cups/Measuring Spoons

    Ingredients

    • 1 head Broccoli, chopped into florets
    • 1 ½ lb Chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
    • 4 tbsp all purpose flour, divided
    • 2 tbsp Olive oil
    • ¼ cup chicken broth
    • 1 ½ tbsp Hoisin sauce
    • 3 tbsp Soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp Honey
    • 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
    • 1 tbsp Sesame oil
    • 2 tsp Garlic, chopped
    • 1 tsp Ginger, grated
    • 1 Red bell pepper, chopped
    • 1 ½ cups Cashews
    • ½ bunch green onions, chopped

    Instructions

    • Open your Instant Pot and pour 1 cup of water into the liner. Insert your steamer basket or trivet, and place the broccoli inside. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it to steam for 2 minutes. When the cook cycle is up, remove the lid and set the broccoli aside.
    • In a small bowl, coat the 1.5 lb bite-size chicken pieces in 1 tbsp flour. Mix until the chicken is fully coated.
    • Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the liner of the pot. Turn the pot to SAUTE, and add the chicken pieces. Saute the chicken until the outside is browned on all sides.
    • Turn off the SAUTE function and add ¼ cup chicken broth into the pot. Use a spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pot.
    • In a small separate bowl, mix 1 ½ tbsp hoisin sauce, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger together in a bowl. Pour into the Instant Pot.
    • Add 1 red bell pepper into the pot as well.
    • Put the lid on the pot and turn the pressure to HIGH. Cook for 6 minutes with a 6 minute Natural Pressure Release. After the 6 minute Natural Pressure Release, perform a Quick Release to release the rest of the steam. Open the lid.
    • In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp flour with 6 tbsp water. Whisk until the flour dissolves completely.
    • Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and bring the sauce in the pot to a simmer. Pour the water and flour mixture into the instant pot. Allow it to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
    • Once the sauce has thickened, add the reserved broccoli, 1 ½ cups cashews, and ½ bunch of chopped green onions into the pot. Mix to combine. Serve over rice and enjoy!

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
    • This recipe is best served fresh, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
    • If you want breaded/fried chicken for your Chicken with Cashew Nuts Recipe, this may not be the best recipe for you. Fried chicken tends to get soggy in the Instant Pot, so this is best for grilled chicken lovers. 
    • If you want really crispy cashews, you can toast them before starting the recipe. To do this, turn the pot to SAUTE and dry saute the cashews over the heat until they start to brown.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 774mg | Potassium: 1042mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1297IU | Vitamin C: 118mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

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    Foreign Fork Founder Alexandria
    Hi there! My name is Alexandria. Thanks for stopping by! Spices, ingredients, utensils, techniques… we’ll learn it all, together. Join me for me for struggles and laughs and some crazy concoctions. Learn More...
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