Instant Pot Cashew Chicken is a quick and easy chicken, cashew and vegetable stir fry made in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. So much better than takeout!
Serve this cashew chicken on a bed of fluffy Instant Pot rice or with 1-Minute Quinoa. You can also serve it in lettuce cups, like my Instant Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
One of the most popular Asian takeout dishes can be easily made in the Instant Pot! It's a game-changer because we are making an easy dish, even easier. On busy weeknights, I tend to go for either Instant Pot dinner or Asian takeout dinner made from scratch. This time, I combined the two and made this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken which we are completely obsessed with. The pressure cooker does the work for me and the final result is a rich and flavorful dish with a ton of color!
This Cashew Chicken is so delicious, you will make it a regular on your weekly menu. Serve it with rice, noodles or in lettuce cups. You will love this Instant Pot version. Another reason to skip the takeout!
How to make Instant Pot Cashew Chicken?
Chicken and cashew are the star ingredients in this dish. This method allows you to easily cook everything to a perfect texture. Simmered in rich sweet and spicy sauce, this Cashew Chicken is irresistible. The combination of honey and sweet chili sauce with juicy chicken and soft cashews wins on all sides. Add colorful vegetables, like broccoli and peppers and it's a colorful party on a plate.
Like with any stir fry dish, you can use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. I almost always use broccoli. Red bell peppers add color texture and sweet flavor, edamame beans and snap peas are great too. Go for color, texture and you can make a beautiful dish!
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How to serve this dish?
My favorite way to serve this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken is over rice. You can also add cooked noodles and stir them in before serving. Love lettuce wraps? Just fill Boston lettuce leaves with the Cashew Chicken mixture and serve. Talk about a colorful dinner! This dish is also perfect for meal prep. Just divide into containers, add rice and maybe more sauce on the side (little containers with lid are perfect for that), and store for up to 4 days in the fridge.
More Instant Pot recipes:
For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Instant Pot category.
Also, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup cashews
- ½ cup edamame beans
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
- Press "saute" setting. Add oil to insert and heat up.
- Place chicken in Instant Pot, season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked. Just brown it a bit to add texture. Press "cancel/off" button.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic, chili sauce and ginger. Pour sauce over chicken and stir.
- Close lid of the Instant Pot, switch the valve to "sealing" position.
- Press "manual" setting and adjust timer to 3 minutes. The Instant Pot will beep and start coming to pressure.
- When the timer is done, the Instant Pot will beep. Press "off/cancel" button. Carefully switch the valve to “venting” position and release pressure. When the done, carefully open the lid. Press “saute” setting.
- Add cashews, red bell pepper, broccoli and beans and stir well. Cook, stirring often until peppers are tender. In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch and add to mixture. Simmer until thickened. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Serve over rice.
Leah says
Easy and delicious! This is in our monthly rotation. Thanks!
Cheryl L Strehlow says
Myself and my family love this recipe!! I'm going to 3 times it today and put pre cooked pan fried noodles in when it is finished cooking. So hungry...can hardly wait!
Anna says
Awesome! Thank you, Cheryl!