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Home » Instant Pot » Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Published: Jun 6, 2019 · Modified: Oct 18, 2021 by Justin Coit

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Made with pantry staples, this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken comes together quickly and easily! Just as delicious as take-out, this homemade cashew chicken is so flavorful and cooked faster than heading out to the restaurant.

A bowl of rice with cashew chicken with green onion and sesame seeds as garnish.
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Pinterest graphic of a close up of cashew chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of rice topped with cashew chicken and sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Pinterest graphic of a bowl of Instant Pot cashew chicken with green onions and sesame seed garnish.

You are going to love this easy pressure cooker chicken recipe! It’s healthy, simple, and made in less than 30 minutes. This delicious cashew chicken is a family favorite that I often make, as it’s one of those recipes that require minimal effort. Even better, cleaning up is super easy since it’s made in the pressure cooker. 

The recipe is excellent for a quick weeknight meal when you’ve got a hundred things going on before dinner time, and even better, it holds up well for lunch the next day at work. That’s what I call “winner winner, chicken dinner!” If you want to try another easy, weeknight-friendly Instant Pot chicken recipe, you should try my Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Key Ingredients You Need

Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot cashew chicken.
  • Chicken — I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs instead. Be sure to cut them into similar-sized cubes as you want them to cook evenly. 
  • Arrowroot flour — This thickens the sauce at the end as well as coats the chicken pieces before searing. However, you can use cornstarch or flour if you do not have arrowroot flour. 
  • Cashews — I use roasted unsalted cashews. I find salted cashews too salty for this but if you only have salted cashews, then reduce the amount of salt in the sauce. If you only have raw cashews, you can roast them yourself in the oven.

How to Make Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Set of two photos show sauce being whisked together and chicken being diced.

Step 1: In a bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp sesame oil, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Step 2: Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and cut into approximately 1” pieces. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with 1 tbsp arrowroot flour and salt and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken.

Set of two photos showing the meat sautéed in the liner and then sauce added on top.

Step 3: Set your Instant Pot to Saute mode and add 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned. Turn off Saute mode.

Step 4: Pour in the sauce from earlier and toss to coat the chicken and add the cashews. Give it a quick mix. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to Pressure Cook on high for 6 minutes. When the timer is done, do a quick release on the pressure.

Set of two photos showing cashews added to the liner then cashew chicken plated in a bowl of rice.

Step 5: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp arrowroot flour and the water. Add it slowly to the pot while whisking. After the sauce has thickened, add in the cashews and stir.

Step 6: Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.

Overhead view of a bowl of cashew chicken over top a bed of rice.

Tips For This Recipe

  • To make this cashew chicken gluten-free, you can swap the soy sauce for tamari. 
  • When sauteing the chicken, there’s no need to cook the chicken all the way through as it will continue cooking in the Instant Pot. 
  • Make sure to set the lid valve to sealing so the pressure can build in the pot. It’ll take a couple of minutes for the pot to come up to pressure before it starts counting down from 6 minutes.
  • To prevent a burn notice, make sure there isn't anything stuck to the bottom of the liner before you pressure cook. If needed, deglaze the bottom of the pot with the sauce before pressure cooking.
  • To mince the ginger, scrape the skin off the knob of ginger with the back of the spoon beforehand. 
  • You may have to brown the chicken in batches if your Instant Pot is smaller than 8qt.
Close up of cashew chicken with green onion and sesame seeds as garnish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I serve with this?

This cashew chicken goes well with jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or in a lettuce wrap. 

How do I store leftovers?

Store leftover cashew chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can microwave or stir fry on the stovetop until warmed through. 

What is a quick release? 

Quick releasing the Instant Pot is to switch the valve on the lid from sealing to venting. When quick releasing, be mindful that the steam is exiting the pot away from you.

Can I use frozen chicken?

Not in this recipe. The chicken will not brown properly if frozen.


IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!

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If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

Overhead view of a bowl of rice and Instant Pot cashew chicken.
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Made with pantry staples, this cashew chicken made in an Instant Pot comes together quickly and easily! Just as delicious as take-out, this homemade cashew chicken is so flavorful and cooked faster than heading out to the restaurant.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 627kcal
Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil divided
  • 7 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 2 tsp ginger minced mince
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot flour divided
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 2 tbsp water
  • sliced green onion for garnish
  • sesame Seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp sesame oil, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
  • Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and cut into approximately 1” pieces.
  • Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with 1 tbsp arrowroot flour and salt and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken.
  • Set your Instant Pot to Saute mode and add 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook until browned. Turn off Saute mode.
  • Add the cashews into the pot and pour in the sauce from earlier and toss to coat the chicken and cashews. Give it a quick stir and place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to Pressure Cook on high for 6 minutes. When the timer is done do a quick release on the pressure.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp arrowroot flour and the water. Add it slowly to the pot while whisking until the sauce has thickened.
  • Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.

Video

Notes

  • To make this cashew chicken gluten-free, you can swap the soy sauce for tamari. 
  • When sauteing the chicken, there’s no need to cook the chicken all the way through as it will continue cooking in the Instant Pot. 
  • Make sure to set the lid valve to sealing so the pressure can build in the pot. It’ll take a couple of minutes for the pot to come up to pressure before it starts counting down from 6 minutes.
  • To prevent a burn notice, make sure there isn't anything stuck to the bottom of the liner before you pressure cook. If needed, deglaze the bottom of the pot with the sauce before pressure cooking.
  • To mince the ginger, scrape the skin off the knob of ginger with the back of the spoon beforehand. 
  • You may have to brown the chicken in batches if your Instant Pot is smaller than 8qt.

Nutrition

Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 2397mg | Potassium: 1225mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 5mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn says

    August 20, 2021 at 9:20 am

    Would definitely like to try this recipe - I'm a big fan of the instant pot AND Kung Pao chicken! Can you please tell me what you mean by:
    "let Instant Pot release pressure"
    Does this mean "natural release"? If so, how long?
    Or do you mean once the 6 minutes is done, turn the valve to release pressure immediately?

    Reply
    • Justin Coit says

      August 25, 2021 at 9:13 am

      Hi- you can use natural release, thanks!

      Reply
  2. Kate says

    November 27, 2021 at 6:23 am

    Excited to try this recipe. You have add cashews in steps 5 and 6 - can you please clarify when to add? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Justin Coit says

      November 27, 2021 at 6:47 am

      Apologies! Adding cashews should only be in step 5. I’ll make that correction on the website. Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  3. Little petite says

    June 07, 2022 at 2:46 pm

    Hi! Justin, first of all I love your show. May I offer you a Little tips.:) if I were you I would put in sesame oil on your spoon first then next up the honey that way you should get all of your honey off of your spoon. Just saying.
    Thanks!:)

    Reply
    • Justin Coit says

      July 11, 2022 at 10:09 am

      Great tip thank you!

      Reply
5 from 7 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I’m Justin. By day I'm a commercial director and photographer but in my free time, I make deliciously clean comfort food for my family and friends.

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