I am always looking for a new and different slow cooker meal. I personally could eat a tomato-based sauce with meat over rice, pasta, polenta, you-name-it every day. My husband would prefer something new every now and then, which is fair.
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So this time, I attempted to make a takeout favorite — Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken!
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This recipe is really simple, but it can become a legit salt lick if you aren’t careful about your ingredients. Be sure to use lower sodium soy sauce and unsalted cashews!
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Ingredients:
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or canola oil)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce (use a wheat free soy sauce to make gluten free)
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sweet chili dipping sauce
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups unsalted cashews
Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces. (Note: I used all chicken breasts, but you can do a combination of breasts and thighs, or use all chicken thighs.) Add to a ziplock bag with the cornstarch and shake to coat.
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Add the oil to a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the chicken. Cook, stirring until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total.
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Add to your slow cooker.
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In a medium sized bowl, add the ketchup, low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger and whisk to combine.
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Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
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Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
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About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the bell pepper and cashews to fully coat in the sauce.
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Serve over white rice.
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It was so nice to have something a little different for dinner this week!
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The sauce becomes nice and syrupy as the cornstarch from the chicken works its way into the sauce.
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This makes enough for 6 so we had some yummy leftovers for lunch the next day!
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Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or canola oil)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce (use a wheat free soy sauce to make gluten free)
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sweet chili dipping sauce
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups unsalted cashews
Instructions
- Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces. (Note: I used all chicken breasts, but you can do a combination of breasts and thighs, or use all chicken thighs.) Add to a ziplock bag with the cornstarch and shake to coat.
- Add the oil to a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the chicken. Cook, stirring until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total.
- Add to your slow cooker.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the ketchup, low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger and whisk to combine.
- Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the bell pepper and cashews to fully coat in the sauce.
- Serve over white rice.


What do you think?