May 22

May 22 Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

Instant Pot Cashew Chicken

I ate a lot of Chinese food growing up and my family had a few favourite places they liked to go in the GTA. Since moving to Toronto I haven’t found a favourite Chinese restaurant downtown. I also usually go for Thai food when we eat out, so if anyone has a suggestion of a Chinese restaurant let me know!

Anyways, I’ve started cooking Chinese food at home and wanted to try this cashew chicken recipe in my instant pot. I’m not sure how authentic it is, but it is delicious!

INGREDIENTS

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. sesame oil, divided
3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. minced garlic, divided
1 tbsp. shredded ginger
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1 cup green beans
3/4 cup cashews
Rice or other grain for serving

YIELD

4 servings

TIME

Prep - 10 minutes
Cook - 20 minutes
Pressure Release - 10 minutes

TOOLS

Instant pot
Skillet

DIRECTIONS

Cube chicken and coat in cornstarch.
Whisk together hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tbsp. of the garlic, ginger, brown sugar, honey, and chili flakes in a small bowl.
Turn instant pot to sauté and add 1 tbsp. of the sesame oil. Add in the chicken and sear for 5 minutes, flipping once. Cancel the sauté function.
Pour the sauce into the instant pot. Ensure the chicken is evenly distributed in the pot. Cover, set the valve to seal and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
As the chicken cooks, wash and cut the ends of the beans. Warm the rest of the sesame oil on medium heat in a skillet. Add in 2 tsp. of minced garlic and beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cashews to the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure they don’t burn.
Once the chicken is done, do a quick release.
Serve the chicken and beans on rice or another grain. Pour on sauce from the instant pot and sprinkle cashews on top.