Thai Cashew Chicken is the perfect weeknight meal. It’s flavorful and simple to cook in your Instant Pot.
Are you craving takeout but trying to stick to your budget? It seems like that’s how it always works in our household. I started seeking out ways to make our favorite takeout meals at home to help us stay in our budget. This Thai Cashew Chicken turned out so great and I love making it in the Instant Pot.
What is Thai Cashew Chicken?
Thai Cashew Chicken is tender chicken breast cooked in a flavorful soy sauce and filled with vegetables. Typically I serve my Thai Cashew Chicken over rice. This dish is based off a Thai Chicken meal at my favorite Thai takeout restaurant. I wanted to remake those flavors at home and it turned out to be just what I was craving.
Can I use a different kind of oil for this recipe?
Yes, you can use another oil if you prefer. Grapeseed oil is traditionally used in Thai dishes and because I make them at home often I always keep a small bottle of grapeseed oil on hand. If you do not make Thai dishes often, then I can understand not wanting to buy a bottle of oil just for this recipe. Using a different oil like canola or vegetable oil will slightly alter the flavor of your dish. However, I don’t think it makes a huge difference, just a slight taste difference.
Can I use plain vinegar instead of rice vinegar for this Thai Cashew Chicken?
You may use regular vinegar instead of rice vinegar if that is what you have on hand. I do find that by substituting there will be a flavor difference. Using rice vinegar does give your dish more of an authentic taste. Replacing with plain vinegar will lose some of that flavor but it will not change the dish a major way. So, in a pinch it will work as a substitute.
Is this Thai Cashew Chicken spicy?
This Thai Cashew Chicken is slightly spicy. It has sriracha, chili paste, and red pepper flakes. All three of these flavorings can increase the level of spiciness in the dish. If you want a spicier dish feel free to add in additional sriracha and red pepper flakes. If you want a less spicy dish use less sriracha and leave out the red pepper flakes all together.
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Thai Cashew Chicken
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts diced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 3 red bell peppers sliced into small slices
- 2 cups broccoli cut into small florets
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 green onions sliced
- ⅔ cup dry roasted cashews
Sauce ingredients
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth.
- 3 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1 lime fresh juiced
- 1 tbsp. Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Directions:
- Heat the oil in the Instant pot on saute’
- Once the oil is hot, add the chicken.
- Saute for 4 minutes.
- Add the cashews and toss to combine.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, and broccoli.
- Toss to combine.
- Prepare your sauce in a small bowl.
- Add all sauce ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour your sauce over the chicken, toss to combine.
- Turn your Instant Pot off saute.
- Place the lid on a seal the vent.
- Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 4 minutes.
- Open the vent once the timer goes off.
- Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Enjoy!