Combine chicken with veggies for a take-out meal in a slow cooker

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Cashew chicken. It's the Chinese comfort dish that combines bell peppers, tender chunks of chicken, and crunchy cashews. And everything gets covered in a sweet and spicy sauce. No wonder it's one of the most popular items on any Asian menu!
Typically, cashew chicken is made in its entirety in a wok; and sometimes the chicken is even deep-fried before being added. But that doesn't mean that the slow cooker can't step up and do it all. The way to do it is to combine the veggies, cashews, and sauce, and let the chicken just sit on top of it all as it cooks. The cornstarch will work double duty, first helping to brown the chicken, and then thickening the sauce. Delicious!
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Cooktop Cove
Cashew chicken
4
20 minutes
4 hours
4 hours 20 minutes
2 pounds (900 g) chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, diced into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons (45 ml) cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper
1 green bell pepper, medium diced
1 red bell pepper, medium diced
1 onion, medium diced
1 cup (250 ml) roasted unsalted cashews
For the sauce:
¾ cup (75 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml) rice wine vinegar
½ cup (125 ml) brown sugar
½ cup (125 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ketchup
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons (10 ml) ginger, grated
2 teaspoons (10 ml) red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon (10 ml) cornstarch
1 lime, juiced
Place the diced bell peppers, onions, and cashews in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
To make the sauce, use a bowl to first combine ¾ cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, making a slurry. Be sure there are no lumps. In the same bowl, add in rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and lime juice. Pour over peppers and cashews. Mix thoroughly.
For the chicken, combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch and black pepper in a resealable bag. Place the chicken pieces in. Shake to entirely coat. Once chicken is coated, take it out of the bag and place it on top of the sauce, veggies, and cashews. Mix.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Set to high. Cook for 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick.
Tip: This recipe will result in cashews that are a bit on the softer side. If you want cashews that are a bit crunchier, add them in during the last hour or so.
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