This instant pot cashew chicken tastes like the familiar Chinese takeout we all love, but in a better-for-you, Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free version that only takes 30 minutes. No more waiting for your delivery! This instant pot paleo cashew chicken is a family friendly meal, I promise even those who don’t adhere to a real food diet will love it.
My recipe for instant pot cashew chicken is the closest I could get to the real deal. Many healthy cashew chicken recipes out there have a bunch of veggies added (which is great! duh!). But when I’m craving those takeout cartons of cashew chicken, it’s the chicken, cashews and rice I want, you know?! I wanted to have a go-to recipe that I know will satisfy those cravings in a healthy, Whole30 way!
Especially when I can have it ready to eat in only a half hour.. much less time than it takes to order in. The recipe itself is super simple and would be great for a quick weeknight meal. While it looks like there’s quite a few ingredients, I assure you it’s largely the spices, seasonings and Paleo/Whole30 substitutes you already have hanging out in the pantry.
Some of the things you’ll need is an instant pot, of course. But I’m assuming you already gathered that. The cashew chicken recipe also calls for coconut aminos, raw cashews (roasted or lightly salted is fine, whatever floats your boat), arrowroot flour for thickening, sesame oil and ketchup. Most of this can be found in the grocery store or cheaper on Thrive Market. You can also make your own Paleo and Whole3o ketchup, or grab a bottle of Primal Kitchen’s Whole30 Approved ketchup.
It’s by far the best healthy, sweetener-free ketchup that’s available. I’m not even just saying that. My (not Paleo) boyfriend goes through it constantly and won’t touch the old stuff anymore. It’s available at Whole Foods, or online on their website for 5 bucks (save 10% off your order with code “PALEOBAILEY” at checkout). I also really recommend not skipping out on the Chinese Five Spice either.
This spice, often just label “five spice” in the grocery store, is one that really adds so much flavor to Chinese-inspired dishes. It’s what gives East Asian inspired recipes that familiar tangy-sweet flavor and basically it’ll take your meals up a notch. Pretty much every grocery store has this, from Target to Whole Foods to Walmart either with all of the spices or the international items. I’ve linked it here so you can see what it looks like, but it’s much more expensive on Amazon than it is in stores and I recommend grabbing it from there next time you’re grocery shopping.
If you’re on a Whole30, you can omit the sweeteners for the instant pot cashew chicken. Instead, you can opt for 2-3 tablespoons of fresh orange juice. If you’re not currently doing a Whole30, the recipe calls for coconut sugar and honey. If you wanted to use only one, you can add an additional tablespoon of coconut sugar to replace the honey. I’ve tried it both ways or without both while testing this recipe, but I found that the honey helps make the sauce and chicken a bit more “sticky” and thicker. The coconut sugar adds a deeper, slightly sweet flavor to balance out the vinegar.
Check out my Whole30 Cashew Chicken One-Skillet Recipe with veggies and a “peanut” sauce!
Other Recipes You’ll Love:
Whole30 Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli
Whole30 Instant Pot Sweet & Sour Chicken
40 Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes
PrintInstant Pot Cashew Chicken: Whole30, Paleo, 30 Minutes
This instant pot cashew chicken tastes like the familiar Chinese takeout we all love, but in a better-for-you, Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free version that only takes 30 minutes. No more waiting for your delivery full of MSG!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 1.5–2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1“-1.5” pieces
- 2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons sugar-free ketchup
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar*
- 1 tbsp honey*
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp arrowroot flour, divided
- 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 cup raw (or lightly salted) cashews
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 tbsp sesame oil, coconut aminos, ketchup, vinegar, coconut sugar, honey, garlic, ginger, Five Spice, and red pepper flakes. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
- In a bowl or baggie, coat chicken pieces with 1 tbsp of the arrowroot flour, salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to the bottom of the instant pot and turn it to “sauté”.
- Allow oil to heat up and then sear chicken for 1-2 minutes. Press “cancel” and pour the sauce into the instant pot. Stir the sauce in with the chicken to evenly distribute. Cover, set the valve to “sealing” and press “manual” and adjust the time to 10 minutes.
- Right before the instant pot is done, combine 1 tbsp arrowroot flour with 2 tbsp water and stir well to dissolve. Once the instant pot is done, do a quick release and open the lid. Press the “sauté” button and pour the water and flour mixture into the instant pot and whisk into the sauce.
- Add the cashews and then continue stirring until the sauce has thickened. If you’d like it thicker after 1-2 minutes, add an additional 1/2 tbsp arrowroot dissolved in 1 tbsp water. Once the sauce has thickened, add any additional salt and pepper and serve.
- Serve over broccoli, cauliflower rice, on it’s own with a side, over spaghetti squash “lo mien” noodles, etc. Garnish with any additional cashews, green onion, or sesame seeds
Notes
- *Omit for Whole30. Optional substitutions include 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, or 1-2 medjool dates, pitted and pureed in a food processor with 1/4 cup water to help blend.
- If sauce gets too thick, you can easily thin it back out again by adding a few tablespoons of water. Only do a few at a time until at your desired consistancy.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 11
- Fat: 16
- Carbohydrates: 19
- Protein: 26
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Bobbie says
Could I make this just on the stove top with the same recipe?
paleobailey says
Sure!
Andrea Horn says
This was delicious! I took it to a potluck and it was wiped clean… if I want to double or triple the recipe, do I double/triple the cooking time too? Not super well versed in instapot cooking yet!
paleobailey says
That’s so great to hear! As for doubling/tripling, I’d probably start with an additional 3-4 minutes per pound added (so 3 extra pounds, 9 minutes more. And then go from there. I can’t say exactly without having tested it myself, but I think that’s a safe place to start and then if you need a few more minutes, it’s easier to add time than have it be overcooked 😉
Andrea says
Thank you!
Sheila says
I doubled the chicken and the sauce, and did 12 minutes and it was perfection. Next time I won’t double the Chinese 5 spice…was a little heavy when doubling. But my chicken is tender and its just decadent! We added mushrooms, red peppers and snap peas at the end and sauteed for just a bit longer while thickening the sauce. So yum!
paleobailey says
That sounds SO good!! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know – I greatly appreciate it!
Kristen says
This looks amazing! I don’t have an instant pot. Has anyone tried it without?
Peggy Denning says
Can you do this recipe in a foodi ninja?
paleobailey says
I’m unfamiliar with that appliance, but if it’s a pressure cooker, you certainly could!
Jess says
I never leave comments, but this was excellent. Next time I’ll use thighs (breasts always dry out on me idk why) and just season/toss in arrowroot in a bowl vs bag (couldn’t get and even distribution.) BUT, this sauce was exactly what I’ve been looking for. WTG Bailey!
paleobailey says
Thank you so much Jess! I so appreciate that!!
Joe B says
Any nutritional information for food tracking
paleobailey says
It’s been added! 🙂
Sarah K. says
FANTASTIC. Seriously, best “healthy” recipe I’ve ever made. My husband thinks I should go on a cooking show now so basically.. you win. Thanks, Bailey!!
paleobailey says
So glad you enjoyed it! And hey- maybe your husband is right!! 😉
Jen says
Made this tonight. It was great. However, your recipe is a bit confusing as your ingredient measurements aren’t uniform, ie tablespoon, TBSP, tsp etc. Yummy recipe.
paleobailey says
Hmm, I only see one that is spelled out! Thanks for the feedback, glad you were able to figure it out 😉 Happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
Danielle says
Holy moly, I guess I didn’t really know what to expect when I decided to make this recipe but it turned out phenomenal!! Better than takeout Chinese food by far, I’ll be making this again soon. Thank you Bailey!
paleobailey says
Oh, I love hearing this! Made my night! Thank you, Danielle!
Sara says
This was so easy and delicious! My picky husband even said it’s a keeper!
paleobailey says
I’m SO glad you both enjoyed it!! Thank you so much, Sara!
Priscille says
This looks so good! Going to make it pronto.
When you add the oil to the IP and sear, mean sear the chicken?
paleobailey says
I do, thanks for pointing that out. I’ll get it clarified in the recipe 🙂
Caitie says
I HATE being this person but I have to ????♀️Do you think I could omit the ketchup? I can’t tolerate tomatoes. I know you wouldn’t know for sure but how much does it add to the recipe? Would it still be good? It looks soooo delicious!!
paleobailey says
I think it would change the flavor quite a bit, as most sweet and sour sauces require some sort of ketchup and/or a thick sweet chili sauce. You could definitely try it out! I’d maybe substitute another liquid for the ketchup amount though so that there’s enough liquid in the instant pot. Broth or orange juice is what I’d try first 🙂
paula eversole says
I was going to ask the same thing. My little girl can’t eat tomatoes but she would love this recipe. Did you try it without the ketchup?
Kelsie says
Baileyyyyyyyy GIRL. I am on my fifth Whole30 round, and I honestly think this is my favorite thing I’ve ever made. I don’t think we have the same instant pot, because I don’t have a manual button. I did it on “pressure cook” for 10 mins on high pressure. It did say “burn” once, so I added a bit of chicken broth and it was fine. I added more arrowroot at the end to compensate. We ate this for dinner last night and now lunch today. I can’t wait to make it again!!! <3
paleobailey says
Hey Kelsie! I’m so glad you liked it!! And yes, I think different models get fiesty without extra liquid in there. Mine doesn’t have the burn function/notification thing, but I’m glad it worked out with some added broth! Thank you so much for letting me know! <3 - B
Meg says
Made it, but my instant-pot complained that it was burning. I stopped the cooking a little early because of the burning, but it seemed well done anyway, so didn’t worry about it. It still tasted great! Any ideas of what happened?
paleobailey says
Glad you liked it!! If you have a newer model, it’s likely because it has minimum liquid requirements (mine doesn’t), but if that happens, you can just add 1/2 cup-1 cup broth, depending on what your model requires! You can use additional thickener then to thicken the additional liquid at the end 🙂
Pascale says
Meg, I’m a little late to the party here, but the exact thing happened to me and I had to google it. After the initial saute, you need to scrape the bottom of the pot because it’s sticky and covers the sensors – it solved the problem immediately (and it was quite clear that this was the problem). My husband and I also enjoyed the recipe!
Amy Goins says
could you cook broccoli in the instant pot at the same time?
paleobailey says
It would get really mushy if it was in for the same length of time. What you could do is steam it in the microwave (in 3/4ths of a bowl with water for about 1.5-2 minutes) and mix it in when you’re thickening the sauce, or add it in the end after the chicken cooked and set the IP to manual 0:00 on sealing to cook it in the IP.
Abby says
This. is. MONEY! I literally just exclaimed that after my first bite then immediately returned to my computer to leave this comment. This recipe is decadent without the scary ingredients. Absolutely love it and will be making regularly.
paleobailey says
Haha!! So so happy you loved it!! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Kathy says
This meal was great. Done in under 20 mins, chicken cooked perfectly, sauce wonderful and thick and the flavor was just what i was hoping it would be. Will make again
paleobailey says
I’m glad it worked out so well for you and that you enjoyed it! Thank you, Kathy!
Alexandra says
Everyone loved it! I kind of wish they wouldn’t have so that I would have had leftovers but that means I’ll be making it again soon! Really great recipe
paleobailey says
Great! I’m so glad it was a hit 🙂 Thank you for coming back and letting me know!!
Maggie says
I used a bit of orange juice like you suggested to keep it Whole30 and i couldn’t tell you if it felt like anything was missing without the sweetener because oh my it was too good to care!
paleobailey says
Ahh that’s so great to hear!! Thank you for letting me know!
April says
This is UNREAL. Bailey. UNREAL.
paleobailey says
So happy you enjoyed!!