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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Jill says
This was awesome. Family loved. I added water chestnuts and celery at the end. And I didn’t have arrowroot so i went for tapioca flour w/a bit of almond flour. Loved. I do think I’d actually prefer the orange juice flavor to the coconut sugar so will give that a whirl next time. Cuz there will 100% be a next time. THANK YOU FOR THIS AWESOME RECIPE.
paleobailey says
Ahh! Thank you so much, Jill. I love hearing this and I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it :))
Emily Frack says
I was missing my old standard Chinese takeout! I made this and shared it at work – people said they were amazed at the taste! I don’t even have to feel deprived again, thanks Bailey for another hit recipe!
paleobailey says
Woo! This is so great to hear. Thank you so much for sharing with me!!
Kelly says
I’m a huge fan of your podcast and I wanted to try this recipe after i heard you mentioning it. Its so good! Definitely going to add this to my meal plan menu.
paleobailey says
Woo!! Thank you so much! And thank you for tuning into the podcast – I’m so happy you love it 🙂
Shannon says
Absolutely amazing!! Much better than takeout!! Served it it over cauliflower rice sautéed with oil and garlic with a side of steamed broccoli topped with browned butter and lemon juice
paleobailey says
YUM! That sounds so good!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know, Shannon!!
Connie Sullivan says
I made this for supper. Cashew chicken is one of my husband’s favorites, but it never appealed to me. I’m happy to say this recipe changed my mind! It was just awesome, and I’m about to share it on FaceBook. I didn’t have sugar-free ketchup, so I used regular Heinz, and I added about a cup of chopped green onions near the very end because he loves them. He gave it five thumbs up, and I enjoyed it as much as he did. Thank you so very much for a valuable addition to my instant pot collection!
paleobailey says
This is awesome!! I’m so happy to hear it. I’m glad to know it works well with Heinz as well- thank you for coming back and letting me know you both enjoyed :))
Misty says
are the cashews supposed to be raw ones or roasted?
paleobailey says
It doesn’t make too much of a difference. You don’t really cook the cashews, just stir them in so if you have a preference one way or the other that’s totally fine!
Carolyn says
Made this last night…it was amazing. New favorite instant pot recipe!!!
paleobailey says
Awesome!! I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for coming back and letting me know! 🙂
Aliza says
Do you think I could substitute tapioca starch for the arrowroot and achieve a similar result?
paleobailey says
Yes absolutely!
Mark says
Substituted almond flour. Only issue was IP said burn so I stopped, released pressure and stirred. Continued to cook about five more minutes, not burnt. Delicious!
Muriel says
I am on the Keto diet, so no honey or maple syrup or coconut sugar for me. I’m going to try it with Sukrin Gold and Monkfruit sweetener. I’ll comment again when I do and let you know how it turned out.
paleobailey says
Sounds great! Thanks!
candice says
Anyone know how this could be made in a slow cooker?
Alison Dietz says
It was good – didn’t turn out quite right. The recipe was hard to read for example it did not clearly state to sear the chicken and in the first step it says combine 1 tbsp sesame oil but then does not say the measurements for the rest of the ingredients making it very confusing.
paleobailey says
That’s because sesame oil is an ingredient that is divided, and used twice- a very common practice in recipe writing if the other ingredients are used in the amount they’re called for in the ingredient list so the instructions don’t look messy or MORE confusing with quantities all over the place. Thanks for your feedback!
Candice says
Another happy eater – I made this last night in our InstaPot with a few substitutions. We couldn’t find Coconut Aminos anywhere (live in Canada) and no time to order on Amazon. So I used coconut powder with low sodium soya sauce. Maple sugar instead of coconut sugar and cornstarch replaced arrowroot flour.
So it wasn’t Whole 30 but it was a WHOLE LOT OF DELICIOUS. I did add some extra liquid 3/4 broth when the cooking time finished, because we wanted more sauce. So tasty, the chicken fell apart, used thighs but maybe I sauté mine too long before pressure cooking. We will be making again. Thank you Bailey for sharing your this!
paleobailey says
Ohhh that sounds so good!! Thank you so much, Candice!
Britni says
This looks amazing! Anyone who has made this in a crockpot, what was your cooking level and time? Any other crock pot tips for this?
Jamie Cotter says
I don’t have arrowroot powder or coconut sugar. And I dont have any of the substitutions for the sugar either. Any suggestions?
paleobailey says
If you’re wanting to make this Paleo, any flour/thickener substitute would be okay, such as tapioca flour. The sugar substitutes are the ones I’ve tested and know work well. If you aren’t making this Paleo, regular sugar would work. Possibly honey or maple syrup for Paleo options. But without further testing I can’t really tell you any subs other than the ones I know 🙂
Sandi says
I don’t have an Instant Pot can this be made in a crockpot?
paleobailey says
Sure!
Shelly says
WOW!!! Husband is not Asian food fan but totally LOVED this! You win Bailey! Stay warm these next few days…from a fellow Minnesotan 😉
paleobailey says
LOVE this!! Thank you so much, Shelly!! And hey neighbor! <3
Katie says
I made this for dinner last night and I CAN NOT WAIT to eat leftovers for lunch today! So so so good!
paleobailey says
Thank you SO much, Katie!!
Erin says
This was a great meal! I don’t have an Instapot so I simply reduced the sauce in a saucepan and cooked everything else in a wok. It was great!
paleobailey says
Awesome!! Thanks so much, Erin!!
Leslie Stewart says
YUM! Just finished eating this!!! This was so good and so easy to make!! I will definitely make again. I didn’t have sesame oil so I sauteed chicken in a little bit of ghee. I may have used a little too much Chinese 5 spice (was a bit strong flavor but still good) so I may try and use a pinch or two less next time. I made the dish first then then put aluminum foil on top of pan and placed in a warmed oven so I could make some rice in the IP too. The sauce was nice and thick and I like how after sitting awhile the cashew were a little soft. Thank you for a delicious recipe!!
paleobailey says
Thank you, Leslie!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and so thankful you came back and let me know!! <3 - B