Instant Pot Cashew Chicken - Make your own Chinese takeout in just one hour!
Mmm, Chinese takeout! A delicious staple in many cities. If you’ve had a hankering for it recently, we just want you to know, we get you. Unfortunately though, traditional takeout options usually stray far from any sort of meal plan, but we also want you to know, we got you, too! This is to say, MPOF has your back for healthy meal prep alternatives that are sure to satisfy your cravings.
Prime example: This scrumptiously healthy cashew chicken instant pot meal prep recipe! Not only is it super simple to make, but it’s gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30-compliant too! Does a trifecta of healthy eating, that satisfies cravings for unhealthy eating, sound too good to be true? We assure you, it’s not! Give this cashew chicken instant pot meal prep a try for your meal prep this week, and see for yourself! We love it for its sweet and salty Oriental flavor profile, that gives a healthy (and equally tasty) helping of veggies, too.
Not only is this cashew chicken recipe packed with flavor, but it’s super easy to make as well as Whole30 and gluten free compliant! What’s not to love?
How long will this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken last for?
Just like any cooked chicken dish, we found this one lasts three to four days in the refrigerator. This instant pot meal prep also makes 4 servings, which aligns perfectly with the refrigerated shelf-life if you eat it once a day!
Can this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken be frozen?
It sure can, and it will even last you 3 months in the freezer! If you really love this instant pot meal prep recipe, make a few batches for later!
Instant Pot Cashew Chicken Ingredients:
- 2 pounds Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless), cut into 2” pieces
- 4 cups Cooked Cauliflower Rice
- 4 cups Steamed Broccoli Florets
- ¼ cup Cashews
- ¼ cup Coconut Aminos
- 3 tablespoons Ketchup (Whole30 compliant)
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Arrowroot Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
- 2 Scallions, sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
How do you make this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken?
We love this meal prep recipe because of how easily it comes together! Here’s how you make it:
Begin by heating your Instant Pot on sauté mode and then, add oil. While waiting for it to heat up, prepare the sauce by combining in a bowl coconut aminos, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, and seasonings, then set aside.
Now it’s time to prep the chicken! Using a medium bowl, coat diced chicken breast in arrowroot powder, then add to heated Instant Pot. Let sear 2 minutes, flip and repeat. Then add your prepared sauce and cashews, stir and cover. Pressure cook for 10 minutes then manually release pressure.
Top with sesame seeds and scallions, and enjoy with sides.
How to portion this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken?
This is a fantastic meal prep option because it offers two veggie sides to pair with your main chicken protein! To accommodate this, we suggest portioning this dish into three-compartment meal prep containers, like the ones shown here!
More Instant Pot meal prep recipes:
We absolutely adore the convenience of the Instant Pot at MPOF! Because of this, we have quite a selection of Instant Pot meal prep recipes on our website. For your future meal prep delight, give these other Instant Pot recipes a try:
- Instant Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes, for a healthy spin on comfort food
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Instant Pot Beef BBQ Ribs, for a taste of summer you can have year round
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Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Meal Prep Bowls, for zesty, easy, south-of-the-border flavor!
Other tips for making this Instant Pot Cashew Chicken:
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Let the Instant Pot preheat for 10-15 minutes before adding chicken to insure uniform cooking
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Always remember to depressurize your Instant Pot after cooking to avoid potential danger
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chicken Breast boneless, skinless, cut into 2” pieces
- 4 cups Cooked Cauliflower Rice
- 4 cups Steamed Broccoli Florets
- ¼ cup Cashews
- ¼ cup Coconut Aminos
- 3 tablespoons Ketchup Whole30 compliant
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Arrowroot Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
- 2 Scallions sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot on sauté mode and then, add oil.
- While that heats up, prepare the sauce by combining in a bowl coconut aminos, rice vinegar, ketchup, garlic, and seasonings. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, coat chicken with arrowroot powder then add to heated Instant Pot. Let sear 2 minutes, flip and repeat.
- Add prepared sauce and cashews, stir and cover. Pressure cook for 10 minutes then manually release pressure.
- Top with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve with sides.
- Store, and enjoy!
Meara says
Love these recipes and tips, they have saved my life!
Sarah Kesseli says
That makes us so happy to hear! Thank you for sharing that with us!