Truthfully, I never thought I'd see the day where I was sharing this recipe with you all. First off, the Instant Pot scared the CRAPOLA out of me (you too? you're not alone, my friend!). Second, I actually found the Instant Pot a bit tricky to figure out at first. It took me about 3 tries before I finally got it down pat.

In hindsight, I just had to be a bit patient and accept that this was a different style of cooking but the multi-tasking, basic pot-stirring "chef" in me wanted to check in and see what it was doing every step of the way.

The original recipe for this Instant Pot Cashew Nut Chicken was inspired by the Whole Kitchen Sink but I made some tweaks to this one to reduce the number of ingredients and make use of ingredients that people are more likely to have in their home. Plus, I wanted to add some veggie power because I've got to practice to be that Mom (one day – not a pregnancy announcement) that tries to "hide" veggies in everything!

If you've got the hint from my Sweet Potato Veggie Pad Thai (my most popular recipe!), Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai and Thai Noodle Salad, I love ALL asian-inspired food so naturally, my first Instant Pot #WIN had to be something asian-inspired like this Cashew Nut Chicken.

Now, is this a *huge* time saver compared to making it on the stove? Honestly, I wouldn't say so entirely. But what I love about the Instant Pot so far from what I've made in it (Cashew Nut Chicken twice and a Butternut Squash Curry) is that you can just dump in all of your ingredients, give it a stir and leave it and it will cook to perfection. It's great for those nights where tending to the stove just isn't the option.

And if you're afraid of the releasing pressure part (you know, the part where everyone on Instagram showing you how to cook with an Instant Pot stands a mile away with a wooden spoon and just barely switches the tab from "Sealing" to "Release" and all the hot steam comes out), don't worry, it gets easier and less scary. Way less scary that it's not the only thing you think about when using the Instant Pot and sometimes you get close to forgetting that you actually have to do it (don't do that by the way).

Another great thing about the Instant Pot is that it's safe to cook in! You might think that a pressure cooker that cooks your food 10X faster than usual would destroy all of the nutrients in the food along the way, but the way the Instant Pot works, it actually preserves the nutrients.

That's because the Instant Pot cooks by increased pressure, not by higher temperatures. Pressure cookers, like the Instant Pot, actually cook at lower temperatures (approximately 250 degrees) than when you're steaming or roasting. Because of the increased pressure, it increases the boiling point of the liquid in the Instant Pot which forces moisture into food in the form of steam. That's what allows it to cook so quickly!

So while this Cashew Nut Chicken might not be the biggest time saver, it's incredibly delicious and makes for moist chicken. I haven't tried bone broth in the Instant Pot yet but I would say that's probably one of the biggest selling points of it, since it can make a super gut-healing, rich broth in just 4 hours (compared to 24-48 hours in the crock pot – although still delicious!). Not to mention, it won't infiltrate your house with the smell of chicken or beef, which in my opinion, is rather nice!

You can pair this with cauliflower rice (this recipe or store-bought), regular rice or quinoa. I've tried it with all and actually, the quinoa has been my favourite! But to each their own – follow that intuition of yours and go for what you're in the mood for!

By the way, the instructions might seem super long but they aren't as crazy as they seem. I just wanted to give as much detail as possible so any rookie Instant Pot chefs can feel a bit less intimidated by the whole processs!

Cashew Nut Chicken

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup tamari
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp honey (yes, nutrients will be destroyed but it's more so for taste in this case)
2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
2 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch/flour, divided
2 tbsp water
1 cup raw cashews
1 onion, diced
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
green onion (to garnish)

Directions:

Remove chicken from fridge or freezer. If fully frozen, you may have to defrost in water for 10-15 minutes first so you can pull them apart and chop.
In a bowl, combine tamari, tomato paste, honey, 1 tbsp sesame oil, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Mix until fully combined.
Chop chicken into cubes and place in a separate bowl. Sprinkle 1 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour/starch on chicken and toss until well coated.
Add other 1 tbsp sesame oil into instant pot and click "Saute". Wait a moment and it will start to warm up (note: there is no start button so don't go looking for it like I did for way too long!).
Let instant pot heat up for 1-2 minutes before adding in the chicken. Sear outside for 2 minutes, but don't worry about cooking it fully through.
Press "cancel" on instant pot and add sauce, chopped onion and pepper and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Cover instant pot with lid, shifting the lid from left to right. When you do this, you'll hear a fun jingle which will tell you that it's closed properly. Make sure the tab at the top is set to "Sealing" (the one in the middle). It won't lock into place or anything and will actually feel loose but as long as it's pointing to "Sealing", you're in the clear.
Click "Manual" and then set the time to "10" if it's not already. Again, there's no start button so don't worry about pushing it. Once it goes, you'll have to wait about 5-10 minutes for pressure to build up in the instant pot (which isn't included in the 10 minutes). This is when you can clean up some dishes and do some scrolling on Instagram.
Once pressure is built up enough, you'll see the countdown clock of 10 minutes. Once it hits zero, it will sing you a jingle. Your first order of business is to shift the tab from "Sealing" to "Release". I like to use a wooden spoon for this cause I don't like standing near it, but it's not as scary as it seems.
Once all the steam has been released, you can take off the lid and it should be fully cooked! In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining 1 tbsp arrowroot/tapioca starch or flour with 2 tbsp water and mix into Cashew Nut Chicken. This will help to thicken the sauce slightly and you'll want to stir this in a bit. Add in 1 cup of cashews and stir again.
To turn off, press "Cancel" or unplug it. Serve with cauliflower rice, brown rice or quinoa and garnish with green onions.
Pat yourself on the back because you just Instant Pot'd like a BOSS!

Are you a seasoned Instant Pot chef? Tell me some of your favourite recipes in the comments below!