Crock Pot Kung Pao Cashew Chicken Recipe

One of my favorite things in life is ASIAN inspired foods.  I LOVE spicy chicken recipes that are loaded with vegetables and a little nutty crunch like King Pao Cashew Chicken.  This recipe is super easy because your crockpot does all the hard work for you.  You simply prep everything and let it cook all day.  You can mix and match your vegetables to get creative (I think mushrooms would be an AWESOME addition).  Adjust the heat to your liking, but, remember, you can always add more AFTER it is done, like I did 😀

My inspiration for this recipe came from the new Weight Watchers Slow Cook It Cookbook, however, I cannot say that I took away much from their recipe.  The recipe was not spicy and used only frozen peppers and water chestnuts (sorta boring).  So, I spiced it up a bit or a lot (HELLO SRIRACHA!), added a TON of fresh veggies and a little nuttiness.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

3 Tbsp dry sherry or low-sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp Sriracha Hot Sauce (adjust if you want it not as spicy)

1 lb organic boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch pieces

3 c of your favorite vegetables, chopped ~ here is what I used:

* 1 c broccoli

* 1 yellow and 1 green bell pepper, chopped

* 1 red onion, chopped

* 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

* 2 celery stalks, chopped

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp corn starch or 1/2 Tbsp arrow root

4 Tbsp roasted cashews, optional

1 green onion, sliced, optional

Serve over sprouts, rice or enjoy straight up ~ it’s delicious no matter how you serve it.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick cooking spray to make it easier to clean.

2.  Combine hoisin sauce, sherry, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper flakes and sriracha sauce.  Add chicken and place in prepared crock pot.  Cover and cook until chicken is fork tender, 2-3 hours on high, 6-8 hours on low.

3.  About 30 minutes before cooking time is up, mix water and cornstarch/arrowroot in a small bowl until smooth.  Stir cornstarch mixture and all your vegetables into your crock pot.  Cover and cook on high until the mixture simmers and thickens and the vegetables are crisp tender.

Makes 4 LARGE 1 1/2 c servings, 5 points+ each ~ BARGAIN!

Nutritional information per serving (calculated using sprouts and optional ingredients):

Calories 201.5, Total Fat 4.3 g, Saturated Fat 0.7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g, Cholesterol 10.7 mg, Sodium 752.4 mg, Potassium 433.6 mg, Total Carbohydrate 30.1 g, Dietary Fiber 4.4 g, Sugars 10.5 g, Protein 9.7 g

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I hope you all enjoy this recipe, it is one of my favorites!  I LOVE anytime I can use the “crocker’ and come home to having dinner ready.  I am taking tonight off to hang with The Husband~ it’s been a LONG week!  I will be back tomorrow for more of my daily eats!

Happy WEEEEKEND all!