Cashew Chicken

Cashew chicken is a classic takeout dish that is super easy to make at home. It is sweet, sticky, and super flavorful.

Look no further if you are looking for a recipe to make delicious cashew chicken at home! This cashew chicken is perfectly sweet and savory with just the right amount of acidity.

It’s one of those dishes that disappears quickly once served. So be sure to prepare a few extra servings when you try this cashew chicken recipe!

Cashew Chicken Ingredients

To make cashew chicken, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Chicken thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs are recommended as they stay super juicy and tender when they are being stir-fried. You can use chicken breasts if you make sure that you don’t overcook them.
• Vegetables: To make classic cashew chicken, you’ll need bell pepper and celery. I used red bell pepper, but green bell peppers are also commonly found in cashew chicken.
• Aromatics: To make this stir fry flavorful and delicious, you’ll need to use green onions, garlic, and ginger.
• Cashews: You’ll also need plenty of whole raw cashews. They are later roasted in the recipe which makes them extra tasty.
• Cashew chicken stir fry sauce: For the sauce, you’ll need light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, honey, chicken broth or water, cornstarch, and white pepper. They are typical Chinese condiments that can be reused for other recipes such as chicken yaki udon, kung pao chicken, and shrimp chop suey. You can find them in most Asian grocery stores or online.

How to make cashew chicken

Making cashew chicken is super quick and easy. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Marinate the chicken: First, add the chicken thigh pieces to a bowl with some light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and white pepper. Then toss and set aside.
2. Prepare the sauce: Next, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Roast the cashews: Now preheat some vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Roast the cashews until they start to turn golden brown. Remove them from the pan.
4. Sauté the vegetables: Next, sauté the bell pepper and celery over medium-high heat until they start to soften. Remove from the pan.
5. Sear the chicken: Add the marinated chicken thigh pieces to the pan and sear them over medium-high heat until they are browned and cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
6. Sauté the aromatics: Now add more vegetable oil to the pan if needed. Lower the heat and sauté the green onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.
7. Combine and serve: Add back the chicken pieces, cashews, celery, and red bell pepper. Pour the sauce into the pan, season with white pepper, toss and simmer until the sauce thickens. Serve with white rice and enjoy!

Tips & Notes

Here are a few quick notes to read through before you make this cashew chicken for the first time.

• Prepare all ingredients in advance. As stir-fries are cooked very quickly, there won’t be much time to chop any of the ingredients. So prepare all ingredients in advance to make the process stress-free and enjoyable.
• Adjust the heat while cooking. Some of the ingredients, such as cashews and aromatics, burn very quickly. That’s why I’d recommend sautéing them on lower heat. Just make sure to adjust the heat when needed and you’ll be fine. 😃
• Thicken or thin the sauce to your liking. If you want to thicken the sauce even more, you can make a cornstarch slurry by combining equal parts of cornstarch and water in a small bowl. You can add it to the stir-fry to thicken the sauce. If you want to thin the sauce, you can add some water or chicken broth.

Variations

If you’re looking for delicious ways to switch up the flavor of this dish, you can try one of the following variations:

• Protein: Other types of protein like shrimp, beef, and tofu taste great in this dish. So if you want to try one of those, feel free to do so!
• Vegetables: You could also use more vegetables when making this cashew chicken. Broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, and green beans are delicious options!
• Heat level: This cashew chicken recipe is very mild. If you want to make it spicier, feel free to add some chili flakes, dried chilies, or fresh chili peppers.

How to serve cashew chicken

You can serve cashew chicken alongside a variety of side dishes to turn it into a filling and tasty meal. Here are some of my personal favorites:

• Rice: White rice is a common side dish for dishes like cashew chicken. You can use any type of rice you like. I always use short-grain or medium-grain white rice.
• Vegetable sides: Vegetable sides like Korean cucumber salad, kimchi, garlic bok choy, or edamame are great additions to your meal. Feel free to pick something you like or just serve the cashew chicken as is.
• Dumplings: Dumplings are another favorite! There are great frozen options or you could make some at home. I personally love Japanese gyoza, but other types of dumplings taste great, too.
• Spring rolls: You could also make your own spring rolls or use store-bought spring rolls to complement this dish. Spring rolls taste delicious and go really well with cashew chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

More quick and delicious stir-fry recipes

If you want to try more stir-fried dishes, I recommend checking out the following recipes. They are super simple and very delicious.

• Korean-Style Noodle Stir Fry
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Korean Dakgalbi
• Chicken Yaki Udon