Cashew Chicken
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All the flavor of your favorite takeout, none of the fuss—this cashew chicken is quick, easy, and barely requires any prep. A weeknight dinner winner!
Craving that savory-sweet cashew chicken from your favorite Chinese restaurant? This version is quick enough for a weeknight and so much better than takeout. No wok needed—just a large nonstick skillet. Aside from the chicken, the only chopping you’ll do is some garlic and scallions. The rest comes straight from the pantry.
Just a heads-up: stir-fries cook fast, so have everything measured and ready to go before you start. And when prepping the chicken, keep the pieces on the larger side so they cook evenly and stay juicy.
“Quick and easy. My teenage son and his friends all raved how good it was. Thanks!rn”
What You’ll Need To Make Cashew Chicken
- Cashews: Roasted, unsalted cashews add crunch and a toasty, nutty bite that pairs perfectly with the savory sauce. If you’re toasting them yourself, keep a close eye—they can go from golden to burnt in seconds. You’ll know they’re ready when they smell fragrant and turn just a shade darker.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins both work well here. Tenderloins are especially easy and stay tender in a quick stir-fry.
- Garlic & Scallions: Garlic brings bold, savory flavor, while scallions add both sharpness and fresh, bright color. Use the white and light green parts for stir-frying; save the dark green tops for garnish.
- Soy Sauce, Hoisin, Rice Vinegar & Water: This combo gives you that classic takeout-style sweet-salty-tangy balance. Hoisin brings sweetness and depth—go with a good brand like Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman. Soy sauce adds umami, rice vinegar adds a little acidity, and water loosens the sauce just enough to coat everything evenly.
- Cornstarch: Helps the sauce cling to every bite and gives it that glossy, restaurant-style finish.
- Vegetable Oil & Toasted Sesame Oil: Use neutral vegetable oil for stir-frying, and finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil for its rich, nutty aroma. Be sure to use toasted sesame oil—the dark, fragrant kind—not the light, untoasted variety.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Toast the cashews. Preheat the oven to 350°F and toast the cashews on a baking sheet until fragrant, about 5 minutes—they’ll crisp up as they cool.
Step 2: Make the sauce. While the cashews toast, whisk together the water, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Brown the first batch of chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat and stir-fry half the chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. (Browning the chicken in batches helps it sear instead of steam.) Transfer it to a plate.
Step 4: Cook the remaining chicken with aromatics. Add the remaining oil, chicken, garlic, and the white parts of the scallions to the pan. Cook until lightly browned, then return the first batch of chicken to the skillet. Lower the heat, add the rice vinegar, and cook for about 30 seconds, until it evaporates.
Step 5: Add the sauce and finish cooking. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir everything together. Let it cook for about a minute, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens up.
Step 6: Finish with cashews and scallions. Off the heat, stir in the scallion greens, toasted cashews, and sesame oil. Adding the sesame oil at the end preserves its nutty aroma—and since a little goes a long way, you don’t need much. Serve with rice and enjoy!
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Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- ¾ cup roasted, unsalted cashews
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1½-in (4-cm) pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 8 scallions, white and green parts separated, sliced into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside; they will crisp up as they cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the water, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Set aside.
- Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Add half of the chicken to the skillet and stir-fry until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; then add the remaining chicken, garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the rice vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce mixture to the chicken; cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is nicely thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, cashews and sesame oil. Serve immediately.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This was super tasty and fast! This is one that you definitely need to have all the ingredients prepped before you start cooking, since the steps go so quick when you’re stir frying. The sauce thickened up super fast for me at the end, so that part you need to watch carefully and be ready to get it off the heat fast.
We served with rice and a package of frozen stir fry veggies.
I have a home of picky eaters and one nut allergy. This recipe is a win even without the cashews. You can taste the layers of flavors and the chicken is very tender. It is also in my college child’s meal rotation because it taste great after being microwaved.
Cashew chicken was my dad’s favorite takeout dish. Thanks for the happy memory and a lovely recipe.
I’ve never made a recipe from this site that wasn’t great, and this is one of my favorites. Better than take out and quick and easy to make if you have everything ready to go before starting. Thanks for so many great recipes! This is my go to site for great meals!
This is such a quick recipe for a weeknight meal. It has a lot of flavor and it is now on regular rotation in our house. I like to add a chopped up bell pepper to get my family to eat more vegetables. My 8 and 11-year-old love it.
so yum! once you take the time to make home made takeout, takeout looses its appeal. This dish is simple to make, costs a bunch less than buying it ready made from your local delivery, and tastes so much better!
Since I like my food piping hot, especially Asian chicken dishes, I knew I had to make this. Warm takeout would just not cut it. I’m so glad I did! I followed the recipe to a T, except I subbed chicken thighs for the breasts since it was what I had on hand. The sauce was flavorful and it had that glossy take-out-Chinese texture. I served it over a a bed of white rice and a few Trader Joe’s potstickers on the side. Simple, delicious and would 10/10 make again. Oh and…it was piping hot. 🙂
This was a hit with the whole family! The cashews definitely crisp up after you take them out so don’t leave them in longer than indicated and make sure to adjust if your oven runs hot or they will get too brown – unless you like that. I also had a huge pan and was able to put all the chicken in at once so that made it seem even easier for me. This is great recipe for a week night with minimal clean-up. The flavor was defined and delicious without being too salty.
I don’t tend to leave reviews about recipes, but I absolutely loved this dish. Super easy and fast to make. My family has loved it every time I’ve made it.
This is a regular menu item in our house. My husband and father in law request it often. The flavour is incredible and because it doesn’t include a lot of vegetables in the stir fry, left overs are wonderful!
So easy and super delicious. Tastes just like the Chinese Restaurant but without all the unnecessary grease! We added sliced celery for a little extra crunch. Delicious with white rice.