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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There is nothing better than when you find a chef sharing the most amazing but easy recipes. I have just cooked the Cashew Chicken & Jasmine Rice for a family of 5 mixed taste eaters & we all said “Oh but that’s really tasty”. Will definitely be cooking this again. Thank you Jenn for such beautiful recipes.
I tried this recipe. The hoisin sauce threw me off. Cashew chicken does NOT have a hoisin flavor. It’s a lot more delicate. Unfortunately, if you want a cashew chicken take-out style dish– this recipe is NOT it. Because I had very different expectations, this recipe was TERRIBLE. Use Oyster sauce instead of the hoisin sauce.
Gee Kimberly, you seem to have such negativity toward so many of the recipes Jenn posts perhaps you should seek out another site. I dare say 99.9% of us here are delighted and grateful with the recipes offered. I very much doubt anyone is prepared to toss aside Jenn’s ingredients and methods in favour of yours.
Wishing you all the best in finding a site better suited to your needs.
Cheers,
Susan
Great reply, Susan! Polite and yet you got the point across. Jenn’s recipes NEVER deserve a low grade, right?!
I usually double the sauce, it’s so delicious! It also helps with any leftovers you may have. Since it’s just my husband and I, there’s usually just enough left for one of us to have lunch. Then I usually just add a little water and re-heat. Yum!
I love this recipe, and have made it numerous times! I often add extra veggies, especially yellow and red bell peppers, plus water chestnuts for extra crunch. As to the hoison sauce, I really prefer the Lee Kum Kee brand. I’ve made it with two others, and they just don’t measure up. This recipe is within my normal rotation now. Two thumbs up!
Great recipe
I have been making stir fried my dishes since college and I’ve been searching for something with more flavor and remaining healthy. This is the best homemade stir fry sauce I’ve ever made! I used a non-stick wok instead of a pan. Definitely adding this to my rotation!
This recipe was great! I added celery and broccoli to make it a whole rounded meal. It truly was better than take out!
Adding this one to my rotation. Didn’t change a thing. It’s perfect as written. Thank you!
I love the recipes on this site.
The taste was wonderful. The only issue I had was that the sauce became extremely thick and coagulated. I did notice the hoisin sauce was very thick. Interested in knowing what I may have done wrong because I intend on making this again. Thank you.
Hi Luci, Sorry to hear the sauce was too thick for you. When you added the chicken back to the pan, did you cook it for only about 1 minute?
We loved it. Our favorite Chinese restaurant closed a few years ago. Hubby, craving their cashew chicken, picked out this recipe and made it! (Good job, hubby!)
I was surprised how not-thick our new jar of hoisin sauce was (Lee Kum Kee). I think the different brands vary.