Cashew Chicken
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Grab a pan, gather your ingredients, and get ready to whip up homemade cashew chicken that’s every bit as tasty as your favorite take-out and a breeze to make at home.
Craving the flavors of your go-to Chinese restaurant? This delicious cashew chicken recipe is a cinch to make. You don’t need a wok — just a large nonstick skillet. And aside from the chicken, the only chopping involves fresh garlic and scallions. The rest of the ingredients are easily found in your pantry in bottles and jars. Heads up: Stir-fries cook very quickly, so it’s essential to have everything measured and ready to go before you start cooking. And when it comes to the chicken, take care not to cut the pieces too small; larger chunks ensure they cook evenly without becoming overdone.
“Quick and easy. My teenage son and his friends all raved how good it was. Thanks!”
What You’ll Need To Make Cashew Chicken
- Roasted, unsalted cashews: Provide a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the dish.
- Water: Used for adjusting the consistency of the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a thickening agent for the sauce, giving it a glossy appearance and helping it adhere to the chicken.
- Hoisin sauce: Adds a sweet, savory, and slightly tangy flavor to the dish. Be sure to use a high-quality brand, such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee—it makes a big difference.
- Soy sauce: Provides saltiness and umami flavor.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins: A lean cut that’s tender when stir-fried.
- Vegetable oil: Used for stir-frying the chicken and aromatics.
- Garlic and scallions: Garlic adds aromatic flavor, while scallions contribute both flavor and color to the dish.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a tangy and slightly sweet flavor to balance out the flavors.
- Asian sesame oil: Provides a distinct nutty aroma and flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
Meanwhile, whisk together water, cornstarch, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir-fry half of the chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate.Â
Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken, this time adding the garlic and white parts of the scallions. Cook until lightly browned, then return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Lower the heat to medium, add the rice vinegar, and cook until it evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Pour in the sauce and cook, tossing everything together, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Off the heat, stir in the scallion greens, cashews, and sesame oil. Serve with rice.
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A fuss-free dinner with tender chicken, crispy cashews, and a perfectly balanced sauce.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup roasted, unsalted cashews
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons 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-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 8 scallions (1 bunch), white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- 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
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: about 1 1/4 cups each
- Calories: 464
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Sodium: 855 mg
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
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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Comments
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Love this recipe!! Easy and fast to make and it’s delicious. Please add more homemade Chinese food recipes. Love your website, all the recipes I’ ve tried work perfectly. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Greetings from Calgary
Made this dish last night and it was AMAZING!! I don’t usually like Cashew chicken but I tried it because I read the reviews and Im so glad I did… will be making this again!
Such a simple set of ingredients for such a great tasting dish. So much better that I’ve ever had at any chinese restaurant!
New Year’s Eve is always Chinese food and this recipe sounded great. By far it was the best cashew chicken I have ever eaten. It is 10 times better than a restaurant. Thank you for making our celebration a success.
Excellent!! I’ve been hunting the Internet for Chinese and Thai recipes for 6 mos and I have been severely disappointed. This recipe I’m keeping!!! It’s scrumptious!!! Thank you – send more!
Wonderful! The only change I made was to add water chestnuts. Jenn, your recipe is fantastic! I only wish there was a little bit more sauce. If I want to make more sauce, should I just double the rice vinegar and let it evaporate and then double the hoisin, soy sauce, water and sesame oil?
Thank you!
Yes, that should do it, Michele. Please let me know how it turns out.
I have made this several times for my family. I have 2 young kids and they love it!! I have given to several friends and they have said it was a success in their home too!
Made this dish last night for dinner. Wonderful flavor and so easy! This is a keeper.
I made this with tofu instead of chicken and added a few more veggies. It was very delicious-definitely restaurant quality!!
Thank you for sharing!
I have tried numerous Cashew Chicken recipes but this one is by far the best! Thank you for sharing it.