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.
Craving the flavors of your favorite Chinese take-out? This delicious cashew chicken recipe is a breeze to make at home. 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
To begin, place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. (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.
Next, season the chicken with salt and pepper. 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.
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 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 and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, cashews and sesame oil.
Serve with rice.
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Cashew Chicken
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.
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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I just made this and oh my! Even my picky grandkids ate it up! This is a no fail delicious dinner!
This was very good. Not overly spicy for the one in the house that doesn’t do spice and easy enough to add spice for the rest of us. Will be adding to the stir fry rotation.
Jenn, the recipe calls for roasted cashews in the list of ingredients. Then it tells you how to roast them. So am I roasting the roasted cashews or buying raw cashews and roasting them. Not clear. I can buy roasted unsalted cashews. Please clarify. Thanks
Hi Carol, I can see why that would be confusing but, yes, you are roasting the roasted cashews. I find that sometimes cashews get a little soft and roasting helps to crisp them back up. Hope that helps!
Thank you for that. I have roasted cashews and assumed that wouldn’t work.. to roast the roasted! I will now make it this week. Looking forward to it.
I have had a life-long love of cashew chicken. But I’m picky about what it tastes like. They’re are definitely some great and not-so-great variations on this classic. Your recipe though Jenn was right on target! I loved it, and you made me look good with the kids, who also loved it. So thank you so much for this recipe.
Absolutely delicious just as written! So much better than take out! Served with rice. Thanks so much for a delicious dinner!!!
Made this recipe for supper with my Mom and it was amazing! This one is going into my “make again” file!
It was amazing and extremely delicious. I didn’t have the green onion, but I added bell peppers instead. It was restaurant quality and it was my first time making it. I have tried other recipes, but none have been this simple to make and this good.
We really wanted to love this but somehow it did not turn out. The chicken pieces need to be much smaller and were overcooked. We followed the recipe and there wasn’t enough sauce and it was bland. I think the garlic was old. What’s the purpose of the vinegar?
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this! The vinegar adds a touch of acidity which helps to balance out the other flavors.
Prepared this recipe a few nights ago and it was a HIT! The chicken was tender and the toasted cashews added a perfect crunch. We added some red pepper flakes for a little kick and to better appreciate the other flavors.
Hi!
I made the cashew chicken tonight and it was so good. I have made several of your recipes and they are all great. I found you by accident, or not 😁because I was searching for a recipe to make Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy pecans. Yours are better.
Anyway, I loved this recipe. The only thing I did differently was double the sauce and it turned out perfect.
I can’t wait to try your beef stew next.
Glad you found the blog and that you enjoyed this! 🙂