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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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 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!
Should I double the sauce if I’m going to add veggies? At what point should I add the veggies?
Hi Barbara, Depending on the quantity of vegetables you’re adding, I’d either make 1.5 or 2 times the sauce (the rice vinegar through sesame oil). And after stir-frying the second batch of chicken (with the garlic and scallions), I’d transfer it to the plate with the other chicken, add the vegetables to the pan and, after cooking them for a few minutes, add the chicken back and proceed with the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
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!
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.