Cashew Chicken Recipe (2024)

Cashew chicken is a quick and delicious homemade Chinese recipe made with simple everyday ingredients. This recipe is family-friendly, affordable and might just give your usual Chinese takeout a run for its money.

Easy Cashew chicken recipe

Well apart from this shrimp stir fry, this easy cashew chicken recipe is about to be on rotation for your fakeout night in. It is quick, easy and utterly delicious.

I did a taste test on my neighbourhood takeaway and YES, Mine tastes way better (if I do say so myself)! For a start, it is not sugar-laden and it doesn’t contain MSG. I have control over what goes into my food and where it is sourced. Nothing beats using fresh ingredients in making homemade meals.

My cashew chicken recipe is somewhat spicy but you can surely adjust the spice level to suit your taste. Also, I used a lot of garlic in this recipe, adjust to taste if you don’t like garlicky taste.

This homemade takeout recipe can be made under 30 minutes but I like to marinate the chicken with the stir fry sauce so it tenderises the chicken a bit. I mostly do this when I use chicken breasts. You might skip this if using chicken thighs as it is a lot juicier than chicken breasts and it doesn’t need the extra TLC.

You should definitely skip your next takeout to try this easy cashew chicken, you can make it saucy (I like mine with some sauce to soak up my rice) or a bit thick. It is perfect with some fried rice, freshly steamed jasmine or basmati rice.

Writing this is making me salivate and I think I would be making this again. I have a good excuse as it is Friday. Right, let me show you how to make this delicious recipe in simple steps.

Ingredients

Skinless boneless chicken breasts: substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs

Cornflour also known as cornstarch

Salt and pepper

Red and green bell peppers: cashew chicken is mostly cooked with green bell pepper but I love to use the two especially the red for colour.

White onions

Vegetable oil

Roasted cashews

For the chicken stir fry sauce

Soy sauce: I used both light and dark soy sauce but more of light soy sauce.

Oyster sauce

Sesame oil

Cornflour

Hot sauce: skip this if you don’t like spicy food

Brown sugar: this is optional but I use it sometimes to balance out the saltiness from the soy sauce

Rice wine vinegar: use mirin or Chinese wine if that is what you have.

Other vegetable options

Broccolini

Broccoli

Celery

Carrots

How to make easy cashew chicken recipe

It is important that you have all your ingredients handy before you start stir frying, this is a quick recipe and you don’t want to burn anything.

Make the stir fry sauce and set aside

Cut the chicken breast into small cubes, season with pinch of salt and pepper, 1 ½ tablespoon of cornflour, 1 tablespoon of the stir fry sauce, mix to combine then leave the chicken to marinate while you prep the other ingredients

Heat up 2 tablespoon of oil in a wok/skillet over medium high heat, add chicken pieces, making sure you are not overcrowding the pan and brown the chicken (this process takes about 3 minutes) You can work in batches if the chicken doesn’t fit your pan in one go.

Take out the brown chicken and transfer to a bowl. Don’t transfer to a kitchen towel as you want to retain all the juice from the chicken.

Still using the same wok/skillet, heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok, add chopped bell pepper and onions and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and stir fry for another minute. Stir fry for longer if you want your vegetables soft.

Add chicken and toasted cashew and continue to stir fry for another minute or two, Finally, add the stir fry sauce and about ⅓ cup water (if you want it saucy) and simmer for about another minute or until the sauce thickens.

Finish with chopped green onions (this is optional) Take it off the heat and serve immediately with rice. Enjoy

How to store

Cashew chicken is not only great as homemade takeout meals, it is also great for meal prepping. It would stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure it is completely cooled and portioned for easy access.

Unfortunately, you can’t freeze this recipe as the cornflour in the sauce becomes watery.

Other quick and easy recipes

Salt and pepper chicken

Easy chicken curry

Instant pot Korean beef bowl

Vegetable chow Mein

Instant pot ramen noodles

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