Cashew Chicken
Cashew chicken is a 20-minute recipe with tender chicken pieces tossed in a garlicky light brown sauce with crunchy cashews and green onions.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup roasted cashews
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-½ inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 bunch scallions, white, light and dark green parts separated, chopped
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer. (Line with parchment paper for easy clean up.) Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside to cool; they will continue to crisp up as they sit.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, cornstarch, hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Set aside.
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add half of the chicken pieces to the skillet and stir fry until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl and reserve.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of canola oil to the skillet then add the remaining chicken pieces. 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 garlic and the white and light green parts of the scallions. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add the rice vinegar and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce mixture to the pan and cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, cashews and sesame oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Cashews: I tend to have regular lightly salted cashews on hand and those work just fine. You can also make this with unsalted cashews.
Chicken: You can make this with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Or use a combination of both. We’re cutting the pieces small, so they will cook through in the same time.
Hoisin sauce: I always make this with hoisin sauce, but some people use oyster sauce instead. Feel free to sub that if it’s what you have on hand.
Gluten-free: You can try using arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch and tamari in places of the soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free.
Water: I always use water, but you can also swap in low-sodium chicken broth if you prefer.
Leftovers: Leftover cashew chicken, once cooled, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet or in the microwave. Some of the crispiness of the cashews might be lost, but it still tastes great.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 187mg | Sodium: 890mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g
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