This cashew chicken recipe is the weeknight trifecta, quick, easy and delicious. In this recipe, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are cooked with cashews in a homemade stir fry sauce.
Stir fry recipes are easy to make at home. You’ll need to gather a few ingredients at first, but they will serve you well in getting dinner on the table even on busy nights. Like this chicken and cashew stir fry, this beef and broccoli and pork and cabbage stir fry are dinners that my family love.
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Ingredients
- Pantry – From the pantry we need common ingredients like cornstarch, brown sugar and low sodium soy sauce. We also need sesame oil and hoisin sauce, which is a dark, thick, and flavorful sauce that adds great flavor to dishes. Use it in this ground turkey stir fry and chicken green bean stir fry. Find these ingredients in the international section of larger supermarkets or online. Also, store them in the refrigerator after opening to extend their shelf life.
- Mirin – Is a rice wine that is commonly used in Japanese cooking. Find it in the international section of larger supermarkets or online. If you can’t find mirin, substitute rice wine vinegar and an extra teaspoon of brown sugar.
- Produce – Garlic, minced (or use a small grater) and sliced green onions are all we need from the produce aisle.
- Spices – Ginger powder is commonly available, find it in the spice aisle or online. The only remaining spices are salt (we use kosher salt) and crushed red pepper, which you can leave out if you don’t like spicy.
- Oil – Use a neutral (flavorless) oil with a high smoke point like canola oil (what we use here), vegetable oil, peanut oil, or your favorite.
- Chicken – Use boneless skinless chicken thighs for the stir fry. Trim any fat and cut them into roughly 1 inch pieces.
- Cashews – We use whole cashews, but halves and pieces will work well too. They tend to be pricy so buy what’s affordable or on sale. The flavor will be the same.
Recipe tips
- Everything moves quickly with this cashew chicken stir fry. It’s best to have all the ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. Glass nesting bowls are a good way to organize prepped ingredients.
- Serve this chicken cashew with white rice or noodles (like these easy sesame noodles) for a delicious way to stretch a serving. Just make sure to start them first because this dish cooks really fast.
- Make the sauce for the cashew chicken up to 1 day ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. Follow the same instructions and use a container with a tight-fitting lid. Stir (or shake) the sauce well before using because the cornstarch tends to sink to the bottom.
- If you are sensitive to salt, halve or eliminate the salt from the chicken and use unsalted or lightly salted cashews. You can always add a little salt at the end if needed.
- We use chicken thighs for this recipe because they are juicy and full of flavor, but if you prefer, boneless, skinless chicken breasts will also work well. They may cook a little faster (depending on their size) so keep an eye on them.
Prep work
Make the sauce: Add the cornstarch and water to a bowl or canning jar. Stir well until the cornstarch is dissolved. Next, add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, mirin (or rice vinegar), brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger powder and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir (or shake) the sauce well until combined.
Prepare the remaining ingredients: Trim any fat from the chicken thighs. Cut it into roughly 1 inch pieces; try to make them all roughly the same size. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt. Slice the green onions and measure out the oil and cashews.
Instructions
Heat the oil in a wok or a large, deep, non-stick skillet over medium – high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Arrange it in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes without disturbing.
Stir the chicken and arrange it in a single layer again. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally and arrange it in a single layer after stirring.
The chicken is cooked through when it is opaque all the way through, there is no pink and it is at least 165°F at the thickest part of the largest piece. You can use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature but the problem with using a thermometer on small pieces of meat is that sometimes it is difficult to get a good reading. Use the visual signs to confirm.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the prepared sauce and cashews to the chicken, stir well.
Lower the heat to medium-low as soon as the sauce starts to simmer. Continue to cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, to give the flavors a chance to combine. Stir in the green onions.
Serving and storing and reheating
Serve over rice or with noodles, if desired and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the cashew chicken in the microwave or in a non-stick skillet until heated through.
To freeze, allow the food to cool and place it in an airtight container. Remember to leave 1-2 inches to allow for expansion, freeze for up to three months.
You may also like these takeout dinner ideas:
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
- Ham Fried Rice
- Stir Fry Sauce
- Shrimp Lo Mein
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1½ cup Water
- 3 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced or grated
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper optional
Chicken Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Oil use a neutral (flavorless) oil with a high smoke point (we use canola oil)
- 1 – 1¼ pound Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless, trimmed of fat and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Cashews
- ¼ cup Sliced Green Onions
Instructions
Make the sauce
- Add the cornstarch and water to a jar or bowl. Stir well until the cornstarch is dissolved. Next, add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, mirin (or rice vinegar), brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger powder and crushed red pepper, if using. Shake, or stir the sauce using a fork or small whisk until combined. Stir well right before using too.
Make the chicken
- Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Arrange it in a single layer and cook for 4-5 minutes. Do not disturb the chicken, let it cook without stirring.
- Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to stir the chicken and arrange it in a single layer again. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until it is cooked through. Stir occasionally and arrange it in a single layer after stirring.
- The chicken is cooked through if it is opaque all the way through, there is no pink and it is at least 165°F at the thickest part of the largest piece.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the prepared sauce (shake or stir right before using) and cashews to the chicken. Stir well to combine the ingredients and to coat everything with the sauce.
- Lower the heat to medium-low as soon as the sauce starts to simmer. Continue to cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes, to warm through and give the flavors a chance to combine.
- Lower the heat a bit if the sauce if boiling too vigorously. Also, stir frequently. The sauce will be thick and sticky, stirring often will prevent it from burning.
- Finally, stir in the green onions.
- Serve the cashew chicken with white rice or with noodles if desired and enjoy.
Notes
- Everything moves quickly with this cashew chicken stir fry. It’s best to have all the ingredients ready to go before you start cooking.
- If serving with rice or noodles start them first so everything is ready at the same time.
- If you are sensitive to salt, halve or eliminate the salt from the chicken and use unsalted or lightly salted cashews. You can always add a little salt at the end if needed.
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