Cashew Chicken is a Chinese American dish you’ve probably seen on just about every Chinese takeout menu.
Unlike another nutty stir-fry favorite, Kung Pao Chicken (which is cooked with chillies and roasted peanuts), cashew chicken (also called “chicken with cashew nuts”) has a simple, lightly sweet brown sauce, the perfect complement to roasted cashews.
Developing Our Cashew Chicken Recipe
We find many cashew chicken recipes are overpoweringly sweet, but ours, developed from our family’s restaurant days, is balanced and flavorful.
Our chicken cashew stir-fry uses hoisin sauce and honey, combined with a blend of soy sauces to make the perfect classic brown sauce.
A touch of rice wine vinegar helps contrast the richness without overpowering the dish.
If you love cashews like I do, this Cashew Chicken stir fry is a perfect dish to add to your regular rotation. Enjoy this classic Cashew Chicken recipe!
Cashew Chicken Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Marinate chicken
Mix the chicken, 3 tablespoons water, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, and ⅛ teaspoon white pepper. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed by the chicken. Adding the extra water will really keep your chicken moist and tender. Lastly, mix in 1 teaspoon canola oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and set aside. For more information and preparing chicken for stir fries, see Bill’s post on Chicken velveting 101.
Step 2: Prepare sauce
In a separate bowl, mix together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Taking the time to prepare all of your ingredients before firing up the wok makes it an easy chicken cashew recipe!
Step 3: Assemble dish
Heat your wok over high heat. Spread 2 tablespoons canola oil along the perimeter of the wok until just smoking.
Add the marinated chicken breast, spreading the pieces evenly in the wok. Fry for 1 minute on each side, and transfer back to the bowl. The chicken should be browned on the outside and will be about 80% cooked.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, along with the ginger, and fry for 5 seconds before adding the minced garlic.
Immediately add the red bell pepper and chopped water chestnuts. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
Next, add the scallions, and spread your Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok.
Give everything a quick stir fry for 10 seconds.
Pour in the cashew chicken sauce mixture you made earlier, using your wok spatula to deglaze the sides of the wok.
Add the chicken and any juices that may have collected in the bowl.
Once everything comes to a simmer, add your roasted cashews.
Stir up your cornstarch slurry, and add to the stir-fry. For more detailed information on the many ways to use cornstarch to get authentic results at home with our recipes, see our post on How to Use Cornstarch in Chinese Cooking.
Add more cornstarch slurry if you like a thicker sauce, less if you prefer thinner. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce, and continue stirring to combine evenly.
Plate and serve immediately with a bowl of rice!
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (450g, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock (or homemade)
- 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
For the rest of the dish:
- 3 tablespoons canola oil (divided)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper (75g, chopped)
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts (80g, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1/2 cup scallions (45g, chopped)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup unsalted cashews (roasted at 350 degrees F/180 degrees C for 5 mins)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
Instructions
- Mix the chicken, 3 tablespoons water, 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, and ⅛ teaspoon white pepper. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed by the chicken. Adding the extra water will really keep your chicken moist and tender. Lastly, mix in 1 teaspoon canola oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat your wok over high heat. Spread 2 tablespoons canola oil along the perimeter of the wok until just smoking.
- Add the marinated chicken breast, spreading the pieces evenly in the wok. Fry for 1 minute on each side, and transfer back to the bowl. The chicken should be browned on the outside and will be about 80% cooked.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok, along with the ginger, and fry for 5 seconds before adding the minced garlic. Immediately add the red bell pepper and chopped water chestnuts. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Next, add the scallions, and spread your Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok. Give everything a quick stir fry for 10 seconds.
- Pour in the sauce mixture you made earlier, using your wok spatula to deglaze the sides of the wok. Add the chicken and any juices that may have collected in the bowl. Once everything comes to a simmer, add your roasted cashews.
- Stir up your cornstarch slurry, and add to the stir-fry. Add more cornstarch slurry if you like a thicker sauce, less if you prefer thinner. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce, and continue stirring to combine evenly. Plate and serve immediately with a bowl of rice!
nutrition facts
I’ve made quite a few Woks of Life recipes- and I love and recommend your site.
This recipe I found too sweet. If I were to make it again, I’d cut back on the honey and hoisin sauce and up the rice wine vinegar and white pepper.
Otherwise I love all the recipes you taught me from Moo Goo Gai Pan, Broccoli Beef to your amazing Hot & Sour soup and so much more.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Jenny, and feel free to make adjustments to suit your taste :-)
your recipes have given me the confidence to cook food that i grew up on but wasn’t part of my culture, if that makes sense. this recipe is sunday dinner, in a home that was normally greens, cornbread, sweet potatoes and pork chops. today, we had char siu fried rice and cashew chicken and i feel just as much at home.
That is so sweet, Chris, thank you so much for leaving us a lovely comment.
Excellent. The sauce is perfect. Made it with chicken-flavored tofu and added celery and broccoli. Love all the recipes from this site- I’m so glad I found it!
Yayyy! That’s wonderful, Laura. Thank you for trying our recipes :-)
So glad I found your amazing site! I look forward to exploring it, and especially trying this recipe, which looks just like one I loved to order at a restaurant in Wan Chai when I was a child!
Thank you, Dave, and hope you give this recipe a try :-)
Can’t wait to try it. Any particular recommendations for rice wine vinegar? It’s different from rice vinegar, right?
Thanks
Hi Alexandre, rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar are actually the same thing! Read more about it here: https://thewoksoflife.com/rice-vinegar/
Oh my gosh guys,,,,this site/your recipes are absolutely aMAZing!!!!!!! ….and I mean EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!!!!! My friends think I’m some whiz-bang Chinese cook and I promise I’ve told them all about your site. I just will NEVER be able to thank you enough for so much wonderful food
Hahha amazing! You are a whiz-bang cook! It’s as much about executing the recipe as writing them—both take learning and practice.