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
Made this tonight. My family loved it. This is my new favorite website for find fast, easy and nutritious recipes.
I’d like to prep these ingredients the night prior if possible. Would it be okay if I marinate the chicken up to 24 hours? Thanks for the recipe!
This is really an outstanding recipe. I’m not a chef by any stretch, but I’ve been making Cashew Chicken for 30 years, first learned from my father, before people were really home cooking Chinese food. This was the last meal we had the evening before he passed. Unfortunately, he could not enjoy but it was special for the family because it was his flavors that we enjoyed, knowing his time was very near. I did make a few changes that everyone seemed to enjoy. I thought they would so I doubled the recipe and there was nothing left. So, enough emotion, here are my changes:
I chopped the scallion whites at about a quarter inch and added them right after the garlic and ginger;
I added much more hoisin sauce to taste (about 3 TB) before I cooked anything. Prepare sauce in advance!
I’m sure I threw in extra cashews and did not roast them. Just bought dry roasted.
I added the greens from the scallions at the end for garnish, cut in about 1 inch pieces.
This was a special dinner that everyone loved. See my review on the awesome chicken lol mein if you want another great recipient and sappy story!
Wonderful comfort food. I threw in a handful of snow peas fresh out of the garden. And used hot pepper flakes instead of whole as that was all I had.
Delicious, needed to add a bit more soy sauce at the end, but will make again in the future!
Excellent, my second dish with my new wok! Worked out great, not to sweet, not to salty… great flavor! Everyone wanted seconds and gave it a thumbs up!
God but needed a little more flavor. Maybe up the veggies and ginger next time.
Hi Joan, you can adjust to your own liking ;-)