Simple and Easy Chinese Cashew Nut Chicken is better, quicker and healthier than takeout. Just 15 minutes to make and this dish is on the table. Tender chicken pieces with whatever veges you have on hand, and that brown sauce is so simple, it can be used as the base for many different stir fries.
The sauce is made from scratch, so its fresh and you’ll know what’s in it. With garlic and ginger and those toasted cashews, once you know this recipe, you’ll be making it on a regular basis instead of ordering take out.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Its quick and easy to make after a long day at work
- I can make it in just 15 minutes, like these Honey Soy Garlic Chicken Bowls
- Its healthier than takeout
- Its chicken covered in sauce with crunchy veges and roasted cashews!
- The sauce is addictive, not to mention can be used as a base for basically any stir fry
Ingredients
I love recreating my favourite asian takeout recipes, mostly because I want to know what goes into them and so I can reduce the amount of sugars that are added. Adding nuts to my stir fries is some thing I love – not only adding texture but it also gives the dish a good protein boost.
So if you can’t get enough of cashew chicken but you like a little bit of a kick with it, then this Honey Chilli Chicken with Cashews is one you might want to check out – perfectly sweet, and spicy to wake up your tastebuds. My other favourites include this 15 minute Healthy Chinese Garlic Chicken that is perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thigh: make sure to trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs as you chop them into 3cm chunks. Make sure not to cut it too small as it will dry out.
- Shaoxing wine: this is also known as Chinese Cooking Wine. If unable to find, you can substitute with cooking Sake, or a dry sherry in the same quantity. If unable to consume alcohol, leave out from recipe
- Rice Wine Vinegar: White vinegar can also be substituted.
- Garlic/Ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger work best in this recipe, however for convenience you can also use bottled ginger/garlic without loosing too much flavour.
- Vegetables: Whilst I used yellow, green and red capsicum, any vegetables would work – think broccoli, snow peas, zucchini, beans, basically whatever you have in your fridge.
- Cashews: Make sure to buy unsalted cashews, otherwise you may find it to be too salty. If you can’t you roasted unsalted cashews, you might need to roast them yourself. If this is the case, scatter them on a roasting tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees/320 degrees F C for 8 minutes
How To Make It
- Prepare the chicken: Add chicken thigh to a large bowl, along with 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch, 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce, and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine. Mix through until the chicken is coated. Set Aside.
- Prepare the sauce: Add the sauce ingredients into a jug, and whisk together. Set aside.
- Heat garlic and ginger: Heat a wok on high. Once hot, drizzle half the oil around the sides of the wok, so it drips down to the centre. Add the garlic and ginger and stirfry for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Cook Chicken: Add the chicken to the wok, and toss through the garlic and ginger, until chicken is just cooked and beginning to colour. Remove chicken from wok, onto a separate plate.
- Cook Veges: Return wok to heat, adding remaining half of the vegetable oil. Add onions, and capsicum and stir through for 1 minute.
- Add Chicken and Veges and Sauce Together: Pour in the sauce and stir through capsicum. Add chicken back in and stir through.
- Add Cashews: Add cashew nuts right at the end and serve immediately. (If adding the dried chilli flakes, sprinkle over before serving – about 1 teaspoon sprinkled evenly over 4 serves adds a nice mild amount of heat)
Recipe Tips
- Serving: This recipe serves 4 people with rice or noodles included. Served on its own without rice or noodles it would serve 2 – 3 people.
- Low Carb Serving Option: Cauliflower rice or Zucchini noodles work great.
- Cashews: Using roasted cashews does make a difference and vegies a warm and toasty note to the dish. It also makes them a little firmer once they have the sauce on them.
The sauce keeps the chicken perfectly moist and together with the vegetables and roasted cashews, there are hints of garlic and ginger with a little bit of sweetness. This is a perfect dish for the whole family to enjoy because its not too spicy, however feel free to add red chilli flakes on top to serve, or fresh chilli if you like.
More Quick Asian Recipes:
- Thai Basil Chicken Stirfry
- Sweet and Sour Fish
- Thai Garlic Chicken with Chili
- Thai Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
- 15 minute Yellow Fish Curry
Cashew Nut Chicken
Simple and Easy Chinese Cashew Nut Chicken is better, quicker and healthier than takeout. Just 15 minutes to make and this dish is on the table. Tender chicken pieces with whatever veges you have on hand, and that brown sauce is so simple, it can be used as the base for many different stir fries.
Ingredients
- 500 grams (1 pound) chicken thigh fillet, cut into 3cm chunks - (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine - (see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon Crushed garlic
- 1 small brown onion - peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
- ½ red capsicum - cut into 3cm chunks
- ½ yellow capsicum - cut into 3cm chunks
- ½ green capsicum - cut into 3cm chunks
- ½ cup Unsalted Roasted Cashew Nuts
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce, regular variety, not light or dark
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar - (see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour/cornstarch
- ¼ cup Chicken Stock or water
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sweetener that measures like sugar - (optional)
Optional
- Dried chilli flakes or fresh chilli
Instructions
- Add chicken thigh to a large bowl, along with 2 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch, 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce, and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine. Mix through until the chicken is coated. Set Aside.
- Add the sauce ingredients into a jug, and whisk together. Set aside.
- Heat a wok on high. Once hot, drizzle half the oil around the sides of the wok, so it drips down to the centre. Add the garlic and ginger and stirfry for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken to the wok, and toss through the garlic and ginger, until chicken is just cooked and beginning to colour. Remove chicken from wok, onto a separate plate.
- Return wok to heat, adding remaining half of the vegetable oil. Add onions, and capsicum and stir through for 1 minute.
- Pour in the sauce and stir through capsicum. Add chicken back in and stir through.
- Add cashew nuts right at the end and serve immediately. (If adding the dried chilli flakes, sprinkle over before serving – about 1 teaspoon sprinkled evenly over 4 serves adds a nice mild amount of heat)
Notes
- Chicken Thigh: make sure to trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs as you chop them into 3cm chunks. Make sure not to cut it too small as it will dry out.
- Shaoxing wine: this is also known as Chinese Cooking Wine. If unable to find, you can substitute with cooking Sake, or a dry sherry in the same quantity. If unable to consume alcohol, leave out from recipe. At a pinch, if you happen to have a bottle of dry white wine opened, you could use that.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: White vinegar can also be substituted. Garlic/Ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger work best in this recipe, however for convenience you can also use bottled ginger/garlic without losing too much flavour.
- Vegetables: Whilst I used yellow, green and red capsicum, any vegetables would work – think broccoli, snow peas, zucchini, beans, basically whatever you have in your fridge.
- Cashews: Make sure to buy unsalted cashews, otherwise you may find it to be too salty. If you can’t you roasted unsalted cashews, you might need to roast them yourself. If this is the case, scatter them on a roasting tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees/320 degrees F C for 8 minutes
- Serving: This recipe serves 4 people with rice or noodles included. Served on its own without rice or noodles it would serve 2 – 3 people.
- Low Carb Serving Option: Cauliflower rice or Zucchini noodles work great.
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 32gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gFiber: 3gSugar: 3g
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners.
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