Chicken Cashew Nut
In 15 minutes, you'll have my easy Thai Cashew Nut Chicken – a low-sugar dish with tender chicken, a sweet-savory sauce, and crunchy cashews, perfect for weeknight dinners and meal prep.
Servings 4 people
Calories 460kcal
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken thigh fillet, cut into 3cm chunks (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (see note 3)
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
- 1 small brown onion cut into 3cm chunks
- 2 cups capsicums cut into 3cm chunks aka Bell Peppers
- ½ cup unsalted roasted cashew nuts (see note 2)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar (see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch
- ¼ cup chicken Stock or water
- 1 teaspoon monkfruit sweetener (to balance the sauce)
Instructions
- Velveting the chicken: Add chicken thigh to a large bowl, along with 2 teaspoons cornflour, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine. Mix through until the chicken is coated. Set aside.
- Prepare Sauce: Add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch, ¼ cup chicken Stock or water, and 1 teaspoon monkfruit sweetener, into a jug, and whisk together. Set aside.
- Add Garlic, Ginger and Cook Chicken: Heat a large wok on high. Once hot, drizzle a little of the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil around the sides of the wok, so it drips down to the centre. Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 1 tablespoon crushed garlic and stirfry for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add500 grams chicken thigh fillet, cut into 3cm chunks 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 Vegetables: Return wok to heat, adding remaining half of the vegetable oil. Add 1 small brown onion cut into 3cm chunks, 2 cups capsicums cut into 3cm chunks and stir through for 1 minute.
- Add Sauce: Whisk sauce and pour into Wok. Add chicken back in and stir through.
- Add Nuts: Add ½ cup unsalted roasted cashew nuts stirring through and serve immediately.
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. You can also use chicken breast if you prefer - it will cook quicker.
- Cashews: Make sure to use roasted unsalted cashews. Otherwise, buy plain cashews and roast in hot oven for 5-8 minutes, or fry in the wok with a little oil on high until they are golden.
- Increase the amount of cashews from half to a full cup if you like lots of nuts throughout.
- 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.
- More Spice:
- 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: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g
