Homemade Cashew Chicken Recipe

This easy and quick weeknight chicken dinner is packed full of flavor.  Stir fried in a wok or a skillet, this homemade cashew chicken is a great, healthier alternative to a takeout. Packed full of Asian flavors, this dish is the perfect addition to your weekly meal rotation.

It’s so easy to grab the phone and order a takeaway after a long day, homemade cashew chicken is a great dish that will convince you to ditch the take out! Stir fried dishes are a great option when you are short on time, it’s on the table in less than twenty minutes, yet packed full of all of those Asian flavors that we all crave.

How to make Homemade Cashew Chicken – step by step

For the Marinade and Sauce:

• Whisk together ¼ cup mirin, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1½ teaspoons, sesame oil, ginger paste and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a medium size bowl.
• Add the chicken and stir well to coat.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

For the Sauce:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup mirin, remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1½ teaspoons sesame oil, chicken broth, Worcestershire Sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and remaining 1-tablespoon corn starch; set aside.

For the Stir-fry:

• Drain chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat just until smoking. In two batches (using 2 teaspoons oil per batch), brown the chicken, stirring often, until no pink remains, about 4
  minutes for each batch.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat to shimmering.
• Add water chestnuts, 1 cup chopped cashews and frozen peas and cook, stirring continuously, 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
• Add reserved sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the cooked chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet and cook another 2 minutes.
• Serve with cooked white rice, and top with whole toasted cashews and sliced scallions.

Where was Cashew Chicken invented?

Cashew Chicken is a Chinese-American dish. The traditional Chinese dish consists of pieces of chicken that are stir-fried in a wok, and combined with cashews – very similar to this recipe. Another variation hails from Springfield, Missouri, and in this adaptation, the pieces of chicken are deep fried.

What does homemade cashew chicken taste like?

This dish is full of flavors and ingredients associated with Chinese food.  It is not greasy and the sauce is light and fragrant.  The key ingredients that give this dish it’s delicious flavor are;

• mirin
• soy sauce
• sesame oil
• ginger
• hoisin

The combination of these ingredients mean that this dish easily rivals a take order!

What to serve with homemade cashew chicken

I chose to serve this chicken dish with cooked white rice and a healthy side of broccoli. This dish can also be served with egg noodles, and if you are cutting carbs, cauliflower rice would be a great substitute. I love serving dishes like this with a couple of veggie sides – pak choi would be a great choice!

Top tips for making Homemade Cashew Chicken

• You can use a wok or a skillet to make this stir fried dish.
• Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• Make sure the oil in the wok is smoking before adding the chicken.
• Use organic / free range chicken.
• If you have any leftovers, keep them covered in the fridge for 1-2 days and gently reheat.

Check out these other delicious Asian chicken recipes!

• Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe
• Easy Chicken Fried Rice
• Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
• Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

If you have tried this homemade cashew chicken recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

5 from 7 votes

Homemade Cashew Chicken

This flavorful stir fried chicken dish is perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 12 minutes

Total Time : 47 minutes

Marinading time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Print Rate

Ingredients

For the Marinade and Sauce:

• ½ cup mirin divided
• 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil divided
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch divided
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Extra Ingredients for the Sauce:

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice or white wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

For the Stir-Fry:

• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups frozen baby peas
• 8 ounces water chestnuts drained and chopped
• 2 cups toasted cashews half roughly chopped, half left whole
• 3 scallions thinly sliced diagonally

Instructions

For the Marinade and Sauce:

• Whisk together ¼ cup mirin, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1½ teaspoons sesame oil, ginger paste and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a medium size bowl. Add the chicken and stir well to coat.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

For the Sauce:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup mirin, remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1½ teaspoons sesame oil, chicken broth, Worcestershire Sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and remaining 1-tablespoon corn starch; set aside.

For the Stir-fry:

• Drain chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat just until smoking. In two batches (using 2 teaspoons oil per batch), brown the chicken, stirring often, until no pink remains, about 4 minutes for each batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat to shimmering.
• Add water chestnuts, 1 cup chopped cashews and frozen peas and cook, stirring continuously, 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
• Add reserved sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the cooked chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet and cook another 2 minutes.
• Serve with cooked white rice, and top with whole toasted cashews and sliced scallions.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Cashew Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 759 Calories from Fat 387

% Daily Value*

Fat 43g66%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 811mg35%

Potassium 1326mg38%

Carbohydrates 67g22%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 22g24%

Protein 43g86%

Vitamin A 715IU14%

Vitamin C 36.1mg44%

Calcium 80mg8%

Iron 7.8mg43%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Becky Hardin

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American, Chinese

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