Skip the take-out and make easy Cashew Chicken at home. This recipe has tender chicken, a sweet and savory sauce with a kick of heat, and crunchy cashews. It’s easy to make in one pan and is excellent served with rice for an easy 30-minute dinner.
There are so many take-out dishes that are easy to make at home. This cashew chicken recipe is one of my favorites. It’s easy to make and ready in about 30 minutes.
What is Cashew Chicken?
It’s a popular Chinese-American dish made with chicken and cashews in a savory sauce. It’s a type of stir fry, which means everything is cooked quickly in a large pan or wok. There are many variations of this dish, and mine has a simple sauce made with soy sauce, chicken broth, and sriracha for some spicy flavor.
The flavors in this chicken cashew stir fry are delicious, and the different textures work well, too. The contrast of the tender chicken, smooth sauce, and crunchy nuts is a great combination.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Brown sugar
- Sriracha sauce
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Minced garlic
- Grated ginger
- Unsalted roasted cashews
- Sliced green onions
- Cooked white rice
How to Make Cashew Chicken
1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and set it aside.
2. Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, sriracha sauce, and cornstarch in a bowl. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved, and then set the sauce aside while you cook the chicken.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook it until it’s browned and cooked through about seven to ten minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for about a minute.
4. Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the sauce to the pan. Stir and cook the sauce with the chicken until it’s thickened. It will take about two minutes.
5. Add the cashews and stir. Garnish with the green onions and serve the cashew chicken over the cooked rice.
Recipe Tips
Add some eggrolls on the side to make this a more filling meal. You can also swap the plain rice for fried rice or lo mein.
Chicken with cashew nuts is great for meal prep. You can make the dish, let it cool off, and then divide it into meal prep containers. Then, store them in the refrigerator for easy lunches and dinners.
If you make it ahead or have leftovers, they will keep well for three to four days in the refrigerator. The next time you get a craving for Chinese food, give this easy cashew chicken a try. It’s easy and ready in less time it takes to order take-out. I hope you enjoy it!
More Takeout Copycat Recipes to Try
Cashew Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon siracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- ¾ cup unsalted roasted cashews
- Green onion diced for garnish
- 1-2 cups white rice cooked
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, chicken broth brown sugar, siracha sauce and cornstarch. Set aside
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. About 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and let heat for 1 minute.
- Stir soy sauce mixture again to make sure cornstarch is fully combined. Reduce temperature to medium low. Add soy sauce mixture and combine with chicken. Let heat for 2 minutes.
- Add Cashews and stir. Let heat for about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Garnish with green onions and serve over rice.
Recipe Nutrition
Cashew Chicken has so many variations, and mine has a simple sauce made with soy sauce, chicken broth, and sriracha for some spicy flavor.
Just made the One Pot Cashew Chicken. It’s a winner. So easy and so good. Will make it again real soon.