Name: Cashew Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Asian-American
Ingredients: ½ cup Tamari Soy Sauce; ⅓ cup Rice Vinegar; 1½ tablespoons Granulated Sugar; 2 tablespoons Cornstarch; 2 pounds Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced - boneless & skinless; 2½ tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 large Zucchini, diced; 1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, cut into 3-inch pieces; ½ cup Cashews, preferably raw; 1 tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated; 6 cloves Garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes; Steamed Basmati Rice, for serving

Jump to Recipe

This quick and simple stir-fry of Cashew Chicken comes together in just a few minutes with a light and familiar flavor. I honestly never eat out, and I kinda dislike eating out, so I love recreating dishes like this in my own kitchen.

Cashew Chicken served over steamed basmati rice ready to eat.

And while I don't know if it is BETTER than take-out, it satisfies my love for Americanized Asian cuisine. Those flavors are some of my favorites, but I like to make them at home these days.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Method
Notes & Tips
Substitutions
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

This recipe makes a very light-flavored sauce that is made from ingredients that are readily found in many grocery stores these days. What is great is that you cook up all the veggies and chicken in the same pan, and you get a perfectly well-rounded meal in a one-pot-wonder.

What is more important to use is the aromatics, ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and the green onions. These flavors really make the dish, don't skimp on them.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Method

First, mix up some of the soy sauce and the cornstarch and toss the chicken in it. This kind of quickly marinates the chicken, helps is brown quickly in the hot pan, and will later thicken the sauce in the pan.

Making the sauce to marinate the chicken in.

Quickly brown the chicken in a hot pan, the think sliced chicken should cook super fast, I usually do 1-2 batches depending on how much chicken I have. Then toss the veggies in the same pan after removing the chicken.

Cooking the quickly marinated chicken in the toasted sesame oil.

Adding the veggies to the same pan after the chicken has been cooked.

Cook just till the squash becomes soft, then toss in the aromatics and cashews to toast them up a little. Finally, add the chicken back to the pan along with the sauce and simmer everything together for a few minutes to ensure the chicken is fully cooked and let the sauce thicken.

Adding the aromatics and cashews to the pan to toast before adding the chicken and sauce in.

Chicken returned to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil to thicken with everything.

I like to add some more red pepper flakes on top and fresh green onions for some extra flavor. But that is it. This is a super quick, delicious dinner ready in minutes.

Cashew Chicken in the skillet it was cooked in, ready to be eaten.

Notes & Tips

This recipe comes together really quickly once you start cooking it. I like to ensure all my prep is done before I start. I usually chop all my veggies, then marinate my chicken and start cooking.

I suggest tenderizing the chicken by pounding it flat so it is an even thickness all the way across, then slicing it into thin strips. This will give you super soft and tender chicken in your end dish.

Basmati is my favorite rice and the only one I keep in my kitchen at all times. All rice has a little arsenic in it, but basmati naturally has the least. It is also a really nice, fluffy long grain rice, if you have never used it I encourage you to get some.

This recipe holds up really well to refrigerating and reheating. I love to make it for meal prep. Double up the batch for lots of leftovers. You can also freeze it for 2-3 months, but it never makes it to the freezer in my house.

Substitutions

I prefer using Tamari soy sauce because it has a bit of a deeper, less salty flavor. You can however use regular soy sauce, or even shoyu if you like. Tamari is also usually gluten-free, just check the label to be sure.

Rice Wine Vinegar or Mirin can be used here. They are a little different and the use of Mirin will yield a slightly sweeter end result.

Using cornstarch makes this recipe naturally gluten-free. Just be sure if you use a regular soy sauce that it is also gluten-free.

I use chicken breast because it is my preference. You can also use dark meat chicken thighs in this recipe if you prefer them.

The toasted sesame oil brings a lot of fragrance and flavor to this recipe. However, if you do not have it you can also use a high-heat oil like grapeseed, or even vegetable.

Feel free to use any color pepper you like, I just like to use red for its vibrance.

Zucchini is what you traditionally see in this recipe, however pretty much any soft squash can work in this recipe.

Now cashew is the namesake of this recipe, but you could also make it with peanuts for a more budget-friendly option.

If you do not have fresh ginger or garlic, you could use powdered, in a pinch. I also like to keep those frozen cubes on hand for emergencies too!

More of my favorite Asian-Inspired Favorites

Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken

Chinese Buffet Style Green Beans

Asian Chicken Salad

Ground Chicken Meatballs in Curry Sauce

Homemade Lo-Mein

Leftover Turkey Ramen

Ahi Tuna Tower

General Tso's Chicken

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Ramen with Miso Chicken

Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

📖 Recipe

6-8 servings

Cashew Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This quick and simple stir-fry of Cashew Chicken comes together in just a few minutes with a light and familiar flavor.

Ingredients

½ cup Tamari Soy Sauce
⅓ cup Rice Vinegar
1½ tablespoons Granulated Sugar
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 pounds Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced - boneless & skinless
2½ tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large Zucchini, diced
1 bunch green onions, white and green parts, cut into 3-inch pieces
½ cup Cashews, preferably raw
1 tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated
6 cloves Garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Steamed Basmati Rice, for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar, set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of soy sauce and cornstarch, until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Heat 1 ½ tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, working in batches, cook the chicken, stirring, until lightly browned, on both sides, about 8 minutes total per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the bell pepper and zucchini and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften about 4 minutes. Add the green onions, cashews, ginger, garlic, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
Return the chicken to the skillet, add the sauce, and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Notes