Easy Cashew Chicken

overhead portion of cashew chicken in bowl over white rice

5 from 62

This Cashew Chicken recipe is a super easy Chinese-American dish that tastes better than take out. It’s a simple and flavorful stir fry that gets dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time13

Total Time28

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cashew chicken, cashew chicken recipe

Servings:

Ingredients

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 & 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt and pepper , to taste
1 & 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small sweet onion , cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic , minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 scallions , diced
3/4 cup unsalted, roasted cashews
cooked white rice , for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, and water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch until the chicken is coated, then season with a few grinds of salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chicken and leave undisturbed for 1 minute to develop a crust. Then sauté, tossing often, until browned and cooked, about 8 minutes.
Add the onion, cook for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add the rice vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the hoisin mixture; cook, tossing to combine and warm through, about 1 more minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the scallions and cashews. Taste, season with a little more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve over cooked, hot white rice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Use sesame oil. Substitute the vegetable oil with sesame oil for even more depth of flavor.

Add in extra veggies. I keep this dish simple with just onion and garlic, but feel free to toss in some cubed bell pepper, broccoli florets, or snap peas.

Kick up the heat. The chili garlic sauce carries some heat, but if you want more, sprinkle in a little cracked red pepper flakes or pass some Sriracha at the table.

Nutrition