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This delicious Cashew Chicken has great flavor thanks to an amazing sauce. You can personalize it with your favorite veggies and make it in less time than it takes to pick up your favorite take out.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This recipe has been an old Wilkes family go to dinner for years. It had been a while since I made it but made it for dinner last week and my husband told me at least three times during the meal how much he liked it. I always get at least one Yum but when I get it three times I KNOW it’s a good one. This one’s a 3 YUM recipe! I decided it was about time I shared it here on the blog.
The sauce for this stir fry is a delicious combination of oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. They can all be found on the Asian aisle of your grocery store. They help give this dish it’s great taste. Like a lot of Asian recipes there are quite a few ingredients involved but don’t let that scare you away!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless
- Chicken Broth
- Vegetable Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar
- Oyster Sauce
- Ketchup
- Cornstarch
- Vegetables: Carrots, Bell Peppers, Green Onions.
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Cashews
- Black Pepper
- Sesame Seeds
How to Make Cashew Chicken
- Combine chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, oyster sauce and ketchup to make sauce. Set aside 1 Tbsp of sauce.
- Cut chicken up into bite-size pieces.
- Slice veggies into bite-size pieces.
- Combine 1 Tbsp cashew chicken sauce, sesame oil, black pepper and cornstarch and add chicken. Marinate chicken for 15 minutes.
- Sauté veggies in a large skillet with vegetable oil until desired doneness.
- Remove vegetables from pan.
- Add marinated chicken, ginger, garlic and additional oil into the frying pan and cook chicken until cooked through. Add vegetables back in.
- Pour Cashew Chicken Sauce over chicken mixture and stir until sauce thickens.
- Add in cashews.
- Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and additional cashews if desired.
Tips from leigh Anne
- I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.
- I use carrots, red peppers, and snow peas, but you can customize it with your favorite vegetables by using broccoli, asparagus, green beans and others.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, more cashews and green onions for color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Cashew Chicken Gluten Free?
To make cashew chicken gluten free, replace soy sauce with tamari sauce. It can be found in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.
What is the best way to store leftover cashew chicken?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
What is the best way to reheat leftovers?
You can either reheat them in the microwave or add them to a skillet and warm on the stove top.
Check out these other favorite Chinese takeout recipes:
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Cashew Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 inch coins
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup cashews
- 2 green onions diced
- sesame seeds for garnish
Cashew Chicken Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp ketchup
Instructions
Cashew Chicken Sauce
- Mix up all ingredients and reserve 1 Tbsp for the chicken.
- Cut chicken and veggies up into bite size pieces. .
- Add 1 tbsp cashew chicken sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, black pepper and cornstarch to chicken. Let sit 15 minutes.
- Cook carrots and red pepper in 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Cook to desired doneness. Remove from pan.
- Add chicken, ginger, garlic and an additional Tablespoon of oil if needed int the frying pan and cook chicken until cooked through. Add vegetables back in.
- Pour Cashew Chicken Sauce over chicken mixture and stir until sauce thickens.
- Add in cashews. Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and additional cashews if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.
- I use carrots, red peppers, and snow peas, but you can customize it with your favorite vegetables by using broccoli, asparagus, green beans and others.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, more cashews and green onions for color.
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Nutrition Facts:
Sandy Jones says
Thanks for a really new idea for cashews and chicken! Look forward to making this recipe.
tiffany says
Whole Foods has a really good gluten free soy sauce..it is the San-J brand. Thanks for the recipe! Excited to try!
Eden says
Springfield style cashew chicken is at all our local Chinese restaurants. It is fried chicken chunks (I always ask for all white) with a basic sauce, cashews and green onions. I will send you some recipes.
auntie m says
I will make this ASAP!
Great chicken recipes are favorites at our house. Thanks!
Eden says
We live in Springfield, MO, famous for Springfield style Cashew Chicken – which I LOVE. But sometimes, I want something like this recipe which is almost impossible to find here so I am anxious to try this recipe – as soon as I restock my rice wine vinegar.
I have noticed in several of your recipes that you suggest replacing the soy sauce with something else to make it gluten free. We have several friends who have Celiac’s, including our Bishop and one of the elders serving in our ward, so we’ve become semi-comfortable making gluten-free dinners. I wanted to make sure you knew, and your readers, that some soy sauce is gluten-free (but not Kikkoman). I know that our Dillon’s (Kroger) store brand’s soy sauce is gluten-free. Just read the labels. I now buy that as my standard soy sauce so I don’t have to think about it when I feed the elders or take a dish to our Bishop’s house.
Leigh Anne says
Eden, Thanks for the great tip on the soy sauce. Will check the labels a little more closely. Also – you’ve got me curious what is Springfield style Cashew Chicken??