This easy Cashew Chicken recipe is the perfect under-30-minute weeknight dinner, and it tastes so much better than takeout.
Featuring tender chicken bites, tons of colorful veggies, crunchy cashews, and our signature Stir Fry Sauce, it’s a family-friendly meal you’ll want to put on repeat.
We love a good stir fry, from our simple Ground Turkey Stir Fry to the fiery Hunan Shrimp. Any way you wok, you’re always in for an easy and delicious dinner.
This cashew chicken is our version of the Chinese restaurant classic.
Why You’ll Love It
- Delicious Flavors: The sauce is a perfect balance of sweet, savory and umami, with just a touch of heat. When mixed with chicken, crisp vegetables and nutty cashews, the flavors are hard to beat.
- Versatility: This dish is very adaptable. You can easily swap the vegetables based on what you have on hand or your preferences.
- It’s Quick & Easy: Ideal for busy weeknight dinners, this stir fry comes together in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Meal Prep Friendly: If you love to meal prep, this stir fry is a great candidate. It reheats well, meaning you can enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal even on your busiest days.
Ingredient Notes
For a complete list, along with exact measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post. Here are the main things you’re going to need to make cashew chicken:
- Stir Fry Sauce: Soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce and red chili flakes.
- Cooking Oil: Choose an oil with a high smoke point like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil for the best results.
- Chicken: We prefer boneless, skinless thighs cut into small bites. If you prefer chicken breast, slice it thinly against the grain.
- Garlic and Ginger: Staple aromatics.
- Vegetables: We’re using mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and red onion. Feel free to substitute with other veggies like snow peas, zucchini, or bok choy.
- Cashews: The star of the dish.
How to Make Chinese Cashew Chicken
1. Make the Sauce: In a bowl, mix all stir fry sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
2. Sear the Chicken: Add oil to a large skillet or wok and heat on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the wok and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in salt, ginger and garlic. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates.
3. Stir Fry Veggies: Add in all the veggies and stir fry until veggies are crisp-tender.
4. Finish the Dish: Mix in the stir fry sauce and combine everything for a minute or two, until everything is well coated with sauce. Add in cashews and cook for a minute or two.
Serving Suggestions
This stir fry goes great with your basic white rice, but if you really want that Chinese restaurant experience you can whip up our easy Fried Rice. Or if you’re a noodle lover, serve it with our Spicy Asian Noodles.
Wonton Soup, Spicy Dumplings and Asian Cucumber Salad are also great side dish options.
For plenty more ideas, check out our roundup of the best Sides for Stir Fry.
Variations
- Swap the Protein: You can easily follow the same recipe substituting the chicken for any other protein you feel like that day.
- Use Other Veggies: What vegetables do you have in your fridge today? Just throw them in the stir fry!
- Make It a Noodle Stir Fry: After sautéing the veggies, stir in prepared Asian noodles like ramen, udon or lo mein.
- Add Some Thai Flavors: With a few tweaks, you can transform you dish into our Thai Cashew Chicken.
- Give It Some Kick: Add in some sriracha, gochujang or sambal oelek to make a spicy cashew chicken.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Cashew chicken is great as leftovers. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, or on stovetop. If needed, add a splash of water when reheating.
It also freezes quite well for up to 2 months. For best results, store in freezer-safe zip top bags, squeezing out as much air as possible.
A Few Helpful Tips
- Prep Ahead: Chop all your vegetables and prepare the stir fry sauce before you start cooking. Stir frying is a fast cooking method, so having everything ready to go ensures a smooth process without overcooking any components.
- Uniform Cutting: Be sure to cut your vegetables and chicken into uniform sizes for even cooking.
- Cook in Batches: If your skillet or wok isn’t large enough to comfortably fit all the ingredients without overcrowding, cook in batches. This prevents steaming and ensures each piece is properly seared.
- Stir Fry Sauce: Taste the stir fry sauce before adding it to the pan and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If you prefer it thicker, you can dissolve 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the sauce.
Whip up this easy cashew chicken stir fry for your busy weeknight dinner, and watch it become your family’s new favorite dish.
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out our collections of favorite Asian recipes and Stir Fry Recipes to keep those flavors going!
Cashew Chicken, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great stir fry recipes!
Chicken and Broccoli
Hunan Beef
Beef Bulgogi
Dragon Chicken
Pork Stir Fry
Beijing Beef
Thai Basil Beef
Easy Chicken Stir Fry
Cashew Chicken
Try our easy Cashew Chicken recipe for a quick, flavorful weeknight meal. Packed with veggies, tender chicken, and crunchy cashews, it's a family favorite!
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ½ Tbsp honey
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce (optional)
Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin pieces or strips
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 4oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
- 3 small bell peppers (multi-colored), diced
- ¼ red onion, diced
- ¾ cup cashews (see note 1)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix all stir fry sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Add oil to a large skillet or wok and heat on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the wok and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in salt, ginger and garlic. Cook until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Add in all the veggies and stir fry until veggies are crisp tender.
- Mix in the stir fry sauce and combine everything for a minute or two, until everything is well coated with sauce. Add in cashews and cook for a minute or two.
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Notes
- If cashews are raw, toast them in the pan before adding the oil. Once they are toasted, remove them to a plate until they are added to the stir fry.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 526Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 173mgSodium 1468mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 4gSugar 9gProtein 42g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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