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My easy Cashew Chicken recipe skips the breading and frying, but you still get that crispy tender chicken! It all comes together in my flavorful sauce!
A Reader’s Review
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! It has become a family favorite!!! Easy and flavorful….my go to after a long day when I just want to cook something fast AND delicious!
Game-Changing Cashew Chicken
- No Breading or Frying! With my recipe, you get all the flavor without the mess, making it a healthier choice and a breeze to clean up!
- Flavor Town! The chicken is tender, the cashews bring the perfect crunch, and the sauce is an irresistible blend of sweet and savory goodness!
- Simple Ingredients! You probably already have everything you need in your pantry! No need to go to a specialty store.
Ingredients Needed
- Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts? Yes, chicken thighs work great in this recipe!
- Can I Add Veggies? Yes, I would stir-fry bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, or any veggies you have on hand after cooking the chicken. Then add the chicken back once the veggies are tender.
- Garnish: I love tossing in some chopped green onions at the end for a burst of flavor and a pop of color!
How to Make Cashew Chicken
This is the easiest cashew chicken recipe, and it comes together quickly! So make sure you have everything ready to go. The extra time to prep everything before you start cooking will make all the difference. Try my skillet chicken & broccoli for another quick and simple meal.
- Cut Chicken: Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch equal pieces for even cooking. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste.
- Coat Chicken Pieces: Add the chicken to a ziplock bag along with the cornstarch. Seal and shake the bag to coat the chicken pieces in the cornstarch.
- Cook Chicken: Add the olive oil to a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Don’t cook all the way, it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Make and Cook With The Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, chicken broth, minced garlic, brown sugar, Hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Add the sauce to the pan, along with whole unsalted cashews. Toss until the sauce has thickened. Serve cashew chicken over rice with veggies if desired.
Roast Cashews
Roast Cashews For Flavor! If you bought raw cashews, roast them to bring out extra flavor! Place them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes. They’ll crisp up as they cool!
Storing Leftovers
While Chinese cashew chicken is amazing, the leftovers can be a little soggy. But, it’s worth saving because the flavors intensify as they meld together overnight.
- To Reheat: To reheat, use the microwave or a pan and flash fry on medium-high until heated through. This will help crisp up the chicken and cashews a bit.
- In the Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
What to Serve With Cashew Chicken
We love eating our cashew chicken with my easy fried rice and some stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal. You can also try some of the ideas below.
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Better Than Takeout Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce or low-sodium
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 cup whole unsalted cashews
Instructions
- Cut 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the chicken to a ziplock bag along with ¼ cup cornstarch. Seal and shake the bag to coat the chicken pieces in the cornstarch.
- In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup chicken broth, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Add the sauce to the pan, along with 1 cup whole unsalted cashews. Toss until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice and with veggies if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Damn good! Don’t change a thing!
Tried the “Cashew Chicken”!
2 Tablespoons of oil isn’t enough for two chicken breasts..added more
Overall the recipe was good, but where is the thickening agent for the sauce.
Without a thickener, the sauce was a thin gravy. I believe with a thickener this would have been a 5 star !!
There is 1/4 cornstarch which will thicken the sauce. Going to try making this tonight!
Hubby loved this recipe! I added mushrooms, yellow bell pepper and a medium onion. I also doubled the sauce.
Excellent. Quick and easy. Would probably cook an onion down first.
So good! I subbed a little hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce for the hoisin and sautéed carrots, broccoli, and red bell pepper in the pan after the chicken. Then added chicken and cashews in, added the sauce, and served over rice. Will definitely make again!
Sounds amazing! Thanks for trying out the recipe!
Easy and delicious! Thank you ?
Made this but added broccoli and mushrooms. My husband thought it was good. Would make again.
Loved this- made with already roasted/salted cashews I had on hand and it turned out just fine! I would make more sauce next time. maybe 1 1/2 recipe of sauce to chicken recipe since I served with rice and some light veg.
Delicious, making it for a second time tonight. Added red and yellow peppers cut roughly the same size as the chicken breasts (actually I used tenders.)
Not to nit-pick, but the photo shows sesame seeds, but they are not included in the instructions or ingredients. Might be worth including in the instructions?
Made this amazing cashew chicken for dinner tonight, and it was a hit. I did make a few changes, though. I used boneless chicken thighs instead of breast, roasted the raw cashews in the oven at 300 for about 20 minutes, stir fried some red onion and carrots and then added them to the cooked chicken before pouring over the sauce, and added a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper for a little spice! Next time I might even add more veggies! This is an easy, no fail recipe that can be tweeked a million ways. Thank you!!!
This looks so delicious. I must have done something wrong because it was only ok. I do not fault the recipe at all. I will try again
From the UK. This was so lush! Better than any other recipe I have tried.
Saving it forever 🙂
Yay!! This comment made my day. Thanks so much for trying it!
This is delicious! Like many others, after taking out the chicken, I stir fried carrots coins, bell pepper, onion and broccoli florets, and the cashews. I also doubled the sauce. After cooking it all for awhile to let the sauce thicken, I decided I needed to add a cornstarch slurry (about 2 Tbsp cornstarch to 1/2 cut cold water.) That did the truck! Oh, and when making the sauce, I cut the brown sugar amount in half. This recipe is wonderful, as you can tweak it to suit your own taste. Next time I’ll use a bit more chicken and throw in a drained can of sliced water chestnuts. I just finished the last of the leftovers. Still yummy.
This was so easy. The prep and cooking time was far shorter than it takes to deliver. And the taste is outstanding. I served with stir fried vegetables and it was perfect.
What’s the broth for?
It’s used for sauce!
My wife and I love Chinese food and she said this is her favorite dish ever, including any restaurants! I used 2lbs of chicken breast and doubled the sauce recipe then added carrot coins, onion and snow peas to the pan with the cashews and sauce before adding the chicken back in. INCREDIBLE!!!