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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 will come together fast! So make sure you have everything ready to go. The extra time to prep everything before you start cooking will make all the difference.
- 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 over 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.
Your recipe is spot on! Delicious!! Hubby loved it and we’ll be eating leftovers tomorrow. I added no extra salt, only pepper on the chicken, used low salt cashews as that’s all I could find. I’ll be making your fried rice with it next time, can’t wait to try it. Thank you for so many delicious recipes!
Hi Judy! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so pleased to hear that you and your hubby loved it! I’m excited for you to try my fried rice! It’s one of my favorites! Another recipe I think you might enjoy is this Korean Beef and Rice! Let me know if you try it and what you think!
Fabulous added broccoli. A hit
So glad you enjoyed it! Love your idea to add broccoli! Winning!
Served this last night to my daughter, her pre- and teenaged daughters and one of their friends. It was a hit with everyone! We ate it with the recommended fried rice (sans chicken) and stir-fried vegetables. Finished off with rainbow fruit salad. My meals don’t always turn out, but this one did. Thank you!
Really delicious! Unfortunately owing to an online shopping substitution we ended up with Pad Thai sauce instead of Hoisin so I’ll make sure I have the correct ingredients next time, but it was still very tasty & got the thumbs up from the fam.
I made this with some changes, tofu instead of chicken and added vegetables to the mix. The sauce makes this dish thank you !
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!
Made this tonight…so yummy!! The only thing I didn’t do was add the salt. Definitely will make it again. Thank you!
Easy and delicious. Do it!!
Great recipe easy to make and delicious I added broccoli and mushrooms also red spicy peppers ?️
Did you use fresh broccoli and fresh mushrooms? How much?
Thank you in advance!
I added about 15 florets of broccoli and about 5 fresh mushrooms
Easy and quick to make. I added mushrooms and broccoli as well. Next time I will double the sauce to keep chicken and veggies moist. A definite keeper for future use.
One of my new favourite stir-fry recipes!
I tried your cashew chicken tonight! I am on vacation and had some extra fresh broccoli, so I added it after blanching. I had a pouch of precooked brown rice, so that also came in handy.
It was a really quick and tasty meal, all in one pan! Thank you! Very good!
5 stars for the sauce! (I only made the sauce) I substituted the chicken for crispy tofu, and then followed the recipe for the sauce & cashews. It was really good and I’ll be making it again!
Not a bad recipe at all, I used it mostly just for the sauce (which I added a dash of mirin to). I do my chicken first very briefly in garlic oil until lightly browned, and reserve it, then on med high I sautee the cashews in more oil (infusing) then reserve with the chicken. Then I fry veggies in infused cashew oil and add chicken and cashews at end and finish with the sauce.
The flavor is on par, even added some random snow peas from the garden 😀
This recipe is very fast and delicious
Very flavorful and yummy! It was a little salty from all the soy sauce, so next time I think I’ll skip salting the chicken and just use a little pepper on it before coating it in the corn starch. I added some celery and green onions before adding the chicken back in and the sauce. Great recipe!