Cashew Chicken (Stir-Fry with Roasted Cashews)
Cashew chicken — tender velvety chicken and crisp vegetables in a light savory sauce, finished with buttery roasted cashews. A balanced, family-friendly stir-fry that beats takeout.
Prep Time15m
Cook Time10m
Yield4 servings
CuisineCantonese
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh or breast 400g, cubed
- Roasted unsalted cashews ¾ cup
- Red bell pepper 1, cubed
- Onion ½, cubed
- Celery 2 stalks or water chestnuts 6, sliced
- Garlic 2 cloves, minced
- Ginger 1 tsp, minced
- Marinade: light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine 1 tsp
- Cornstarch 1 tsp
- Sauce: chicken stock ¼ cup
- Oyster sauce 1 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tsp
- Sugar ½ tsp
- Cornstarch ½ tsp
- Sesame oil ½ tsp
- Neutral oil 2 tbsp
Steps
- Marinate chicken with soy sauce, wine and cornstarch 10 min (velveting keeps it tender).
- Heat oil in a wok over high; stir-fry chicken until just cooked; remove.
- Add garlic, ginger, onion, pepper and celery; stir-fry 1–2 min until crisp-tender.
- Return chicken; pour in the sauce (stock, oyster, soy, sugar, cornstarch); toss until glossy and thickened.
- Off heat, fold in cashews and sesame oil so the nuts stay crunchy. Serve with rice.
Tips
Add cashews OFF the heat at the very end so they stay crunchy, not soggy. Velvet the chicken (cornstarch marinade) for that silky takeout texture. Keep veg crisp-tender, not soft.
