Easy and delicious, cashew chicken is the perfect quick and healthy meal for busy weeknights! Skip the take-out line and make your own Asian-inspired dinner in just 20 minutes from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try my Baked Chicken Tenders, Honey Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry or my Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken!
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Cashew Chicken
Cashew chicken has to be one of my all time favorite take-out dishes. And last year, with so much more time spent at home with social distancing, I certainly ordered my fair share of take-out, like General Tso’s Chicken and Beef and Broccoli — great in my stomach but hard on the wallet! So I finally decided it was time to create my own version of the mouthwatering cashew chicken that was as delicious (if not better) than my favorite restaurants while also being super quick and easy.
Yes, I said QUICK and EASY! If you’ve ever wondered what cooking magic happens in the restaurant kitchen, I’m here to tell you that you, too, can be a magician. This tender juicy pan fried chicken, stir fried in a sticky, sweet and tangy sauce, takes only 20-minutes and is perfect for all chefs, novice to pro!
First, I coated the chicken in cornstarch, and then pan fried it over really high heat, which keeps the chicken really juicy and also helps to thicken up the sauce. Speaking of the sauce, I mixed together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and hoisin sauce to create this mouthwatering glaze. I suggest using low-sodium soy sauce in this dish to control the salt level, but you can always add some water to help with the salt if you only have regular soy sauce.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast
- Cornstarch
- Olive or vegetable oil
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Light brown sugar
- Sesame oil
- Hoisin sauce
- Red bell pepper
- Unsalted, raw cashews
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
How to make Cashew Chicken
- Coat the chicken: Add the chicken and cornstarch to a large Ziplock bag and toss to coat.
- Sauté cashews: Heat a large skillet or wok. Add in cashews and sauté until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Sauté chicken: Add olive or vegetable oil to the same pan. Add in chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes to brown the chicken on the outside (the chicken will continue to cook in the sauce).
- Prepare sauce: While the chicken is cooking, add soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and hoisin sauce to a medium bowl. Mix until fully combined.
- Add sauce to chicken: With the chicken still in the pan, add the sauce and stir frequently. The sauce will thicken up pretty quickly. Add in red bell pepper and cook for 2-3 additional minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Stir in cashews and serve immediately with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish, if desired. You can even serve this as an appetizer over lettuce wraps!
What to serve with Cashew Chicken
- Rice: These delicious cashew chicken bites are the perfect protein for a simple rice bowl. You can use white rice, brown rice, or my personal favorite Chinese Fried Rice. Trying to keep things low carb? Try simple cauliflower rice or my 20-minute cauliflower fried rice.
- Veggies: Choose and chop you favorite vegetables and serve them steamed aside your cashew chicken or even mix it into your rice bowl! I sautéed my chicken with red pepper and green onions. You can always sneak in some extra veggies to this dish.
- Noodles: Noodles make everything better — always. Stay true to this Asian-inspired chicken dish and serve with delicious Chow Mein or Lo Mein noodles.
- Spring Rolls: I know this one may sound a little more intimidating, but spring rolls are actually VERY easy to make. Ready in just 20 minutes, my Rainbow Vegetable Spring Rolls would be a fresh, bright addition to your cashew chicken.
more delicious chicken recipes to try!
- Easy Chicken Marsala
- The BEST Chicken Parmesan
- Easy Chicken Shawarma
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
- Easy One Pan Bourbon Chicken
- Easy Thai Chicken Satay
20 Minute Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized cubes
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup unsalted raw cashews
- green onions for garnish, if desired
- sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Add chicken and cornstarch to a large ziplock bag and toss to coat the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet or wok.Add in cashews and saute until golden brown. Remove from pan.
- Add oil to the same pan.Add in chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes to brown the chicken on the outside (the chicken will continue to cook in the sauce).
- While the chicken is cooking add soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and hoisin sauce to a medium bowl.
- Add the sauce to the chicken and stir frequently. The sauce will thicken up pretty quickly. Add in red bell pepper and cook for 2-3 additional minutes.
- Stir in cashews and serve immediately with green onions and sesame seeds for garnish, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Leave a review and make sure to share your pictures on social media! Don’t forget to follow @thechefsavvy.
Mary
I used slivered almond as I didn’t have cashews and tasted just as good! A also added red pepper slivers and broccoli to up the veggies and turned out great!!!
Kelley
Hi Mary,
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Thank you!
Kelley
Bettie Sinclair Baggett
The dish looks great! I am single so I cook just for me. How can I downsize the recipe?
Kelley
Hi Bettie,
Thanks so much! I would divide the recipe in half or quarter it. (It depends on how big your chicken breast is). So if you have a 4 ounce chicken breast quarter the rest of the ingredients and you’ll be good.
Hope this helps! Thanks,
Kelley
Cam
Well is the red bell pepper in the ingredients and you have a déjà vu moment on the sesame seeds.
Tess
Came out exactly as the picture. Cooked this for a family get together as a last minute decision because I was too busy to do my original idea and had run out of preparation time. This was fantastic. Everyone wanted the recipe and I will definitely add this dinner to my favourites!
Kelley
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it Tess!! Thank you so much!
Lynne gaver
I just made this for dinner and found the recipe delicious!! The sauce was a perfect combination of sweet & savory. I added the sesame seeds to the sauce so it would adhere to the chicken more. I will defi ately make this again!
Kelley
Thanks so much Lynne! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Guy
Delicious!! Thank you.
Lyn
I tried to make this recipe last night, and I really don’t know how to say this, the chicken and the sauce looked good, but I wish I didn’t put the sesame oil.
I doubled the sauce, and even when I doubled the sauce I only put 1/2 tsp sesame oil and still the sesame oil took over the sauce’s taste, I don’t know what did I do wrong, before I put the sesame oil I smelled the sauce and I was thinking that I don’t need sesame oil, but since it was my first time trying out this recipe, so I followed the instructions. My husband said it’s not bad, it’s just he could totally taste the sesame oil and it was too salty for us.
Did I do something wrong? Please let me know because I believe that I followed the instructions right.
Thank you.
Kelley
Hi Lyn,
I’m sorry this did not turn out for you. The sesame oil should not make it salty. Did you use low sodium soy sauce? I know using regular will make it pretty salty. As for the sesame oil I don’t think it would be overpowering especially 1/2 teaspoon.
Again I am so sorry it did not turn out for you!
Thanks,
Kelley
Lyn
Hello thanks for your reply.
Yes, I used low sodium soysauce. I’m not saying it’s bad I couldn’t eat it, we still could eat it, but if I didn’t put the sesame oil, maybe the taste could have been better.
And yeah! As for the Hoisin sauce, the only brand I could find here is Lee Kum Kee, and when I first smelled it, I could smell a little bit of sesame oil on it (I put the sesame oil the last), so that’s why I was thinking, should I put the sesame oil or not, hehe.
But then the next morning I tried to fix it because my husband wanted to bring it for his lunch, so I added a little bit water and a sweet&spicy sauce (Thailand’s brand), and it turned out good! 🙂
LL
I just thought this was okay, not out of this world. But maybe I messed up. Usually when I do the chicken and corn starch dealio, it comes out crispy. This was more just grilled chicken and idk why.
Luuk
Great recipe 10/10
Nathan
Thank you Luuk!
We appreciate your comment and that you took the time to try out the Cashew Chicken recipe!
Have a great day!
Nathan
@chefsavvy
Pinky
Delicious!