Cashew Chicken – Skip the take out and make this super easy cashew chicken recipe at home. Comes together in minutes using ingredients you probably already have!
My family loves Chinese food. Chicken Lo Mein is one of our favorites, but 9 times out of 10 it is the homemade version instead of take out. I like making our favorites at home, so I can control the ingredients. Plus most of the time they are just so darn easy!
Chow Mein Noodles takes literally 15 minutes to make. It is hard to order take out, go there, pick it up, and then drive home in that amount of time. So making it at home works really well! Plus you can add veggies or anything else you want when you are at home.
When I was growing up we almost never has Asian food of any kind. Quick Chicken Curry would have never been on the menu. It wasn’t until I was older and could cook for myself that I discovered some of our favorite recipes. Like Chicken Tikka Masala! Oh my so many comforting spices, we all love it.
The one and only thing we did have was cashew chicken. It was about the only thing my dad would go for. And the thought he was being adventurous! So this cashew chicken recipe is based on our favorite take out, but a super easy homemade version!
What’s In Cashew Chicken
- Chicken
- Water Chestnuts
- Garlic
- Onions and whatever other veggies you want
- Cashews
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Hoisin Sauce
- Cornstarch
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable Oil
- Water
The cashew chicken sauce is just a few staple ingredients you can always have on hand. It is really just hoisin sauce, a little water, and vinegar. You can find hoisin sauce at pretty much any grocery store in the Asian section. So there are no trips to a special market to make this!
I like to add water chestnuts to our cashew chicken, so there is just a little crunch. That is also the way the take out place I grew up with served it. Often times it is served with broccoli, so feel free to add in whatever veggies you enjoy!
How to Make Cashew Chicken
- Start by coating the chicken pieces in cornstarch, salt and pepper. This makes sure the chicken stays super tender when you are cooking it.
- Mix the hoisin sauce and water together for the sauce. The dish comes together quickly, so having everything in place ahead of time is nice.
- Next you brown the chicken and onions together until the chicken is mostly cooked and the onions are soft.
- Mix in the water chestnuts and any other veggies that you are using.
- Mix in the rice wine vinegar and let is cook for just a minute. Then you pour the sauce mixture over and let it simmer until it thickens and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Mix in the cashews and you are ready to go. You can garnish with green onions if you are using them.
I like to serve over steamed white rice, but you could use brown rice, noodles, cauliflower rice or even serve as lettuce wraps.
This cashew chicken recipe has been a staple in our house for years. It can not get any easier to make, and the whole family loves it! Really you just brown the chicken, mix in the sauce and you are pretty much done. 20 minutes and dinner is on the table!
Other Great Asian Dinner Recipes To Try
Cashew Chicken
Cashew Chicken - Skip the take out and make this super easy cashew chicken recipe at home. Comes together in minutes using ingredients you probably already have!
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, (or breasts), cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Tbls cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbls canola oil
- 4 cloves garlic, , grated or minced
- 1/2 cup onion, , finely chopped
- 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
- 2 Tbls rice wine vinegar
- 5 Tbls Hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews
- Green onions, , optional garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl combine chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- In a skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in garlic and water chestnuts. Saute for 3-5 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
- Mix vinegar into the chicken mixture. Cook for 1 minutes.
- Add hoisin sauce and water. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove from heat, stir in cashews and garnish with green onions.
- Serve over rice.
Notes
Slightly Adapted from Belly Full
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 416 Saturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 108mg Sodium 696mg Carbohydrates 22g Fiber 1g Sugar 7g Protein 26g
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Erin S
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Cathy says
I’m in love with cashews! I can TOTALLY see this becoming a favorite!
Amanda says
My husband and I cannot get enough of this meal!!
Sara Welch says
This looks amazing; worthy of a restaurant, indeed! Adding this to my dinner line up for the week! Delish!
Catalina says
How good this chicken looks! The best flavor combo!
Taylor says
One of our favorite weeknight dinners! So much flavor!
Beth says
The flavor of this chicken is SO GOOD! Really love how quickly it cooks up too!
Annie says
You weren’t lying! This really IS better than take out! Thanks for the recipe!
Demeter says
This sauce is so flavorful! Such a great way to make it at home and save some money too.
Sara Welch says
What a great recipe for busy weeknights! Definitely adding this to my dinner line up for the week; looks too good to pass up!
Tiffany La Forge-Grau says
That batter seriously looks perfect. Nice even flavor is the key to great cashew chicken!
Beth says
So flavorful and so easy to make! Love that this is a quick dinner option!