Time to face facts: you're a Cashew Chicken Stir Fry person now. This delicious dish delivers on flavor AND fills you up at the same time.
What is cashew chicken stir fry?
You know cashew chicken as a menu staple at just about every Chinese restaurant in the United States. At its best, the rich nuttiness from the cashews teams up perfectly with tender bites of chicken in a delicious sauce. Cashew chicken stir fry takes these stars of the show and gives them a supporting cast of crispy peppers, green onions, and rice. Sound like a winner? It is.
Cashew chicken stir fry
This cashew chicken stir fry doesn’t aim to recreate the takeout experience—though there are people who can teach you to do that. Instead, I’m taking inspiration from the concept and putting it together in a way that’s quick, easy, and able to serve you all week.
What does cashew chicken taste like?
This cashew chicken stir fry is great because it delivers on taste, texture, and—in the right hands—nutrition. For taste, like many stir fry dishes, the final flavor is a beautifully melded combination of each individual component, bonded together by the sauce that’s used to cook the dish. For texture, the chew of the chicken and the hearty mouthfeel of cashews balance each other perfectly. Add the snap of some delicious peppers, and you’ve got an idea of the multi-sensory experience you’re in for with this.
What is in cashew chicken?
This recipe doesn’t have much more than meets the eye, and that’s a good thing (for our wallets and our time). Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients list:
- Chicken
- Olive Oil
- White Rice
- Cashews
- Bell Peppers
- Optional: sesame seeds & green onions
Sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Water
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
- Ginger
How do you make chicken stir fry with cashew nuts?
As with the ingredients list, the recipe itself is blessedly simple. It’s only 7 steps (including the super important final step)!
- Add the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk together and then set aside.
- Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
- Place the pieces of chicken into the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook. Use a spoon to stir chicken and cook until internal temp is 165 or browned and cooked through.
- Add the chopped bell peppers to the skillet. Stir occasionally until peppers are desired tenderness.
- Cut the heat to low and add the cashews, rice, and sauce to the skillet. Stir so that the sauce coats everything in the skillet. Keep on a low heat for about 2 minutes so the sauce can thicken.
- Take the skillet off the heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
What can I add to stir fry for flavor?
In any stir fry, the sky’s the limit for what you can do with sauce and heat. I personally feel like I’m still learning how to not drown everything in flood of sauce so that the ingredients get to speak for themselves.
This recipe is a good example of that effort.
The combination of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and water that forms the base of the liquid for the stir fry isn’t overpowering, but it does bring the dish together.
How to store stir fry
This is one of those meals that keeps on giving. It’s great fresh out of the skillet, but the flavors really sit together and make for some really awesome leftovers (or a really good candidate for meal prep).
Are cashews good for you?
Nuts can boast a surprisingly excellent nutritional profile—cashews are no exception. Like anything else, there are ways to make them a bit less beneficial, like pouring on the oil or salt when roasting them. However, the healthy fats and protein they provide work really well in this recipe.
Is stir fry good for you?
There are plenty of ways to make a healthy stir fry! Focus on protein, a lot of veggies, and a little bit of sauce for a balance of the protein, carbohydrates, and fats macronutrients. This stir fry leaves me feeling fueled and energized compared to a takeout stir fry.
How many calories are in cashew chicken?
A serving of this stir fry has 434 calories. It has 46g of carbs, 42g of protein, and 13g of fat.
Looking for more recipes?
Why not try some of these other Jordo’s World favorites?
Can I have the recipe?
If you try this recipe and love it, please rate and review it!
Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup rice cooked
- 1 cup cashews
- 3 bell peppers cut into 4 inch strips
- optional: sesame seeds & green onions
Sauce
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Add the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk together and then set aside.
- Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil.
- Place the pieces of chicken into the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook. Use a spoon to stir chicken and cook until internal temp is 165 or browned and cooked through.
- Add the chopped bell peppers to the skillet. Stir occasionally until peppers are desired tenderness.
- Cut the heat to low and add the cashews, rice, and sauce to the skillet. Stir so that the sauce coats everything in the skillet. Keep on a low heat for about 2 minutes so the sauce can thicken.
- Take the skillet off the heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Jen says
Very delicious! I will be making it again 🙂
Laura Minett says
This one is on repeat at our house! Even the kids are obsessed with it!
Michelle H says
So simple, yet way better than I could have done on my own. I’d never heard of hoisin sauce, but it was easy enough to find at my nearest grocery store, and definitely adds some awesome flavor to make the dish delicious
Colleen says
So easy and sooo delicious!
Heather Oele says
Quick & easy dinner! My family loved it. We added broccoli & onions. Hoisin sauce is not my favorite, will probably add honey or sub for teriyaki next time. I just prefer more sweetness. We also did the rice on the side/plain since that’s the way my kids prefer it. We love Jasmine rice a.k.a. sticky rice.
Jordan Smith says
Heather, I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe! You can definitely try substituting the hoision sauce for the ones you mentioned — if you do, please share how it turns out! How you served it sounds perfect!
Jamee says
Another winner! We used pad thai noodles in place of rice and added broccoli. Delicious!