Cashew Chicken

By Laurel Perry

Published Jan 3, 2023

This Cashew Chicken recipe is even better than takeout! Crispy bites of chicken are stir-fried in a savory garlic, hoisin, and soy-based sauce with toasted cashews and green onions. It’s easy to make, and ready in just 30 minutes. Serve it with rice, noodles, veggies, or any of your Chinese takeout favorites.

overhead view of cashew chicken in a white bowl with chopsticks. - 5

What’s in This Cashew Chicken Recipe?

Skip the takeout and make this homemade chicken with cashews on the stovetop. You don’t need very many ingredients, and it comes together quick!

Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces. They should all be the same size to make sure they cook evenly.
Cashews: Raw, unsalted cashews are best for this recipe. If you don’t have time to toast them, you can buy pre-toasted cashews, or just toast them ahead of time.
Green Onions: These add a nice bit of texture, crunch, and flavor into the mix.
Cornstarch: This coats the chicken to help crisp it up, and helps to thicken the sauce and glaze the chicken.
Sesame Seeds: These are optional, but they add a nice bit of crunch at the end.
Oil: Vegetable oil is ideal, but feel free to use any neutral oil you like, such as canola or avocado oil.
Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free alternative, use tamari or coconut aminos instead.
Rice vinegar: Make sure you are using rice wine vinegar, not rice wine (also called mirin). They are different ingredients with very different flavors! In a pinch, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar.
Sauce: The cashew chicken sauce is a mix of hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic.

Notes from the Test Kitchen

You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Do not omit the cornstarch; it helps the chicken crisp up without having to deep fry it, and it helps to thicken up the sauce.
Don’t skip toasting the cashews. This helps them hold up better in the sauce and enhances their nutty flavor.
Make sure you are using rice wine vinegar , not rice wine (also called mirin). They are different ingredients with very different flavors!

Variations on Chicken with Cashew Nuts

Make it Spicy: To make your sauce a little spicier, stir 1-3 tablespoons of sriracha or sambal oelek into the sauce.
Add more Veggies: Feel free to add diced veggies to this stir fry after you cook the chicken. I like bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, or zucchini.

close up of cashew chicken in a cast iron wok. - 6

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
▢ ¼ cup cornstarch
▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
▢ 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
▢ 4 green onions sliced, plus more for garnish
▢ Sesame seeds optional, for garnish

For the Sauce

▢ ½ cup hoisin sauce
▢ ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (see note)
▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
▢ 2 teaspoons sesame oil
▢ 3 cloves garlic minced

Video

Instructions

In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, ¼ cup cornstarch, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Set aside. ½ cup hoisin sauce, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 3 cloves garlic
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add in the cashews and cook, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
Add in the oil. Once hot, add in the chicken in a single layer, cooking in batches if needed. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, about 2 minutes. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Stir in the green onions, and cook until softened, about for 1-2 minutes. 4 green onions
Stir in the sauce and cashews. Continue to cook until the chicken is glazed. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve. Sesame seeds

Becky’s Tips

Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free alternative, use tamari or coconut aminos instead.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
Do not omit the cornstarch; it helps the chicken crisp up without having to deep fry it, and it helps to thicken up the sauce.
Don’t skip toasting the cashews. This helps them hold up better in the sauce and enhances their nutty flavor.
Make sure you are using rice wine vinegar , not rice wine (also called mirin). They are different ingredients with very different flavors!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Serving Sugggestions

This crispy stir-fried chicken is best served with rice or noodles, and you can add veggies too, like this spicy broccoli . I love to serve it with more takeout favorites, like egg rolls , chicken fried rice , vegetable lo mein , and crab rangoon .

How to Make Cashew Chicken Step by Step

Season the Chicken: In a large bowl, toss 1½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces with ¼ cup of cornstarch and salt and pepper to taste until evenly coated.

cornstarch coated chicken pieces in a glass bowl. - 7

Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk ½ cup of hoisin sauce, ¼ cup of low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, and 3 cloves of minced garlic together. Set aside.

cashew chicken sauce in a glass bowl. - 8

Toast the Cashews: Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add in 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews and cook, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Cook the Chicken: Add in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, add in the chicken in a single layer, cooking in batches if needed. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, about 2 minutes.

cooked chicken pieces in a cast iron wok. - 10

Add the Green Onions: Stir in 4 sliced green onions, and cook until softened, about for 1-2 minutes.

cooked chicken and green onions in a cast iron wok. - 11

Add the Sauce: Stir in the sauce and cashews. Continue to cook until the chicken is glazed. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover cashew chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop.

How to Freeze

Freeze cashew chicken in freeze-safe, airtight containers or resealable bags for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

We recommend freezing it in individual-sized portions so you can easily grab and reheat for each meal, because you shouldn’t reheat and refreeze chicken multiple times.

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Cashew chicken is a Chinese-American dish consisting of bite-sized pieces of chicken and whole cashews stir-fried in a sweet and savory sauce.

Absolutely! I like to use breasts because they’re lower in fat, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs are a great alternative!

Hoisin sauce is a sweet and salty sauce made from soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, and garlic. It is thick and adds a distinctive flavor and texture to this dish. You can find hoisin sauce in the International aisle of most grocery stores.

Cashews give this dish its distinctive flavor, so I don’t recommend replacing them unless there is a food allergy. Some common replacements are pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Keep in mind that this will change the overall flavor of the dish, though.

Yes! Follow the instructions in this slow cooker Cashew Chicken recipe instead.

More Chicken Recipes To Try

Honey Garlic Baked Chicken
Apricot Chicken
Chicken Stir Fry
Almond Milk Chicken Curry
Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken
Honey Chicken
Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

Cashew Chicken Recipe