Put down that takeout menu! This Cashew Chicken is a recipe that truly stacks up to your favourite Chinese takeout. And it’s incredibly quick and EASY to make!
A saucy chicken stir fry with cashews, this is a terrific combination of flavours. You’ll love how saucy this is, and how you can adapt this to your taste by using vegetables of choice. Try this with Hot and Sour Soup or Chinese Corn Soup with a side of Fried Rice for a homemade takeout experience!
Cashew Chicken
This is takeout made at home that truly stacks up to your favourite Chinese restaurant. No false promises here! Just read some of the glowing reviews from the many people who have tried this. 😇
You’ll have it on the table faster than ordering home delivery, it’s healthier (way less greasy!) and it’s versatile so you can add or switch the vegetables as you please. So much easier to just adapt this yourself rather than trying to explain what you want over the phone to your Chinese takeout place…… right?? 😉
The secret ingredient is Chinese Cooking Wine
Chinese Cooking Wine, also known as Shaoxing wine or Shaosing wine, is the secret ingredient that makes homemade Chinese food truly taste as good as take out.
It’s an alcoholic wine used for Chinese and other Asian cooking. Totally unpleasant to drink, salty, cheap as chips from Asian stores (~ $1.50 for a big bottle), lasts forever and you can read more about it here (if you’re so inclined).
While you’d never drink it straight, when used cooking, it completely transforms. It seasons the sauce, gives it depth of flavour and complexity, that “something something” to make it just like Chinese restaurants.
Substitutions for Shaoxing Wine
The best substitute is Mirin, or dry sherry – these produce virtually the same result. If you can’t consume alcohol, the best alternative is to substitute low sodium chicken broth for the water in the sauce.
Ingredients in Cashew Chicken
I promised quick and easy, and I exaggerate not! There’s not that many ingredients in the sauce (see photo above) nor in the stir fry itself (see below).
I like to use chicken thigh for stir fries because it’s juicier than breast and tenderloin. If I make this with chicken breast, I always tenderise it using a Chinese restaurant technique using baking soda (bi-carb). It’s super simple, see directions here: How to Velvet Chicken.
I make Cashew Chicken with green capsicum (bell peppers) and onion because they are the most common vegetables I’ve seen in Cashew Chicken. But feel free to add other vegetables into this. I’ve also seen it with red capsicum, celery, Asian Greens, broccoli, carrots and scallions/shallots.
Making Cashew Chicken
Cashew Chicken is very straight forward to make and also very forgiving (especially if you use chicken thigh).
Mix the Sauce, use a bit to marinate the chicken just for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables, have a glass of wine, browse through the Asian Takeout recipe collection and think about all the other things you want to try one of these days…😊
When you’re ready to cook, have everything ready to go because it takes less than 5 minutes! Sauté garlic and onion (1 min), cook chicken and capsicum (3 min), add sauce, simmer 1 minute until thickens, serve over rice.
As with all my stir fries, this Cashew Chicken comes with plenty of sauce. There’s nothing sadder than when you’re left with a bowl of plain white rice with no sauce to eat it with. Right??!
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
PS For a healthy low carb option try Cauliflower Rice – 77% fewer calories and 87% less carbs than rice!
Chinese Cashew Chicken
Watch how to make it
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Chinese Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
- 3 tbsp soy sauce , all purpose or light (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Dash of white pepper (sub black)
Stir Fry
- 500g / 1 lb chicken thigh , skinless boneless, cut into 2.5cm/1" pieces (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , chopped into 1.75 cm / 3/4" pieces(yellow, brown or white)
- 1 green capsicum / bell pepper , chopped into 2 cm / 0.8" pieces
- 6 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews , unsalted
Instructions
- Sauce: Mix cornflour and soy sauce until there's no lumps. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and mix.
- Marinate: Transfer 2 tbsp Sauce to chicken, mix to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes+.
- Cook: Heat oil over high heat in a wok or heavy based skillet. Add the garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add capsicum and cook for 1 minute.
- Add Sauce and water. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until Sauce thickens.
- Stir through cashews, remove from stove. Serve immediately with rice - or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2015. Updated post with new photos, better video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added! No change to recipe.
More Chinese takeout favourites
- Chow Mein
- Beef & Broccoli
- Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)
- Spring Rolls
- Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
- See ALL Chinese Takeout recipes
Life of Dozer
Wow, it’s true. You really can make anyone look intelligent with glasses. 🤓
Hi Nagi. I velveted the chicken breast using your method and then made this recipe, following your ingredients. It turned out very salty and I can’t figure out why!! It was otherwise very good – the chicken was so tender!!
Hi Nadia, sorry you found it too salty – did you rinse the chicken well before cooking? N x
Yes, rinsed twice and patted dry. We keep our oyster sauce in the fridge and it appears thicker than if kept outside. Perhaps that makes it more concentrated?? What do you suggest I do next time?
Abs delicious! Will be a firm favourite in our house!
Quick, easy and delicious. Thank you!
Hi Nagi.
loved the recipe for cashew Chicken, really got the taste and flavor I have been aiming for,
included the cauliflower rice, added ginger and spring onions,to the CF rice.
it went down a treat.
Thank you.
Can you use Charlie? If so, how much?
Love your recipes = easy and tasty
So easy to make and tasty to eat. I added broccoli and carrot 😋
Nagi, Like Maria Pologruto, I like sauce and doubled that as well… adding a little chicken broth as the ingredients cooked.
I also replaced the Peppers with Broccoli and Shitake mushrooms chopped. I think I will sear (brown) the chicken a bit more next time before adding. Loved the overall flavor.
I am wondering if I want to add a little heat to the flavor, what I should add as a spice?
Thanks!
This recipie is awesome, better than take out, I doubled recipie for extra sauce, will definitely make again! Thank you Nagi! 💖
Cannot get over how good this is! Even without any Mirin it’s delicious! And velveting the chicken makes such a difference will always do it from now on. Thankyou so much!
Great Recipe.
As a main course, it’s good for 3 or 4 people. I tried doubling or tripling the recipe but found that the chicken does not get done easily in the wok, it just seems to much, and it takes a lot longer. Any suggestions?
Hi Marc, if you overload a wok, the heat reduces too quickly and your meat will stew. If your wok is small, the only way to cook it would be to do it in batches. N x
Great Recipe.
As a main course, it’s good for 3 or 4 people. I tried doubling or tripling the recipe but found that the chicken does not get down easily in the wok, and it takes a lot longer. Any suggestions?
I’m,ads this tonight and the flavour didn’t disappoint. Because I used fresh Chinese noodles, it could have used more sauce but I realized this early on and added more ingredients. Another of your great recipes!
So this was a real hit with my fussy husband… even the fussy kids thought it was great! Definitely putting this one on “repeat” 😁😁 thanks Nagi 🤩🤩
I made this with chicken breast after velveting as suggested. Delicious recipe, and the velveting was a game changer. Can’t believe I didn’t know about this and will always do it in future.
What is velveting
I’ve never been much good at Chinese cooking but your recipes are so simple and yet they make such delicious meals; I have pledged to do two every week. thank you
Yum! And feeds a crowd. Used green capsicum, celery and broccolini. Definitely make again
Okay it’s delicious but it’s a little too salty.. not sure what I’ve done? Could it be the products I used? All from woolies (no Asian stores near me in Byron bay) Any suggestions?
Hi Maddi, sorry you found it too salty – what kind of soy did you use here? N x
I’ve got the pearl river bridge superior light soy? Do you recommend a different soy?
I love all your recipys, you are amazing!!
I read the 5 sauces that you use and I have 3 sause, I will go fast for buy the others.
Thanks for share your talent!!
Delicious. Followed recipe exactly, except I mixed in udon noodles at the end (instead of serving with rice). Will make this again!
A great idea Lisa! N x
This tastes so good, even better than a takeaway and healthier as I know what went in it, I did add broccoli and carrot for extra veges
Perfect Amanda! N x