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!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
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!
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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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
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Crispy Honey Chicken
- Beef & Broccoli
- Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)
- Spring Rolls
- Prawn (Shrimp) Stir Fry
- 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. 🤓
This was so good. Added some broccoli as I didnt have any capsicum. Can’t believe how much it tastes like Chinese takeaway just better.
So pleased to hear that Natalie! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
This is an excellent recipe! Thanks!!
Helloo nagi 🙂
At chinese restaurant they serve hot sauce and a sweet sour sauce with the cashew plate…can that be homemade??
Do you mean on the side???
Yess on the side! I think i can use sriracha chillisauce aside or does it have to be included while cooking it?
Made this last night. Even my very picky 13 year old loved it!
That’s terrific to hear Brian! So glad you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
I am going to make this recipe this weekend. Thank you for the velveting tip. I will try this on steak also.
Hope you love it Brenda!
This is so good! Made it on Monday & again tonight…Thursday!
That’s so terrific Beth! Thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
Nagi – I whipped this up for lunch today, my only tweaks were to add a little bok choy and a few shiitake mushrooms.
My wife was delighted – it was the first time I’ve velveted the chicken and it turned out wonderfully!
Very good recipe and not fussy at all!
This is really good! I’ve shared with my kids who loved it as well. Tonight is husbands birthday & this was his request.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Beth! N xx
Omg Nagi this is AMAZING!!!
I love cashew chicken but rarely get it as my husband ‘thinks’ he doesn’t like nuts in food. So of course I completely ignored his preference and made this for dinner tonight 😅 …and guess what?! he loved it!! haha
This recipe is a keeper thank you for sharing it 😊
BA HA HA! That is TOO FUNNY!!!!! So glad he enjoyed it – N xx
Crazy good! Can you use this “velveting” technique on pork as well?
Thank you!
I made this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING!! Almost identical to my favourite Chinese restaurants version! Thank you!
Yes yes YES!!! So glad to hear you enjoyed it Karen! N xx
Something seemed to go very very wrong with the velveting part and ruined whole dish . Absolutely gutted. What could it be. Maybe wasnt rinsed enough?
Im pretty sure i didn’t rinse of bicarbonate enough it’s the only thing it could of been. Will definitely try again x
Hope you do Sue! I’ve used that tehcnique hundreds, thousands of times and it works 🙂
I’m sorry to hear that Sue, I honestly think you’re the first person I’ve heard from who had that problem! What went wrong??
I made this recipe tonight and followed the directions exactly. It was delicious! Great flavor and consistency. I easily made this gluten free by using gluten free soy sauce and corn starch. A family hit!
FANTASTIC to hear Kristine! Thank you so much for letting me know. Hope you have a great weekend! – N xx
Hi Nagi,
Tried this recipe last night and its the bomb!!! I have finally found the correct recipe. Been looking for years.
My husband thinks hes in heaven. Thank you once again. Love it.
Fantastic to hear Mary! So glad you enjoyed it! N xx
I made this for dinner last night for my Mum because her favourite take away food ever is chicken and cashews. She loved it! Said it was as good as any Chinese restaurant and that the chicken was better than a lot of take away (when it comes as the little slices).
I added celery and bamboo shoots along with the capsicum and onion. I made the mistake of cutting the celery too small though, I will remember for next time to cut bigger pieces and I might add carrot then too.
I’m so happy to hear that Sarah! Your mum is lucky to have you 🙂 And what a compliment!!! N xx
Hi Nagi,
My family and I are enjoying many of your recipes . . . thank you!
I’m going to try Cashew Chicken and it asks for Chinese Rice wine. Is this the same as Rice Wine Vinegar or Chinese Cooking Wine or a different product all together?
Thanks.
Hi Nacelle! It is the same as Chinese Cooking wine 🙂 Sorry, I will tidy up the writing in this asap! N xx
Hi Nagi,
So pleased I found your website! Made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious. Looking forward to trying this technique out with beef next.
Can I know if you used what kind of soy sauce do you use ? Chinese light soy sauce ? Japanese or Korean soy sauce ? Would love to try this recipe and looking forward to eating it too =) It so simple and easy with all ingredient on hand.
Thanks for the question June, I’ve updated the recipe to specify ordinary all purpose soy sauce is required. Not light or dark soy sauce. 🙂 I use Japanese Kikkoman – but any brand is fine as long as it’s not Chinese light or dark soy, or sweet, kecap manis etc. Just normal soy sauce!
I made it last week and it was super delish !! Thank you for sharing the recipe ^_^
Thanks June, so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hi Nagi I made this recipe tonight it was fantastic! I especially like the velvet chicken recipe and it was super delicious
Touchdown! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it Kate, THANK YOU for letting me know! N x
I love the comments from those who have tried this recipe….trying it tonight! I am already a fan and follower.
I hope you love it Laurie!! 🙂