Description
This quick Cashew Chicken stir fry combines tender chicken, crunchy toasted cashews, and plenty of garlic in a sticky savory-sweet sauce. It is an easy, flavorful main dish ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon honey, more or less to taste
⅔ cup water
1 cup toasted salted whole cashews
1¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, cornstarch, honey, and water in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil once the skillet is hot.
- When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, stirring as needed, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the minced garlic during the final minute of cooking and stir it into the chicken until fragrant.
- Stir the prepared sauce again to redistribute the cornstarch, then pour it over the cooked chicken. Stir until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Stir in the toasted cashews and simmer briefly, just long enough to incorporate them without losing too much crunch.
- Serve immediately over rice, noodles, or vegetables. Garnish with chopped green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
If the sauce becomes too thick, gradually stir in a small amount of water until it reaches the desired consistency.
If the sauce is too thin, combine 2 tablespoons water with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and gradually stir some of the slurry into the simmering sauce until thickened.
Broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, mushrooms, carrots, or zucchini can be added for extra vegetables.
Increase the sriracha for more heat or reduce it for a milder dish.
Adjust the honey to make the sauce sweeter or more savory.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts.
For maximum crunch, reserve some of the toasted cashews and sprinkle them over the finished servings.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has become too thick.
The sauce can be prepared ahead and refrigerated; stir or whisk thoroughly before using because the cornstarch will settle.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 570 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 1500 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
