Weeknight Cashew Chicken

Cashew chicken on a white plate over rice with snow peas and carrots.

Cashew chicken is a takeout staple. It's so much cheaper, healthier (generally), and yes, even faster (depending on your restaurant) to make it at home. This is a family favorite.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: main dish

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Low Lactose

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 252kcal

Author: Michelle

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast boneless and skinless
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup chicken stock divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 carrots julienned
3/4 cup snow peas
3/4 cup unsalted cashews
1 green onion sliced on the bias

Instructions

Peel garlic and mince. Add to container to marinade (if you choose). Add brown sugar, fish sauce, mirin, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Stir to combine.
1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 teaspoons mirin, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup chicken stock
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the marinade, stirring to coat. Cover and stick in the fridge for at least half hour up to three hours.
When you're ready to cook, add remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock to a pan and turn heat to medium. Add chicken and marinade and cover for a few minutes to bring the heat up inside. Poach chicken 8-10 minutes, until cooked through.
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
While chicken cooks, peel and julienne carrots. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Wash snow peas and slice in half.
Dry toast cashews in a pan for 2-3 minutes, stirring periodically. Remove from heat once fragrant.
Once chicken is cooked through, place cornstarch in a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons cold water and stir together with a fork. Add slurry to chicken mixture, stirring while you do so. Bring to a slow boil for 2-3 minutes to thicken your sauce.
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Add cashews, snow peas, and most of the carrots, reserving a few for extra garnish. Stir together and turn off the heat. Let it sit just so the new ingredients get warm but don't cook through.
3/4 cup snow peas, 3/4 cup unsalted cashews, 2 carrots
Serve immediately over rice with green onion sliced over it.
1 green onion

Equipment

Wooden Spoon Set

Bouillabase Braising Pot

Food Storage Containers

Notes

If you're using frozen chicken, thaw it most of the way, but cut while still partly frozen. If using fresh chicken, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so to solidify it just a bit. This makes it easier to cut into bite size pieces, remembering that your chicken will shrink a bit while cooking.
When I make this, I use carrots and snow peas because they add great color to an otherwise bland looking (but so not bland tasting!) dish. I'm a huge fan of adding color where I can to make it more interesting. You could add your own preferred veggies in addition to - or in place of - these, from green peppers to sugar snap peas to baby corn to water chestnuts and more.
For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

Nutrition

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.