This Cashew Chicken stir-fry delivers tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and crunchy cashews in a savory-sweet sauce. It’s a quick, satisfying meal that’s faster than takeout and packed with flavor. The secret is a balanced sauce and perfectly cooked chicken for a dish that always pleases.

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Why You’ll Love This Cashew Chicken

• Faster than takeout: Ready in about 30 minutes for a restaurant-quality meal.
• Divine texture: Tender chicken, crisp peppers, and buttery cashews in every bite.
• Versatile sauce: A salty-sweet-savory base you can tweak to your taste.
• Complete meal: Hearty and balanced served over fluffy rice.

Ingredients & Tools

• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 150 g roasted, unsalted cashews
• 2 spring onions, sliced (for garnish)

For the Sauce:

• 60 ml soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce for a vegetarian alternative)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 120 ml chicken broth or water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)

Tools: A large wok or a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, a set of measuring spoons and cups, a whisk or fork for the sauce, and a good sharp knife.

Notes: Using fresh ginger and garlic makes a difference. Toast raw cashews to bring out their nutty richness.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 27 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Cut everything to a similar size. This ensures even cooking. You don’t want tiny pieces of chicken overcooking while your large pepper chunks are still raw. Uniformity is key for a perfect stir-fry.
• Have your sauce mixed and ready to go. Stir-frying happens fast. The last thing you want is to be fumbling with bottles while your garlic is burning. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl or a liquid measuring cup before you even turn on the heat.
• Don’t crowd the pan when cooking the chicken. If you add too much chicken at once, it will steam instead of sear, leading to a grey, rubbery texture. Cook in batches if your pan isn’t large enough to hold everything in a single layer.
• Use a high smoke point oil. Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil are your best bets. Olive oil has a lower smoke point and can burn at the high temperatures needed for a proper stir-fry, giving your food an off flavor.

How to Make Cashew Chicken

Storage & Freshness Guide

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
• Reviving: Reheat gently on stove with a splash of water or broth to refresh sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• Steamed Jasmine Rice — The fluffy, slightly sticky grains are the perfect canvas to soak up every last drop of that incredible sauce.
• Simple Garlicky Broccoli — A quick-steamed or roasted side of broccoli adds a lovely green element and another texture to the meal.
• Light Cucumber Salad — A salad with rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and sesame seeds provides a crisp, refreshing contrast to the rich stir-fry.

Drinks

• Jasmine Green Tea — Its floral, slightly sweet notes cleanse the palate beautifully between bites and complement the Asian-inspired flavors.
• A Crisp Lager — The light carbonation and clean finish of a cold lager cut through the savory richness of the dish perfectly.
• Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) — The spicy-sweet kick of ginger beer mirrors the ginger in the recipe and adds a fun, fizzy element.

Something Sweet

• Mango Sticky Rice — The creamy, sweet coconut and mango combination is a classic Southeast Asian dessert that feels like a natural, luxurious ending.
• Fortune Cookies and Green Tea Ice Cream — A playful and simple duo; the cold, slightly bitter ice cream is a wonderful contrast after the warm, savory main.
• Lychee Sorbet — Light, floral, and refreshing, a few scoops of this sorbet are the perfect palate cleanser and a wonderfully light finish.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Overcooking the chicken. Chicken breast, in particular, can go from juicy to dry and stringy in a matter of minutes. Cook it just until it’s no longer pink in the center and then remove it from the pan. It will finish heating through when you add it back at the end.
• Mistake: Adding raw cashews. Raw cashews are pale and relatively bland. Using pre-roasted cashews gives you that deep, buttery flavor and satisfying crunch. If you only have raw, toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes until golden before adding.
• Mistake: Burning the garlic and ginger. These aromatics cook in seconds. If you let them burn, they’ll turn bitter and can ruin the entire dish. Add them at the very end of the veggie cooking time and keep the stir constant.
• Mistake: Skipping the cornstarch coating on the chicken. This isn’t just for thickening; it creates a delicate crust that seals in the chicken’s juices and helps the sauce cling to it later. It’s a small step with a big payoff.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Velvet your chicken for supreme tenderness. For an even more restaurant-style, melt-in-your-mouth texture, try velveting. Marinate your raw chicken pieces in 1 egg white and 1 tbsp of cornstarch for 30 minutes before cooking. Rinse and pat dry, then proceed with the recipe. It creates an incredibly silky texture.
• Tip: Add a splash of Shaoxing wine. If you have it, a tablespoon of Shaoxing wine added to the sauce mixture adds a wonderful layer of complex, fermented flavor that elevates the entire dish from great to phenomenal.
• Tip: Control your heat with water. If your pan seems too hot and things are cooking too fast or burning, don’t be afraid to add a tablespoon or two of water. It will sizzle and create steam, cooling the pan down slightly and preventing scorching.
• Tip: Toast your own spices. For a flavor boost, toast a half teaspoon of Szechuan peppercorns along with the garlic and ginger. They’ll add a tingling, citrusy numbness that’s absolutely addictive.

FAQs

Can I make this Cashew Chicken ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prep the components ahead to make dinner super fast. Chop the vegetables and chicken (store separately), and mix the sauce. Keep everything refrigerated. When ready to eat, the cooking process will be even quicker since everything is ready to go. The fully cooked dish reheats well, though the vegetables will be a bit softer. Reheat gently on the stove with a tiny splash of water or broth.

What can I use instead of oyster sauce?
Hoisin sauce is the best substitute—it’s also thick, sweet, and savory. For a vegetarian option, you can use mushroom stir-fry sauce. In a real pinch, you could use a bit more soy sauce with a tiny dash of extra honey, but you’ll miss the deep, umami complexity that oyster sauce provides.

My sauce didn’t thicken. What happened?
The most common culprit is that the sauce didn’t come to a full simmer before adding the cornstarch slurry. Cornstarch needs to reach a near-boiling temperature to activate its thickening power. If it’s still thin, mix another teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in, letting the sauce bubble for another minute.

Can I use a different type of nut?
Of course! While cashews are classic for their buttery, mild flavor, peanuts are a fantastic alternative for a more robust, peanutty taste. Almonds or macadamia nuts would also work well. Just make sure they are roasted and unsalted so you can control the seasoning.

How can I make this dish spicier?
There are a few easy ways to turn up the heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce or Sriracha directly to your sauce mixture. You could also toss in a few dried red chilies when you’re stir-frying the garlic and ginger for a more infused, aromatic spice. A sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes at the end works too!