Description
This Cashew Chicken recipe features tender strips of chicken breast sautéed with crisp carrots, snow peas, and crunchy water chestnuts, all tossed in a flavorful hoisin-soy sauce with a hint of spice. Garnished with toasted cashews and served over jasmine rice, this dish is a perfect quick and satisfying dinner blending Asian-inspired flavors with a delightful texture contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
- ½ – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Chicken and Vegetables:
- 1-2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly into 2-inch strips
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 ounces snow peas
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 cup cashews
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
- Make Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated fresh ginger, cornstarch, sriracha sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook Chicken: Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Season the sliced chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the chicken strips to the skillet and cook until browned on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet, add the sliced carrots and snow peas and sauté until tender-crisp, approximately 3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and drained water chestnuts; cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine and Finish: Reduce the heat to low and return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet and add the cashews. Stir continuously to combine all ingredients and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Serve: Serve the cashew chicken mixture hot over cooked jasmine rice for a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- For extra heat, adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes and sriracha to taste.
- You can toast the cashews separately for enhanced flavor before adding them to the dish.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to control the salt content in the meal.
- Feel free to substitute chicken breasts with chicken thighs for juicier meat.
- This recipe can be doubled to serve a larger crowd and reheats well.
