Description
This flavorful Cashew Chicken recipe features tender chicken breast strips stir-fried with crisp vegetables and crunchy cashews in a savory-sweet sauce made from hoisin, soy, honey, and sesame oil. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a delicious and quick Asian-inspired meal served over steamed jasmine rice.
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
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 1½ 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
- 1½ 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 thinly sliced chicken strips with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add chicken strips to the hot skillet and cook until browned on each side, approximately 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. Sauté for about 3 minutes until they are tender-crisp. Add the minced garlic and drained water chestnuts and cook for an additional 1 minute to incorporate flavors.
- Combine and Finish: Reduce the heat to low. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and vegetables, then add the cashews. Stir everything to combine and cook for about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens and coats the ingredients evenly.
- Serve: Serve the cashew chicken hot over 4 cups of cooked jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- For extra heat, adjust the crushed red pepper flakes and sriracha according to your spice preference.
- To save time, prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness of the dish.
- Ensure not to overcrowd the pan when cooking chicken for better browning.
- This recipe works well with other vegetables such as bell peppers or broccoli if desired.
- Use unsalted cashews if you want to control the sodium levels further.
