Description
This Cheesecake Factory Spicy Cashew Chicken recipe delivers a flavorful and spicy Asian-inspired dish with tender chicken breast pieces coated in a crispy cornstarch batter, tossed in a savory and slightly sweet sauce with roasted cashews, fresh vegetables, and a perfect balance of heat from sriracha. It’s an easy stovetop stir-fry that brings restaurant-quality flavors to your home kitchen in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (cornstarch slurry)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper. Dip each piece into the beaten eggs to coat evenly, then dredge in cornstarch to create a light batter that will crisp when fried.
- Fry the Chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the coated chicken pieces in batches until they turn golden brown and are cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Sauté Vegetables and Aromatics: Remove excess oil from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add minced garlic, ginger, and diced red bell pepper to the skillet, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and the bell pepper softens slightly.
- Make the Sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, and chicken broth until well combined. Pour this sauce mixture into the skillet with the sautéed aromatics and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Thicken the Sauce: Stir in the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) into the simmering sauce. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency.
- Toss Chicken in Sauce: Return the fried chicken pieces to the skillet and toss well to coat them evenly in the thickened sauce.
- Add Cashews and Green Onions: Stir in the roasted cashews and chopped green onions. Continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes to heat everything through and meld the flavors.
- Serve: Serve the spicy cashew chicken hot, ideally over steamed rice or noodles as desired.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of sriracha to your preferred spice level; reduce for mild or increase for extra heat.
- For a lighter alternative, bake or air-fry the chicken pieces instead of frying them in oil.
- Add additional vegetables such as broccoli florets or snap peas to increase texture and nutrition.
