A saucy chicken stir fry with cashews, this is a terrific combination of flavours. You’ll love how saucy this is, and how you can adapt this to your taste by using vegetables of choice. Try this with Hot and Sour Soup or Chinese Corn Soup with a side of Fried Rice for a homemade takeout experience!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Cashew Chicken
This is takeout made at home that truly stacks up to your favourite Chinese restaurant. No false promises here! Just read some of the glowing reviews from the many people who have tried this. 😇
You’ll have it on the table faster than ordering home delivery, it’s healthier (way less greasy!) and it’s versatile so you can add or switch the vegetables as you please. So much easier to just adapt this yourself rather than trying to explain what you want over the phone to your Chinese takeout place…… right?? 😉
The secret ingredient is Chinese Cooking Wine
Chinese Cooking Wine, also known as Shaoxing wine or Shaosing wine, is the secret ingredient that makes homemade Chinese food truly taste as good as take out.
It’s an alcoholic wine used for Chinese and other Asian cooking. Totally unpleasant to drink, salty, cheap as chips from Asian stores (~ $1.50 for a big bottle), lasts forever and you can read more about it here (if you’re so inclined).
While you’d never drink it straight, when used cooking, it completely transforms. It seasons the sauce, gives it depth of flavour and complexity, that “something something” to make it just like Chinese restaurants.
Substitutions for Shaoxing Wine
The best substitute is Mirin, or dry sherry – these produce virtually the same result. If you can’t consume alcohol, the best alternative is to substitute low sodium chicken broth for the water in the sauce.
Ingredients in Cashew Chicken
I promised quick and easy, and I exaggerate not! There’s not that many ingredients in the sauce (see photo above) nor in the stir fry itself (see below).
I like to use chicken thigh for stir fries because it’s juicier than breast and tenderloin. If I make this with chicken breast, I always tenderise it using a Chinese restaurant technique using baking soda (bi-carb). It’s super simple, see directions here: How to Velvet Chicken.
I make Cashew Chicken with green capsicum (bell peppers) and onion because they are the most common vegetables I’ve seen in Cashew Chicken. But feel free to add other vegetables into this. I’ve also seen it with red capsicum, celery, Asian Greens, broccoli, carrots and scallions/shallots.
Making Cashew Chicken
Cashew Chicken is very straight forward to make and also very forgiving (especially if you use chicken thigh).
Mix the Sauce, use a bit to marinate the chicken just for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables, have a glass of wine, browse through the Asian Takeout recipe collection and think about all the other things you want to try one of these days…😊
When you’re ready to cook, have everything ready to go because it takes less than 5 minutes! Sauté garlic and onion (1 min), cook chicken and capsicum (3 min), add sauce, simmer 1 minute until thickens, serve over rice.
As with all my stir fries, this Cashew Chicken comes with plenty of sauce. There’s nothing sadder than when you’re left with a bowl of plain white rice with no sauce to eat it with. Right??!
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
PS For a healthy low carb option try Cauliflower Rice – 77% fewer calories and 87% less carbs than rice!
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Chinese Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
- 3 tbsp soy sauce , all purpose or light (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Dash of white pepper (sub black)
Stir Fry
- 500g / 1 lb chicken thigh , skinless boneless, cut into 2.5cm/1″ pieces (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , chopped into 1.75 cm / 3/4″ pieces(yellow, brown or white)
- 1 green capsicum / bell pepper , chopped into 2 cm / 0.8″ pieces
- 6 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews , unsalted
Instructions
- Sauce: Mix cornflour and soy sauce until there’s no lumps. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and mix.
- Marinate: Transfer 2 tbsp Sauce to chicken, mix to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes+.
- Cook: Heat oil over high heat in a wok or heavy based skillet. Add the garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes. Add capsicum and cook for 1 minute.
- Add Sauce and water. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until Sauce thickens.
- Stir through cashews, remove from stove. Serve immediately with rice – or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published October 2015. Updated post with new photos, better video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added! No change to recipe.
More Chinese takeout favourites
- Chow Mein
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Crispy Honey Chicken
- Beef & Broccoli
- Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)
- Spring Rolls
- Prawn (Shrimp) Stir Fry
- Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
- See ALL Chinese Takeout recipes
Life of Dozer
Wow, it’s true. You really can make anyone look intelligent with glasses. 🤓
You have changed my cooking life, Nagi. This was so quick and easy – and soooo tasty.
I felt like Chinese chicken and cashew nuts so I googled for a healthy recipe. This is a very do-able recipe, fun and quick to prepare (I’m not big into cooking …). I was pleasantly surprised by how good it tastes! A definite crowd pleaser! Adding it to my recipe binder.
I added a Tbsp of Hoisin sauce to the sauce mix and OMG! So yummy!
First time I ever tried making cashew chicken at home, and it definitely did not disappoint! Made some coconut jasmine rice and homemade crab rangoons to go along with it. I looked at multiple recipes before I decided this was the cashew chicken I’d try to make. Thank you for such a delicious and easy to follow recipe. It’s going to become a staple for sure. 🙂
Sounds like you nailed it Ambow!
I made this tonight. My pack of chicken thighs was more than a pound. I used red bell pepper I stead of green, and I added a bag of snap peas, doubling the sauce to make up for the added bulk. I also used dry sherry instead of Chinese wine, since that’s what I hadbon hand. Sweet baby Jesus this was outrageously good!!!!!!! My son and I ate it for dinner and I portioned the rest out with steamed brown rice for four lunches to eat throughout the week. You never let me down, but this one knocks it out of the park. This is going to the front of our dinner and meal prep rotation.
Wahoo!!!! That’s awesome to hear Bee!
Gotta say WOW! ANd thanks for some awesome recipes! Cooked this for the family (teenagers who don’t think their Dad can cook 😱) tonight and first time in a long time they all went back for seconds, even if stealing it straight from the pan!! That’s gotta be good right?!
Must admit, when I first made the marinade I found it quite salty so made a 2nd batch with 2tblsp regular soy. In hindsight maybe the saltiness would’ve died done a little with the extra water not non the less it was still a winner!
Massaman Beef is next on my list to try. Or Thai Basil Beef maybe?? Thanks for making it so hard to choose Nagi 👍🏼😃
That’s so great to hear Matt, you’re the new star in the kitchen!!!
My mouth has been watering since I saw this recipe last week and I’ve been super excited about trying it out ever since. It does not disappoint one bit! It’s delicious! The chicken is SO TENDER. Don’t skip the link where she explains the Chinese method for tenderising chicken – it works better than anything else I’ve ever tried or heard of or tasted or blargh!!! This recipe is perfection. 😀 😀 😀
I’m so glad you love it Charlie, thanks so much for letting me know!
Sweet baby Jesus. This is so delicious. I only had chicken breast on hand so I followed your instructions for velveting chicken… life changing!! I’ve always wondered how Chinese restaurants got it so tender! This tasted just like Chinese takeaway and I’m in heaven 😍
Hi. Would love to try this recipe but have allergy to all shellfish. Can you recommend a substitution for the oyster sauce? Thanks
Hi LFJ, there’s an oyster sauce substitute that’s based on Mushrooms – it’s the perfect sub- N x
Thanks so much! Will begin the hunt.
I follow all of your recipes and you have never put me wrong love love!! Please keep posting, my family think I’m a great cook lol
Haha I LOVE this Caroline!
Very nice flavour and really does taste like take-away, though too salty for my liking. I increased the quantity of veg and used less chicken. Next time I’ll use less soy sauce, oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine. I think this will become part of the regular rotation of dinner! Yum!
Another awesome recipe. You are my go to website for searching for new meal ideas.
Thanks!
Thanks so much Helen – N x
everyone loved. thanks
That’s awesome Mandy!
Thank you so much Nagi for all your fantastic recipes – I’m like Nagi this, Nagi that to everyone! I love the fact that most of the ingredients are in the pantry and you include substitutes and they’re easy for busy or regular home cookers. I especially like that everything tastes delicious. Keep ’em coming 😁
That’s so nice to hear Kathryn! – N x
Hi Nagi,
Can I use your Charlie sauce in this dish? If so, what quantity?
Cheers.
This dish was amazing! I substituted snow peas and carrot for the capsicum. The kids all loved it and asked for it to become a regular in the rotation and said it was better than the Chinese takeaway. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes Nagi!
Winner winner chicken dinner Jen!
Always a hit when I make this. Thx for making me look good Nagi!
Wahoo, I’m so glad it’s a hit John ❤️
Yummy! Made this for Sunday lunch and it was a hit with my boyfriend! I used vegetarian oyster sauce and Quorn meatless pieces in mine. It was so much better than take out.
That’s awesome to know Kristina!
WINNER WINNER
CHICKEN DINNER !!
Yessss!
I honestly love your recipes and have tried loads, this being my favourite. Feel like a proper cook when I make this, everyone loves it. I have leftovers – can you freeze it??
Hi Charlotte! Just added a note about freezing – flavour wise it holds up fine but sauces thickened with cornflour tend to become a bit watery once frozen 🙂 still perfectly tasty though, just a thinner sauce! N x
Does what it says on the “tin” AWESOME recipe….will never order again from a restaurant as this is the BEST!!
You’re totally converted Scott!!! Welcome to the dark side!
Hi Nagi
Just wondering what type of Soy Sauce you use ? I made this super easy recipe but it seemed to be too salty, almost like it needed a sweet flavour in the sauce ?
Thanks so much !
Hi Teresa, all purpose or light as per the recipe – N x