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. 🤓
Made this last night. What an absolute delight to eat. Flavours galore. The BEST chicken and cashew meal I have ever cooked. Thanks Nagi.
Made this last night and it was delicious. I added some bamboo shoots and next time will throw in some carrot and baby corns just cause I love veggies. Amazing tip on tenderising chicken… love love love your blog (and recipes)!
Thanks for the kind words, Jilly, and so glad you enjoyed the recipe! — Nxx
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but people MUST know….this is the best cashew chicken I have ever made at home! It rivals our local Chinese restaurant. I am super picky, and I was impressed! We doubled the recipe for lunch leftovers, added diced water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and chopped zucchini for extra veggies. This is now a family favorite!! Thank you SO much!
Thanks so much Ashley!!! Who needs take out now?!
I love your site. I love Chinese food and would love to try your recipes. I am allergic to oyster sauce and cannot have it. What could I substitute for it. Any help is appreciated. Thank you very much. The recipes I have tried on your site are very good
Hi Mary, I’ve heard of a mushroom based “oyster” sauce which is a great substitute ☺️
how do I print this??
Hi Joy, there is a printer icon in the recipe box. If you click this, it will open a printable window with the recipe card in it ❤️
Delicious and so easy!! Yet another one to add to my family recipe repertoire!!
Woot, thank you!
Amazing! Made this last night for my visitors, everyone loved it. It’s easy, quick and so so good. Your recipes are amazing. Great job, Nagi.
Thanks so much Elly!!
Wow! Wow! Another awesome recipe. Nagi, this was simply off the hook delicious and so easy! There isn’t a week that goes by that at least one of your recipes is cooked for dinner in my house. I look forward to your new recipes every week and love browsing your existing ones…what a treasure trove of sublime goodness!!! Thank you!
Thanks so much Annie, I’m so happy you loved this one! ❤️
Made this dish tonight! Another big hit! Thank you so much for your delicious recipes! Added carrots, mushrooms and broccoli instead of green peppers! Used your tenderizing technique for the chicken as well!! Fabulous!
Awesome Diana, you could really add whatever vegetables that you have. Sounds like you nailed it!
Another winner! Kids loved it as did the husband. We doubled the recipe and he has lunch for the next day. Added snow peas. Thanks for another great after work dinner!!
Made this a few days ago….so easy and sooo delicious! The only thing I did different was use a red pepper and chopped up a head of baby book choi! The colors were bright. Will try some snow peas next time. Thanks for another great recipe!
Sounds fabulous Karen, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I love that you can throw it together really quickly using ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard, and get such a great result. Will definitely make again.
Awesome Claire!
Another amazing recipe, thank you! Even my fussy toddler loved it.
I want to make this, however, I am a vegan and would like to know what to substitute for the oyster sauce. I have seitan chicken that I make myself and will probably use the mirin substitute as you mentioned, but I don’t know what to use in place of the oyster sauce.
Wegman’s in the US sells a “Vegetarian Oyster Style Sauce” that’s marked as vegan.
I absolutely love your recipes. So far, I’ve made the cashew chicken and the butter chicken with flat bread. I plan to make your fluffy blue berry pancakes and the latest, your curry rice. It looks delicious. I’m glad I found your site. Thank you.
I hope you love them Deborah!
Made this tonight, absolutely delicious, way better than any I have gotten through take out. I used baby bok choi and snow peas instead of green pepper. Will be making it again for sure
Yum, good way to use Ceshew the one got for Xmas. On packet it says: big fat cashew….No comment. Dozer looks Smart with glasses. Over here at last heatwave has back off for now. Enjoye weekend.
Yes, great way to use them!
Another winner. Thank you. Working my way though your recipes, can’t believe how spot on every recipe is on taste and ingredients.
Thanks so much Mona, what a great compliment!
Tried it last night and wow, what a dish !!!!!
I only had chicken breasts so did what you suggested and tenderised it. What a difference it made to it. I will be using that method whenever I use breasts from now on.
The only substitution I made was the oyster sauce. Our supermarket didn’t have any so I used hoisin – I think I remember reading they could be swapped.
Looking forward to trying other recipes in the Chinese takeaway section.
Thanks, as always x
Yes, it’s a great way to tenderise breast! I’m so glad you loved it!
This is so delicious! I used water chestnuts instead of the green pepper. I used oyster sauce, as the recipe calls for, but I’m wondering if it would be okay in the future to substitute with hoisin sauce. I have a glut of hoisin sauce in my pantry that I’m trying to figure out how to use it up. Thanks!
Hi Jocelyn, I’m so glad you loved it! Hoisin has a slightly different flavour and differs depending on brand – but should be ok to substitute. – N x
Im going to try this soon. But one question .. i saw they are adding sugar to the mix .. shoud i do that?