Chinese Cashew Chicken

Possibly the best cashew chicken you'll ever have!

A saucy chicken stir fry recipe you can adapt to suit your taste.

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You’ll have this on the table faster than ordering a takeaway, plus it’s healthier with fewer calories!

Plus, you know what you put in it - just saying!

A word on Chinese cooking wine

Also known as Shaoxing wine or Shaosing wine. I don't want to sound all dramatic, but I say it's vital!

It is the secret ingredient that will make your homemade Chinese food taste as good as it does from a takeaway.

Here in the UK, you'll find Chinese cooking wine in any good supermarket (avoid the supermarket's own brand though), as it won't be the same!

A word of warning, cooking wine is not suitable for drinking - only use it for cooking; it doesn't taste nice at all! 😮

Before you ask. No, I didn't try to drink it, I just tasted it once. 

However, when used in cooking, it will completely transform your dish; it not only seasons the sauce, but it will give it a depth of flavour too.

Your finished dish will taste just like it does in Chinese restaurants. 😉

Which chicken is best for stir fry?

Chicken thighs are best because thighs are juicier than chicken breast, so they don't dry out as quickly when cooking.

If I use chicken breast, I tenderise it using a Chinese restaurant technique using baking soda (bi-carb). It’s really easy to do.

Find out how to get soft, tender chicken in my post for Chinese chicken curry, there's a bit on How to Velvet Chicken.

Ready to cook?

Pour yourself a glass of wine (not the cooking wine)! Have a sip while you're doing the prep, as the whole thing takes just 6 minutes to cook!

Marinade ingredients

• cornflour (cornstarch)

• oyster sauce

Sauce ingredients

• light soy sauce 

• Chinese cooking wine

• ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

• sesame oil

• dried red pepper flakes (optional)

•  white pepper

Main ingredients

• skinless and boneless chicken thighs - trimmed of any fatty bits (thank you)! 😉

• vegetable/rapeseed oil

• onion (brown or white)

• garlic cloves

• red bell pepper (capsicum)

• spring onions (green/scallions) 

• roasted cashews

You'll find full instructions in the printable recipe card below 😊

Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the oyster sauce and cornflour together to form a thick paste. Add the chicken, mix well, set it aside and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

In a wok or heavy-based frying pan, stir fry the chicken until ‘almost’ cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside. 

Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic.

Then add the sauce and put the chicken back in. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.

Check the chicken is cooked. Have a taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Stir through cashews and spring onions and after 30 seconds remove from the heat.

Sprinkle over the green parts of the spring onions and serve immediately with rice.

You could add or swap out

• broccoli (chopped very small so it cooks)

• spinach (add when the dish has just been removed from the heat)

• green bell pepper

• bok choy

What equipment will I need?

• kitchen scales

• non stick wok

• wok spatula

• sharp knife

• chopping board

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

Chinese cashew chicken, easy cashew chicken recipe, how to make Chinese chicken

Main,

Chinese

Yield: 4

Author: Jan Bennett

Chinese Cashew Chicken

This is the best cashew chicken you'll ever have! Serves 4 (with sides).

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 7 MinTotal time: 17 Min

Ingredients

Main ingredients

• 600g skinless and boneless chicken thighs - cut into 2.5cm/1 inch pieces and trimmed of any fatty bits (thank you)!
• 2 tablespoons vegetable/rapeseed oil - divided
• 1 medium-sized brown/white onion - chopped into 2cm pieces (brown or white)
• 3 fat garlic cloves - very finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum) - deseeded and chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 4 spring onions (green/scallions) - top, tailed and sliced on the diagonal - keeping a few of the green parts separate for serving
• 100g of roasted cashews

To marinate the chicken

• 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce

For the sauce

• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon of white pepper
• 1 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• 60ml water

Instructions

To cook

1. Add the sauce ingredients (including the water) to a small jug. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a wok or heavy-based frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add chicken and stir-fry until ‘almost’ cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside.
3. Wipe the wok with kitchen paper, add the other tablespoon of oil and heat until hot.
4. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for a minute more.
5. Then add the sauce to the wok, and put the chicken back into the wok. Bring to a simmer and cook whilst stirring for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little bit. Stir-fry to cook the chicken evenly.
6. Check the chicken is cooked. Have a taste, and adjust the seasoning - you can add a bit more ketjap manis to suit your taste.
7. Stir through cashews and spring onions and after 30 seconds remove from the heat.
8. Sprinkle over a few of the green parts from the spring onions and serve right away with rice.

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