Chinese Cashew Chicken

Possibly the best Cashew Chicken you'll ever have! 

A saucy chicken stir-fry that 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.

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

You can find out how in my post for Chinese chicken curry, there's a bit about 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. Add the chicken and mix, set it aside and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

In a wok, heavy based frying pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute, whilst stir-frying.

Now add chicken and cook for 2 minutes, and then add bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Now add the sauce and water. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit.

Have a taste of the sauce, you can add a tiny bit more ketjap manis to sweeten if you think it needs it.

Stir through in cashews and spring onion. 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, how to make Chinese chicken cashew,

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: 15 MinCook time: 6 MinTotal time: 21 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
• 1 medium-sized onion - chopped into 2cm pieces (brown or white)
• 2 garlic cloves - minced
• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum) - chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 70ml tablespoons water (approx. 5 tablespoons)
• 4 spring onions (green/scallions) - top, tailed and sliced on the diagonal - keeping a few of the green parts separate for serving
• 120g of roasted cashews

To marinate the chicken

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

For the sauce

• 3 tablespoon light soy sauce (do not use dark or your dish will be too salty)
• 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)

Instructions

To cook

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the oyster sauce and cornflour together to a thick paste. Add the chicken and mix to coat. Set aside and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
2. In a small jug add the sauce ingredients and mix well and set aside.
3. In a wok, heavy based frying pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute, whilst stir-frying.
4. Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes, and then add bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.
5. Now add the sauce and water. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit. Have a taste of the sauce, you can add a tiny bit more ketjap manis to sweeten.
6. Stir through the cashews and spring onion and after 30 seconds remove from the heat.
7. Sprinkle over a few of the green parts from the spring onions and serve immediately with rice.

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