Love quick and easy dinner recipes? This one is for you! This Easy Cashew Chicken takes less than 30 minutes to make and is way better than takeout! Add it to your menu this week! Love chicken? Make sure to check out these 30 Easy Chicken Recipes!
You guys have to put this Easy Cashew Chicken recipe on your menu this week! It is so easy and is just loaded with flavor! When I say better than takeout, I mean WAY better! And this recipe will take less time to make than ordering and picking up takeout too!
My family loves Chinese food and I have found over the years that making it at home is so much better than takeout. This simple Chinese Cashew Chicken recipe is sure to be a hit with your family, just like it was with mine.
Cashew Chicken Recipe
This easy dinner recipe took less than 30 minutes to make AND my family l-o-v-e-d it! I’m talking, not one piece of rice or chicken left on their plates. That is what I call a success!
Not only is this cashew chicken quicker than takeout, it tastes a whole heck of a lot better too.
What You’ll Need
There are a few specialty items that you may not have in your pantry if you don’t make stir fry all that often. That said, each of these ingredients can be found in the Asian section at your grocery store:
- hoisin sauce
- chili garlic sauce
- chicken broth or water
- boneless skinless, chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- cornstarch
- vegetable oil
- onion
- garlic cloves
- rice vinegar
- green onions
- unsalted roasted cashews
- cooked white rice
Special Equipment
- Now you can obviously use a wok to make this stir fry but a nice wide deep skillet will also do the trick.
- A garlic mincer comes in handy if you want to cut back on the chopping.
- Using a whisk makes quick work of the sauce ingredients.
If you like good, fast, eats, this recipe is for you! In fact, I’ve got an entire cookbook today that is all about good, fast, eats and it’s the filled with deliciously amazing recipes just like this one!
When Amy first told me about her new book, Good Fast Eats, I was so excited! I mean, really, what mom doesn’t want fast and delicious meals for their families? I love this cookbook SO much! It’s filled with amazing recipes, gorgeous photos, and it’s perfectly laid out.
Just last night I served up this Easy Cashew Chicken and Chris immediately requested that this be put in our regular rotation, and then grabbed the book and started marking recipes he wants me to make.
We served the cashew chicken over some steamed white rice but if you’re feeling energetic, making up some fried rice would also be delish.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Marinade
- Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
- Honey Balsamic Chicken
- 20 Minute Sesame Chicken with Broccoli
- Buttermilk Ranch Oven Fried Chicken
How To Make Cashew Chicken
Easy Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth or water
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless, chicken thighs , cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 6 green onions diced
- ¾ cup unsalted roasted cashews
- cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Whisk together hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, and chicken broth in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Transfer chicken to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle corn starch on top of chicken and toss to coat.
- In a large non stick pan, or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken, stirring often, until golden brown and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook for another 3 or 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Add rice vinegar and stir. Cook for another minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the hoisin mixture. Stir to combine and cook for another few minutes to warm through. Remove from heat.
- Stir in cashews and green onions. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve over cooked white rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published October 14, 2016. Updated February 18, 2018.
Marianne says
Hmmmm… Trish, you are the best Cook I has ever hear!
This chicken recipes… OMG!
Thank you very much!
Have a very pleasant week!
Marianne
Edwina says
I made this recipe and we all loved it – including the kids. I used green onions out of our veggie patch and I added some celery like one of the other readers suggested (because I like to add more vegetables for the kids). And it was delicious. We’ll be making this one again. It took me a bit longer to make it but that’s just because it was the first time. I know I’ll make it in less than the 30 minutes once I try it again! Thanks for including your big clear photos, I love seeing what it should look like before I make it.
Kate says
Loved the recipe! Tasted great and was so easy to make! Was disappointed to find out it does not contain only 6g of sugar per serving. 2 tbsp of hosin sauce contains 18g of sugar! After inputting the meal into MyFitnessPal there was about 21g of sugar per serving. We also found we only got 3 servings out of the meal, but that is probably due to the size of the chicken breast we used.
Would love to find an alternative to lower the sugar but aside from that, fantastic meal!
Mary Sue P. says
How important is the rice vinegar to this recipe for Easy Cashew Chicken? Is there something I can substitute? I don’t have any rice vinegar. Have everything else.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It’s pretty important as it adds a lot of flavor. You could leave out but you’d not get the full flavor experience for sure.
Susie says
Great recipes trish I love the commentary about your family! ?
Ginny Soule says
Both my husband and I love this dish. No reason to get it at take-out anymore. Do you provide the nutrition information anywhere?
Michelle H says
I discovered this recipe and your website this past summer. This one is a big favorite here. I added celery too. Thanks so much for all these great recipes, I love the commentary and hearing your family’s history with many of them.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Michelle! I get so many comments asking for *less* commentary lol! Hope the rest of your week is amazing!
Erlene says
Made this for my family and we love it. Thanks for a great recipe.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Wonderful! Thanks for stopping by!
Regan Martin says
Just made this for dinner tonight, and it was awesome, and SO EASY! It had the same flavor that our favorite Thai place makes! Yum! I’ll be adding sweet red peppers, pea pods and pineapple next time, and my hubby won’t know the difference! This is going on the favorites list! Thanks a bunch!
Diane says
The Easy Cashew Chicken recipe was so delicious! Easy to make too!! I love the crunch of the cashews…I added some celery and peapods and a tiny bit more chili sauce…so good and just the right amount of spice! Definitely a keeper!! ?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yay! Easy and delicious – we love it too!
Joni says
I have made the Almond Chicken twice now and my husband has asked that I not forget this recipe!!! Super easy and delicious.
Going to make the bacon wrapped chicken teriyaki bites tomorrow for Super Nowl weekend.
Rahul Yadav says
This is excellent. Easy, quick and tasty. Perfect for mid week dinner.
Rachel says
Wow! Easy to cook dinner. I would definitely try this recipe.
I love how you mixed the meat and veggies on this recipe.
Julie Evink says
Love making take out at home! This looks awesome!
Amy @Belly Full says
Thank you for this awesome review of my book, Trish! What would we do without easy and quick weeknight meals, right? I’m so thrilled you and the family loved this dish as much as we do!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You are SO welcome Amy! Your book is amazing! I’m so proud of you! 🙂