Chinese Cashew Chicken | A Glug of Oil

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, so they don’t dry out as quickly when cooking.

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.

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

Sauce ingredients

• ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

• dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Main ingredients

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

• red bell pepper (capsicum)

• spring onions (green/scallions) 

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)

What equipment will I need?

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

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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
• 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 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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