The combination of fresh vegetables, crunchy cashews, and tender chicken makes this dish a complete meal all in one pan. Simply marinate the chicken for an hour or overnight, and it will taste even better than takeout. If you’re looking for more Asian-inspired recipes to add to your rotation, check out my Crock Pot Teriyaki Steak Bites, Healthy Orange Chicken, and Thai Peanut Noodles with Shrimp!
Chicken breast: I use 1 lb. of chicken breasts (about 2 breasts) for this recipe, but feel free to add more or less depending on how much protein you like in your meals! Soy sauce: Soy sauce is a pantry staple ingredient that adds that punch of umami flavor to the cashew chicken sauce. It’s also the basis for great Chinese dishes and gives that classic, even-better-than-takeout flavor. Sesame oil: Sesame oil brings out the flavor of soy sauce, and it also adds an earthy, nutty flavor to this stir fry. A little goes a long way! Hoisin Sauce: I love adding hoisin sauce to my stir-fry meals. It tastes like a sweet-tart, savory Asian Barbecue Sauce and it’s amazing! Mirin: Mirin is subtly sweet, slightly tangy rice wine. It’s a perfect addition to this cashew chicken recipe. Honey or maple syrup: You can use either honey or maple syrup for this recipe. Both add a nice touch of sweetness and help to balance out the savory flavors of soy sauce and sesame oil. Ground ginger powder or fresh Ginger: Ground ginger powder helps incorporate a hint of peppery, slightly citrus-y flavor. A little goes a long way, but if you don’t enjoy the taste of ginger, feel free to leave this out of the stir fry.
Garlic powder or fresh garlic: Garlic powder helps to season the chicken breasts along with the simple salt and pepper seasoning. If you like extra garlic-y flavor, you can also add minced garlic before stir-frying the chicken with the vegetables. Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds another great layer of flavor to this Cashew Chicken Stir Fry, but if you don’t have it in your pantry, water is perfectly fine as well. Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch to the sauce helps to thicken the sauce and create an amazing glaze. This makes sure that your sauce isn’t too runny when you serve this Cashew Chicken Stir Fry with rice! Cashews: Cashews make this stir fry stand out from all other Chinese chicken stir fry recipes! Slightly toasting the cashews brings out that nutty flavor and adds an even crunchier texture to this dish.
Carrots: Carrots add great color and crunchy texture to this Cashew Chicken Stir Fry. Feel free to buy pre-sliced carrots if you are running low on time. Dice them into 1-inch cubes for bite-sized pieces. Edamame: Edamame also adds great color and texture to this Chinese chicken stir fry and is a great plant based protein. Fresh or frozen edamame work equally as well. Snow peas: Snow peas add a tender yet crisp texture. Be sure to trim the ends and remove the thin string from one side of the snow pea, or buy frozen or prepared snow peas. Other veggies you can add: Sugar snap peas, broccoli, water chestnuts, baby corn, mushrooms, yellow bell pepper.
