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Cashew Chicken - Delicious and easy cashew chicken recipe with tender and silky chicken in Chinese brown sauce. Homemade is so much better than takeout.
Table of Contents
Chinese Cashew Chicken
There are many recipes online, but I am going to teach you the best homemade and authentic Chinese cashew chicken recipe that tastes just like takeout from the best Chinese restaurants.
The secret to becoming an expert on this recipe lies in the silky velveting techniques of the chicken and the sauce. Master those and you won’t need takeout again, believe me.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Thai Cashew Chicken
- Honey Cashew Chicken
- Spicy Cashew Chicken
How to Make Cashew Chicken “silky”
If you have been to a good Chinese restaurant, you would notice that the chicken is extremely tender and silky smooth – almost velvety. Yes, most Chinese chefs “treat” the chicken with baking soda.
Baking soda removes the potential “meaty” odor from the meat and tenderizes at the same time (learn all about it in my Cook’s Note). Pairing the velvety chicken with crunchy cashew nuts adds texture and tastes absolutely delicious.
Cashew Chicken Sauce
What kind of sauce is used? Like most Chinese stir-fry, the sauce is a Chinese brown sauce that is made of oyster sauce, soy sauce, water (or chicken broth) and sugar.
For authentic flavors, sesame oil, ground white pepper and Chinese rice wine are also used to make the sauce. Lastly, corn starch is added to thicken up this traditional sauce.
Tips for the Best Cashew Chicken
- Use chicken breasts for the best result.
- Do not skimp on the cashews – include loads of cashew nuts.
- The brown sauce is the soul of this dish, so get the best quality Chinese soy sauce and oyster sauce.
- Add red or green bell peppers and cook in a wok or skillet. Make some steamed rice to go with it and you don’t need Chinese takeout ever again!
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 515 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Garlic Sesame Noodles
Garlic Mushroom Bok Choy
Chinese Fried Rice
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Cashew Chicken
Cashew Chicken - crazy delicious and easy cashew chicken recipe with tender and silky chicken in Chinese brown sauce. Homemade is so much better than takeout, and it's perfect for busy weeknights.
4.86 from 14 votes
By Bee Yinn Low
Yield 2 people
Prep 20 minutes mins
Cook 5 minutes mins
Total 25 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 10 oz (280g) boneless and skinless chicken breast (cut into small cubes)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 5 slices peeled ginger
- 1 small red or green bell pepper (cut into small squares)
- 1/2 cup unsalted cashew nuts
Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (optional)
Sauce:
- 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 dashes ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
Instructions
Rinse the chicken breast with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate with corn starch and rice wine (if using). Mix all the ingredients for the Sauce together. Set aside.
Heat up a wok or skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the chicken until they turn white (not bot completely cooked). Dish out and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil into the wok or skillet and add the ginger and bell pepper. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers, then add the chicken back in. Stir in theSauce and toss and stir fry continuously until the chicken is cooked and the sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.
Add the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
To make the chicken extremely tender like Chinese restaurants, you may use 1 tablespoon of baking soda to tenderize the chicken. In a bowl, add the baking soda to the chicken. Use a spoon to mix well so the baking soda coats the chicken evenly. Leave on for 5 minutes before rinsing the chicken off with cold water. Make sure you rinse the chicken well so there is no residue on the chicken. Pat dry with paper towels before marinating with corn starch and rice wine.
Course: Chinese Recipes
Cuisine: Chicken
Keywords: Cashew Chicken
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Cashew Chicken
Amount Per Serving (2 people)
Calories 515Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 91mg30%
Sodium 421mg18%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 37g74%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
