Cashew Chicken

ByRasa Malaysia

4.87 from 15 votes

Published Apr 05, 2019

Updated Sep 03, 2024

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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.

Silky Chicken with Brown Cashew Chicken Sauce in a bowl.

Table of Contents

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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.

How To Make Cashew Chicken Silky

Chinese Cashew nuts chicken with red and green bell peppers in a bowl.

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

Healthy and easy Asian stir-fry chicken cashew nuts.

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!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 515 calories per serving.

Homemade Chinese Stir-fry Chicken cashew nuts with brown cashew sauce in a bowl with chopsticks ready to serve.

What To Serve With This Recipe

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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Cashew Chicken
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4.87 from 15 votes

Cashew Chicken

By: Bee Yinn Low
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.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 people
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Ingredients  

  • 10 oz (280g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 5 slices ginger, peeled
  • 1 small red bell pepper, or green bell pepper, cut into small squares
  • 1/2 cup unsalted cashew nuts

Marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 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 cornstarch

Instructions 

  • Rinse the chicken breast with cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate it with cornstarch and rice wine (if using). In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the Sauce together and set aside.
  • Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry the chicken until it turns white (it doesn't need to be fully cooked). Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok or skillet. Then, add the ginger and bell pepper, stirring until you can smell the aromatic scent of the peppers. Return the chicken to the wok, then stir in the sauce. Toss and stir-fry continuously until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste.
  • Add the cashew nuts and stir quickly to combine. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 2people, Calories: 515kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 421mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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95 Comments

  1. Tom Pounds says:

    We love this recipe. It’s definitely better than any take out we’ve ever had. The only tweek that we consistently do is double or triple the sauce because it is so good. Your book is excellent and we always recommend it to anyone who wants to try making really delicious Chinese recipes at home. We wish you would publish some more books!

    Reply
    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Hi Tom, thanks for your sweet comment. Thanks for supporting my work and cookbook and no I won’t be writing another cookbook, it’s just too much work and the financial reward is low. :(

      Reply