Originally published on Sep 1, 2010. Updated with new photos.
I love Thai food. However, a lot of Thai recipes that I like are basically Chinese in origin, with local influences, which add an exciting layer of taste structure to the originals.
There are many examples: Rad Na, Pad See Ew, and in this case, cashew chicken.
In Chinese cuisine, these dishes are prepared the Chinese way, but the Thai versions are flavored with fish sauce or other local seasoning sauces such as sweet soy sauce, spices (yes!), chilies, and slightly varied ingredients.
The end results are always delicious, sometimes more delicious than the Chinese equivalents.
I always appreciate the local touch, which make good recipes even better!This spicy cashew chicken is adapted from my favorite Thai cookbook “Thai Cooking Made Easy.”
This variation of spicy cashew chicken is also popular in Southeast Asia. In fact, it’s one of my favorite chicken dishes whenever I eat out at local hot stir-fries stalls or restaurants when I am home in Malaysia.
To me, it’s the local interpretation of Chinese cashew chicken and Kung Pao Chicken, combined into this mouthwatering spicy Thai cashew chicken.
I know a lot of you love the spicy cashew chicken at Cheesecake Factory but I will assure you that my spicy cashew chicken tastes MUCH better than the sweetened up version they offer.
It’s savory, with just the right amount of heat, and the perfect balance of flavors, making it such a delight with steamed white rice.
The best thing of all, it’s super easy to make, takes just about 20 minutes from prep to dinner table. Fire up your wok or skillet, try my spicy cashew chicken recipe and you will soon add it to your dinner rotation.
This Recipe Goes Well with:
Other Recipes You Might Like
Spicy Chicken with Cashew Nuts Recipe
Spicy Cashew Chicken – easy and delicious chicken with cashew nuts with just the right amount of heat. Takes 20 mins to make and much better than takeout.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small onion, cut into halves
- 6-8 finger-length dried red chilies, seeded and cut into halves
- 1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts, rinsed and drained
- 8 oz chicken, cut into small cubes
- 1 scallion, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-in lengths
Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce or Maggi seasoning sauce / Golden Mountain sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar or to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
-
Heat up a wok and add the oil. When the oil is heated, add the garlic, onion, dried red chilies and stir-fry until fragrant or when you smell the spicy aroma of the chilies. Add the cashew nuts and follow with the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until the surface turns opaque. Add all the ingredients for the Sauce into the wok and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is cooked. Stir-in the scallion, dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Recipe Notes
To learn more about the different soy sauces used in Thai cooking, please check out this great post by She Simmers.
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Jonathan
My girlfriend spent much of her childhood in Malaysia, eating food from the various stalls and restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Here in the US, she has a tortured relationship with cashew chicken–it never tastes like the dishes she had while growing up. I may make this recipe for her. It seems similar to what we ate when we visited KL several years ago. Thanks for maintaining this great website!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jonathan, thanks. Yes Malaysian spicy cashew chicken is AMAZING. This is very similar to what we have there.
Gaya
Thank you so much for the recipes. 1st trial turns out good. Waiting to try other dishes as well.
Tim
Hi, quick question. Do they sell Golden Mountain sauce in Malaysia? Where can I purchase it? Anywhere in Johor Bahru? Thanks!
Farah
Hi, tried this today but used oyster sauce because I dont have fish sauce. But the taste was amazing nonetheless. great recipe, thanks so much!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes oyster sauce works. :)
Melinda
Hi. WHAT is sweet soy sauce? if I t find it, is there anything I can replace it with?
Rasa Malaysia
Just put soy sauce and add some sugar.
Oscar Ord
This looks yummy Bee! Why do I have to rinsed the roasted cashew nuts??
Glo Ross
What is fish sauce? What brand do you recommend?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Glo, Fish sauce is made of fresh achovies and salt, it’s used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. I recommend Red Boat fish sauce.
Jan
This looks yummy! You don’t specify light or dark meat chicken so can I use thighs, which would be my preference?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, white or dark meat is fine.
Liz
Looks and sounds so good. Thank you Bee.
Spices Online
Best Recipe. I loved it. Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe with us.
faleen
A question please.. In the recipe section for the sauce you list “1 teaspoon soy sauce/Maggi seasoning/Golden Mountain sauce” does that mean we add 1 teaspoon of each of those items listed, OR 1 teaspoon of any of them? Thank you in advance.
Rasa Malaysia
1 teaspoon of either of those.
André
Very close to the Thai-restaurant version, which I absolutely love! Great recipe — thank you very much for this one!!
The Toronto Dales
This recipe was delicious!! My husband and I loved it. Thanks for sharing..
Claire_F
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was looking for a recipe similar to my husband’s favorite Thai restaurant dish. This tastes exactly like it! I made it last weekend, and he raved and raved about it. I left out the sugar, and it tasted perfect. This has moved to the top of our favorites list. Thank you again!
StrawberryPocky
I can’t find dried red chilies in my local grocery store. Could I substitute it with a teaspoon of dried chili flakes instead?
raj
I will try this food making in our hotel
raj
I like your food merinet mathed
Crystal Dawn
I mixed this with some green peppers and mushrooms, and used steamed jasmine rice instead of white rice – it was delicious!
thai recipes
Its really healthy and tasty food. I really enjoyed the cooking
Jennifer
Can you use the same baking soda trick in this recipe that is used in the Chinese cashew chicken recipe?
Zehava Hefetz Levy
Where do I see the recipes?
for some reason I see only the pictures but not the recipe
have I misundersand something?
Thanke you
Rasa Malaysia
Please click page 2 for the recipe.
ML
Can shrimp be substituted in for chicken in this recipe?
siewyee
Hi there,
Just to let you know I tried this recipe and it turned out really delicious. Loved by my husband, mom-in-law and grandma-in-law! Am going to try the rest of your recipes real soon!
Jamak Aton Habi
Delicious! I love u r food presentation, creative!
Amelia Chee
Hi Bee, Congratulations on your bundle of joy! He is so cute! Cooked this spicy chicken and paired it with white rice. It’s delicious! Ribuan terima kasih for sharing!
Angie
Cooked this last night and hubby loved it.. he ate 2 bowls of rice!!
It was yummy and so easy to make.. thanks! :) and congrats on your little bundle of joy .. welcome to parenting 101 :))
Amir Said
i like your food presentation. awesome.
megs
Thanks very much for the great recipe i’m making it for a school project on malaysia and it looks delicious!!!!!!!
Rabeeya
I made this dish the day you posted it and i must say it turned out fabulous! i made some fried rice with it, and some stir fried garlic mushrooms to go with it, and my husband said he felt like he was eating food from a really great restaurant! (thats a compliment here in Pakistan, as home cooked chinese/thai is usually really bad)
thank u so much for such a lovely recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
Rabeeya – thanks for your sweet comment and I am happy to hear that my recipe is as great as a restaurant. :)
yangsha
This dish sound delicious! I’m a big fan of Thai food. I have tried other numerous Kung Pao recipes and it didn’t taste so great. Hopefully, this will one will alter my mind. The picture is perfectly taken @ a great angle.
One question, which of the 3 ingredients (maggie, soy, golden mountain) do you recomend using in stir-fries?
Rasa Malaysia
Maggi or Golden Mountain will give you the deeper and better flavor. If you don’t have either, then use soy sauce.
Nate @ House of Annie
Yum! This is something I will try out.
Sharon
Hi, With the Spicy Chicken with Cashews recipe I couldn’t see an answer to the question Is it 1 teaspoon of all the three ingredients for the sauce on the first line of the sauce ingredients ? I must cook this dish tomorrow as I am drooling just thinking about it.
Rasa Malaysia
Use either of the sauce.
Alta
This looks so drool-worthy! I love Thai too.
Quay Po Cooks
This dish is delicious and it is one that pleases the Western palette as well. When my hubby first came to Malaysia, all he knows is 2 Chinese dishes, Sweet Sour Port and Kung Po Chicken LOL!
Delishhh
Love this dish. You can find it in almost every country with its own little twist.
Simon
This is a delicious thai classic. It’s probably the most popular thai dish here next to Neua pad nam man hoi (stir fried beef with oyster sauce), pad thai and Tom yum kung/kai.
We have a amazing little thai cafe here named Thai Orchid Cafe. Home made quality thai food at it’s best. Glad that you posted this classic here bee.
Keep up the good work.
Shareena
I cooked this today! It is delicious! thank you !!
Rasa Malaysia
That’s great that you tried this recipe. I hope you will make it again! :)
lotsofcravings
interesting to see the thai interpretation of what looks to me almost like a classic kung poh chicken..would definitely like to try out the receipe!
Jeune
I am sure this is delicious but I was thinking of pork instead of chicken.
Ronald
i had once in a chinese restaurant they fry with black vinegar..tastes great too!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes a little bit black vinegar is great for this dish. I use black vinegar in my Kung Pao Chicken.
momgateway
Looks lovely, Bee. I’m a fan of Thai food too so this is something we will try at home.
Ivy @ My Simple Food
Hi!! This is a popular dish. Fish sauce will definitely add another dimension to the taste. Will try this recipe.
[email protected] Penang
My mouth is watering now..Thanks Bee for featuring this. I love it with lots of cashews!
Quay Po Cooks
Oh I love this dish.. Can also replace the chicken with cuttle fish if you do not mind so much the cholesterol! LOL!
Rasa Malaysia
Of course, actually, cuttlefish is perfect for this dish. Yummy, or squid!
TasteHongKong
No wonder why I also love Malaysian foods : ). I love cashews, believing it as a healthy alternative to peanuts.
OCR
Nice recipe! Simple and looks easy for a newbie like me to attempt! :D I have a question though – does the recipe call for raw cashew nuts? Can I use those that are already fried/toasted?
Tony
great looking recipe! do you use 1tsp of all three items in the first line of the sauce ingredients? thank you
tigerfish
I thought it looks like Kung Po chicken too and like you, I definitely prefer cashew to peanuts :)
Su-yin
I put cashews in practically all my chicken stir fries, hehe. Haven’t eaten Kung Pao chicken in ages, will need to cook this soon!
Sara
YUM!!! Bee this looks sooo good! I love cashews in savory dishes!! :)
Laura @ Raise Your Garden
I love cashews yes in savory dishes but also discovered how awesome cashews are with chicken. Our Local grocery store Wegmnas (best grocery store in the world) makes a recipe like this pre-made but it’s 10 bucks a pound! Need to make instead.
June
I love this dish. In Malaysia, this is called Kung Pao Chicken, haha, it’s always served at tai chow stalls. Love it. YUMMY!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you are correct. This is the Kung Pao Chicken in Malaysia. I don’t really like Kung Pao Chicken with peanuts. Cashew nuts are so much better.
Simon
Then I got a luxury problem there haha. I’m allergic to peanuts, so i have no other choice but using cashews instead.
Tasha
I agree! Cashews for the win! Recipe was fab too. Thanks a lot!