![](https://www.iforgotsalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cashew-chicken-small.png)
![](https://www.iforgotsalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cashew-chicken-small.png)
This delicious cashew chicken recipe was half an exercise in my ongoing project to recreate my favorite take-out dishes from scratch (including lemon tofu, general tso’s tofu, and pad thai), half an attempt to clear what leftovers I could from our fridge before we left to spend the holidays with Alex’s family in New England. I managed to burn both the cashews and myself over the course of this whole process, but our dinner still emerged from the wok in top form, tasting wonderful!
One thing I didn’t manage, though, was posting this recipe before hopped in the car for our long pilgrimage North. In the chaos of spending just thirty minutes shy of forty-eight hours straight awake to facilitate the trip, it completely slipped my mind. A full Friday of work, running errands, preparing meals to eat along the way, and packing the car rolled right into an hour-long nap, 3:00AM wake-up call, and 5:00AM departure.
Thankfully, though, I uploaded a few pictures before we left! I don’t have many shots for this cashew chicken recipe due to a somewhat failed lighting experiment, but the two that I do have are decent enough to post. Learning how to take proper photos has been something of a learning curve, and I haven’t quite mastered it yet. Practice makes perfect, though, and I am looking forward to improving even more in the new year!
![](https://www.iforgotsalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cashew-chicken-3-small.png)
![](https://www.iforgotsalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cashew-chicken-3-small.png)
Crisp vegetables, crunchy nuts, tender chicken, and a well-rounded sauce packed with umami flavors help elevate this cashew chicken dish far above what you can get at your local delivery joint–and in the same amount of time, too! I am very proud that this was my last “new” dish of 2019. The first batch of leftovers barely lasted twenty-four hours in the fridge before being eaten–the true sign of a successful recipe. I’m really looking forward to a new year of culinary adventures as I continue learning how to cook. Who knows what the new year will bring!
This recipe makes four (4) servings.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken thighs
- 2 yellow squash, medium
- 2 bell peppers, red
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, whole
- 1/2 cup cashews, roasted
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- juice of 1 lime
- zest of 1 lime
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp gochugaru/red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water
Directions:
- In a dry nonstick pan on medium-low heat, gently roast cashews for 5-7 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Roughly chop onion, yellow squash, and bell peppers. Rinse and set aside.
- Slice chicken into roughly bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch. Add to a small bowl and toss with minced garlic, minced ginger, sesame oil, white pepper, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients (soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic powder, gochugaru, cornstarch dissolved in water) and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Heat wok to medium-high/high. When hot, add chicken to wok and immediately begin stirring. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until chicken has begun to brown on the edges. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Add chopped vegetables and whole mushrooms to the still-hot wok and immediately begin stirring. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables have begun to brighten in color and soften.
- Add sauce mixture and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until sauce has begun to thicken.
- Return chicken to the wok and add roasted cashews. Toss to coat, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add lime juice and lime zest. Stir to incorporate.
- Serve over white rice, topped with additional cashews, lime juice, and sesame seeds.
This recipe keeps wonderfully in the fridge for a few days, although the cashews start to get a bit soft after twenty-four hours. That didn’t bother us, though! You can easily reheat this in the microwave and have delicious and healthy lunches for the week without worry.
![](https://www.iforgotsalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cashew-chicken-4-small.png)
![](https://www.iforgotsalt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cashew-chicken-4-small.png)
Sweet and Tangy Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 2 yellow squash medium
- 2 bell peppers red
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms whole
- 1/2 cup cashews roasted
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- juice of 1 lime
- zest of 1 lime
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp gochugaru/red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water
Instructions
- In a dry nonstick pan on medium-low heat, gently roast cashews for 5-7 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Roughly chop onion, yellow squash, and bell peppers. Rinse and set aside.
- Slice chicken into roughly bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch. Add to a small bowl and toss with minced garlic, minced ginger, sesame oil, white pepper, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients (soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, gochugaru, cornstarch dissolved in water) and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Heat wok to medium-high/high. When hot, add chicken to wok and immediately begin stirring. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until chicken has begun to brown on the edges. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Add chopped vegetables and whole mushrooms to the still-hot wok and immediately begin stirring. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables have begun to brighten in color and soften.
- Add sauce mixture and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until sauce has begun to thicken.
- Return chicken to the wok and add roasted cashews. Toss to coat, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add lime juice and lime zest. Stir to incorporate.
- Serve over white rice, topped with additional cashews, lime juice, and sesame seeds.
1 comment
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.