Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 15 votes

20-minute Chicken With Cashew Nuts And Peppers

A homemade version of the classic Chinese takeout chicken with cashew nuts with peppers. The magic ingredient in this is Chinese five spice. Make it once and it'll become a family favourite!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 275 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the stir-fry
  • 2 chicken breasts or 4 thighs, cut into smallish pieces
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch (UK/Australia = cornflour)
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine or rice wine vinegar (I just use whichever I have)
  • 2 peppers (US bell peppers, Australia capsicum) preferably one green & one red, chopped into big(ish) pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed or sliced thinly
  • 5 cm-long piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced into small pieces
  • 1 large onion chopped into chunky pieces
  • 4 spring onions/scallions finely chopped (optional)
  • ½ cup cashew nuts roasted unsalted are best
For the sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1½ teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine or rice wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar brown or white are both fine, or use honey if you prefer
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. ‘Marinate’ the chicken in a bowl with the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of rice wine/rice wine vinegar while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. Prepare the sauce by whisking together all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, then set aside.
  3. Heat up a wok or heavy-based wide pan with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then stir fry the chicken pieces for a few minutes until they are just cooked. Take the chicken out of the pan, put it onto a plate and set aside.
  4. Add a little more oil to the pan and stir fry the peppers, garlic, ginger and onion together for a few minutes on a high heat.
  5. Add the chicken back into the pan along with the sauce and cook for a few more minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the chicken is cooked through.
  6. At the last minute, add in the cashew nuts and spring onions/scallions. Give everything a final quick stir. Serve immediately with rice or noodles.

Notes

  • As with any stir-fry, I highly recommend preparing all the ingredients and whisking together the sauce before you start cooking. Then it's just a case of cooking the meat, taking it out of the pan, cooking the veggies, then tossing everything together with the sauce. 
  • Chicken breast or thighs? Your  choice, honestly! I used to mostly make this with breasts, but these days I usually buy thighs because they're cheaper. Just trim the thighs to get rid of any excess fat.
  • A note on the cashew nuts: I’d recommend only making as much of this as you need for one meal because the cashew nuts go a little soft when re-heated. Another option is to sprinkle the cashew nuts over each dish as you serve it so that if you have any leftovers your nuts will be safe.
  • Alternatively, take the food that you think you aren't going to eat today out of the pan BEFORE adding the cashew nuts. This way you can reheat any leftovers without the cashews and stir them in afterwards so that they are nice and crisp. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 275kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 29g (58%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 72mg (24%) Sodium 803mg (33%) Potassium 753mg (22%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 374IU (7%) Vitamin C 55mg (61%) Calcium 45mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 275

% Daily Value*

Calories 275kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 29g 58%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 803mg 33%
Potassium 753mg 16%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 374IU 7%
Vitamin C 55mg 61%
Calcium 45mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.