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Cashew Chicken
5 from 81 votes

Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken is a stir-fried dish featuring diced chicken breast, broccoli, and bell pepper tossed in a hoisin-soy sauce enhanced with garlic, ginger, and scallions. The chicken is lightly coated in cornstarch for a tender texture, while cashews add crunch. The sauce is thickened and coats the ingredients, resulting in a balanced savory and slightly sweet flavor profile.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast diced into 1-inch pieces, boneless, skinless
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch divided, 2 tsp
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil divided
  • salt or black pepper
  • white pepper or black pepper
  • 6 Tbsp chicken broth then more as needed, low-sodium or water
  • 3 1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 4 green onion chopped, plus more for serving if desired
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 cups broccoli small pieces, diced florets
  • 1 bell pepper chopped, medium
  • 3/4 cup cashews roughly chopped, unsalted
  • sesame seeds for serving (optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a mixing bowl, toss chicken with 1 Tbsp cornstarch to evenly coat. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. 
  2. Once oil is hot, add half of the chicken, and cook stirring frequently, until chicken is is golden brown and has cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
  3. Transfer chicken to a plate and add another 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil to skillet. Cook remaining chicken until golden brown and cooked through, then transfer to plate with first batch of chicken.
  4. In a mixing bowl (or liquid measuring cup used to measure chicken broth), whisk together chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil and remaining 2 tsp cornstarch until well blended, set aside.
  5. Heat remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat. Add in green onions, garlic, ginger, broccoli and bell pepper and saute until veggies are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. 
  6. Pour in hoisin sauce mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce boils and thickens (don't let it reduce it will be too salty, just cook long enough to thicken). Thin with 1 - 2 more tablespoons of broth or water if desired. 
  7. Remove from heat, add chicken, veggies and cashews to sauce and toss to evenly coat. Serve warm with white or brown rice, cauliflower "rice" or quinoa and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.
  8. Recipe has been updated to include broccoli and bell pepper. Originally shared Jan. 2014.