Oh hey! I’m back at it again with another spin on takeout! But to be honest, I’ve got a few more Asian-inspired recipes planned for the next week, so if it starts to get old or boring, I apologize. However, I promise these “better than takeout” recipes are going to knock your socks off, just like my orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken, sesame chicken and fried rice did… right?! If you haven’t tried them yet I strongly recommend starting with the first and just going on down the line 🙂 Now onto the cashew chicken!
I absolutely adore any Asian dish that has nuts and green onions in it! So cashew chicken seemed like a pretty good choice for dinner. It was easy to make and required ingredients I already had on hand. Sometimes that makes all the difference! We served ours along with some steamed rice and broccoli- it was filling, flavorful and totally hit the spot!
All you need to do is cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces, season it and partially cook it. Add in some garlic, green onion and then pour in the sauce. When the sauce thickens add in the remaining green onion and cashews and it’s ready to go! Easy, right? We added a few drops of Sriracha to ours just for a little kick, but that’s totally optional. The dish is great with our without it!
Next time you’re in the mood for a quick, easy and delicious takeout-inspired meal, you’ve gotta give this recipe a try! It’s a new family favorite!
Better Than Takeout Cashew Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1-1 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 6 green onions - cut into 1" pieces
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 3/4 cup roasted unsalted (or slightly salted) cashews
- Sriracha - optional
Instructions
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp. oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken (you may need to do two batches depending on the size of your skillet) and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned but not cooked throughout, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat if needed.
- Add the remaining vegetable oil to the skillet, when the oil is hot add the garlic and the white parts of the green onion, cook for a few minutes or until the onion is translucent (taking care not to burn the garlic), then add in the chicken. Turn the heat down to medium and add in the rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, water and sesame oil (add a few drops of Sriracha if desired). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, then add in the green parts of the onion and the cashews. Serve immediately.
NOTES
Nutrition
Recipe source: adapted from Once Upon a Chef
Made this today… Added 1 Tbsp of brown sugar and a pinch of cayenne vs siracha… Came out awesome! Left out sesame oil because I didnt have any and still turned out great
Made this tonight with a little alteration by using ginger instead of garlic and instead of boson (forgot to pick up) use sweet and sour sauce with the Wal-Mart stir fry veggies out of the freezer…. came out ????
Sounds delicious!
Made this tonight, delicious!!!!!!
Add a big spoon full of oyster sauce, 3-4 carrots and celery sticks with a pack of sliced mushrooms and it’s amazing
Hi Danielle, thanks for sharing your changes!