Easy Cashew Chicken | Cookies and Cups

This amazingly simple (and simply plain wonderful) Cashew Hen is a favourite weeknight dinner! Constituted of juicy rooster stir-fried with tender veggies in a tangy, savory Asian-inspired sauce. This 25-minute do-it-yourself recipe is one million occasions higher than takeout.

If you happen to love fast take out at residence impressed dinners, be certain to strive my Beef and Broccoli recipe!

Higher-Than-Takeout Cashew Hen Recipe

We’re no strangers to takeout on this household. I’m a sucker for the comfort of a scorching and prepared meal from our favourite native take out spot, however I additionally know there’s nothing higher than do-it-yourself! For the times when a craving strikes, this simple cashew rooster recipe has all of the acquainted Asian-style flavors that I like, made proper at residence (within the time it might take to have it delivered, too!). Like my Orange Chicken, this can be a restaurant-quality rooster dinner that anybody could make with a couple of fundamental components and a skillet.

The spicy and tangy cashew rooster sauce is simply next-level scrumptious, and you may make this recipe as delicate or as scorching as your loved ones prefers. If you happen to’re on the go all week lengthy, my cashew rooster is your new greatest pal. That is the kind of dinner you want in your life, belief me.

What Is Cashew Hen?

Cashew Hen is all the time my go-to order once we seize Chinese language take-out. It’s a well-liked dish comprised of rooster and greens, stir-fried with cashew nuts in a mixture of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The flavors are savory, just a little tangy, and a bit spicy (relying on how a lot chili is concerned). 

Enjoyable reality: You’ll discover completely different variations, together with Chinese language-style, like this one, and Thai cashew rooster, however cashew rooster was truly invented in Missouri! It’s extra of an American dish that’s Chinese language-inspired, created at a restaurant known as Leong’s Tea Home.

What You’ll Want

There are two components to this cashew rooster recipe: the flavorful stir-fry sauce, plus the rooster and different add-ins. Beneath is an summary of the assorted components you’ll want for each. Bear in mind to seek advice from the recipe card for the complete ingredient quantities!

For the Sauce

• Hoisin Sauce and Soy Sauce: Each of those conventional Asian condiments pack in a great deal of umami taste. Like soy sauce, hoisin sauce is comprised of soybeans, with extra spices, garlic, and chilies. It’s largely delicate, so that you’ll discover I spice it up with chili sauce in a while. You’ll discover hoisin sauce within the condiment aisle of most main supermarkets.
• Hen Broth: I like to recommend utilizing low-sodium rooster broth since components like soy sauce already comprise excessive quantities of sodium. You don’t need your sauce to return out overly salty.
• Honey: For a touch of pure sweetness. If you happen to don’t have honey readily available, brown sugar can be utilized as an alternative.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is one of the best for seasoning and flavoring Asian-style recipes. If you happen to don’t have it, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are good substitutes. 
• Sesame Oil: You’ll need to get your arms on some. Sesame oil has a particular taste that actually can’t be substituted in Chinese language-style cooking!
• Ginger: I extremely suggest utilizing freshly grated ginger on this cashew rooster stir fry sauce. It’s simple to grate utilizing a zester, and also you’ll discover contemporary ginger root in most grocery shops or markets. Floor ginger works in a pinch, however the taste simply doesn’t examine!
• Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
• Sriracha and Crushed Crimson Pepper: To beef up the spiciness of the sauce. I exploit sriracha for its barely candy chili taste. One other related chili sauce can even work. If you happen to’d favor a extra delicate sauce, be at liberty to adapt the quantity of chili or depart it out altogether.

For the Hen

• Hen: I exploit boneless skinless rooster breasts, minimize into skinny strips. Some folks favor to make use of boneless rooster thighs, which is completely wonderful additionally! You’ll additionally want canola oil or vegetable oil for sautéing the rooster.
• Greens: I exploit a mixture of snow peas, thinly-sliced carrots (julienne-style is greatest), and crispy water chestnuts in my cashew nut rooster, together with garlic for aromatics. You possibly can positively adapt this recipe with any greens you’d like. See in a while for simple variation concepts.
• Cashews: Everybody thinks the rooster is the star of the present right here, however actually, it’s the cashew nuts! Cashews grow to be wealthy and nutty as they cook dinner, lending a great deal of taste to the stir fry. Make sure to use unsalted cashews so that you simply don’t wind up with a dish that’s too salty.
• Jasmine Rice: I serve my cashew rooster over a mattress of fluffy jasmine rice. After all, you possibly can serve your stir fry nevertheless you’d like! Take a look at the part under for extra tasty serving recommendations and aspect dish concepts.

How you can Make Cashew Hen

Don’t be shocked if this cashew rooster is probably the most ridiculously simple dish you’ll make this week! When you whisk up your stir-fry sauce, simply 20 minutes is all it is advisable to sauté the components in a skillet. 

• Put together the Sauce: This half is tremendous simple. Merely whisk collectively all of the sauce components in a bowl, and set this apart for now.
• Brown the Hen: If in case you have a wok, now’s the chance to make use of it! In any other case, warmth a little bit of oil in a non-stick skillet on the stovetop. Give your rooster strips a sprinkle with salt and pepper, after which toss these into the skillet to sear on either side. I like to recommend working in batches, in order to not overcrowd the rooster items. Over medium-high warmth, the rooster ought to brown fairly rapidly.

• Cook dinner the Veggies: Switch the seared rooster items out of the pan and onto a plate. Subsequent, decrease the warmth and add the carrots and snow peas to the skillet to cook dinner till they’re crisp-tender. Afterward, stir within the garlic and water chestnuts.
• Mix: Now, it’s time to carry all of it collectively. Add the cooked rooster again to the skillet, and over low warmth, pour within the stir fry sauce. Sprinkle within the cashews, after which stir every little thing to coat whereas the sauce thickens and cooks. Dish up your do-it-yourself cashew rooster over rice or noodles, and dig in!

Suggestions for Success

Beneath are some remaining recipe notes to assist your cashew rooster come out precisely to your liking:

• Adapt the warmth ranges. If you happen to’re catering to milder palates, you possibly can adapt the quantity of chili on this recipe as wanted. Use roughly scorching sauce, or omit the chili altogether.
• Toast the cashews. If in case you have the time, calmly toasting the cashews in a pan with some oil brings out an much more nutty taste. You may also use pre-roasted cashews.
• Make it vegetarian. You possibly can simply swap out the rooster for tofu when you’re making a vegetarian stir-fry. Or, simply substitute the rooster with extra veggies! See under for simple variation concepts.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

I like meals like cashew nut rooster as a result of I infrequently run out of the way to customise the components. A stir fry is an ideal method to make use of up nearly any leftover veggies, and so forth. you will have kicking round within the fridge. Listed below are some simple cashew rooster variations to strive:

• Totally different Protein: Why not strive cashew beef? Or tofu with cashew nuts? Hen is a basic, however go forward and blend it up with any protein you’d like. 
• Totally different Veggies: This recipe works with nearly any vegetable. Attempt it with broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, candy corn, onions, inexperienced beans, mushrooms, cabbage, or bok choy. Remember the fact that completely different greens could have completely different cook dinner occasions.
• Straightforward Add-Ins: Gown up this straightforward stir-fry recipe with bean sprouts, edamame, chives, or inexperienced onions.

What to Serve with Cashew Hen

All it takes is a aspect of rice or Spicy Sesame Noodles to show your cashew rooster right into a well-rounded meal. Simply another reason to like this recipe! After all, when you’re in search of simpler dishes to serve alongside a scrumptious plate of rooster with cashew nuts, under are a few of our favorites.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover cashew rooster hermetic for as much as 3 days. Leftovers are simple to reheat within the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. You possibly can add just a little water to assist loosen up the sauce if wanted. 

Can I Freeze Cashew Hen?

Sure! This rooster stir fry freezes effectively. Retailer it hermetic in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag, and freeze it for as much as 3 months. Thaw the cashew rooster within the fridge earlier than reheating.

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