With just one skillet and 5 minutes of prep, this Cashew Chicken is an easy dinner that's ready in less than 20 minutes (and it's better than Chinese take-out)!
What is Cashew Chicken?
Cashew chicken is an American-Chinese meal that's a popular choice both for take-out and in restaurants. It's made with chicken and cashews in a thick garlic sauce made with soy sauce and honey.
My version of this cashew chicken is super quick to prepare and has all of the delicious flavors you love from the take-out version. Plus it's so much healthier, total win!
Better than Take Out Cashew Chicken
By far, my favorite part of this Cashew Chicken dinner is that sauce. Oh my goodness...it's perfection! Salty, sweet, thick...the ideal contrast to the crunchy cashews and tender chicken. Plus, don't you love when the broccoli in Asian dishes soaks up the sauce and becomes nice and tender? This is a great way to get some more veggies into your kids' (or husband's) bodies!
And speaking of your kids -- this is one of those dinners that they will actually eat! Even if they pick around the nuts, they're going to devour the chicken and broccoli...making your typical mealtime stress virtually disappear. Kids Eating Protein + Veggies = Parenting WIN! It's one skillet (no cooking hotdogs or PB&J sandwiches on the side for your picky eater) and dinner is basically done -- in less than 20 minutes!
Make it Healthier
And if you want to keep the dish much healthier than its restaurant counterpart, you can serve MY cashew chicken in lettuce wraps, over a bed of salad, or just with some extra broccoli. Rice is great, but it's certainly not necessary. Heck, you can take it from me: this is even good on its own...leftover and cold...straight from the tupperware in the fridge!
My Top Tips For Making Cashew Chicken
- The cornstarch is an important ingredient for thickening the sauce so make sure not to skip it.
- You could swap the broccoli for bell peppers or even throw in some spinach at the very end.
- Leftovers taste great. You can eat it cold or heat it up (make sure the chicken is piping hot all the way through) try adding a splash of water or chicken broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
- You can freeze this in suitable containers once cooled.
More Delicious Chinese Recipes You Might Like:
- Slow Cooker Chinese Meatballs with Peppers and Onions
- Chinese Pepper Steak
- Chinese Coleslaw
- Chinese Chicken Salad and Cashews
One Skillet Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sherry
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 scallions sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cups broccoli florets I used frozen broccoli that I thawed first
- Optional: Cooked rice tortillas, or large lettuce leaves for serving
Instructions
- Whisk together soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, honey, and vinegar.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add sesame oil and canola oil, and heat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken to the hot skillet and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken turns white. Push chicken to the side of the skillet and add the broccoli and cashews. Stir fry for an additional 30 seconds, then push broccoli and cashews to side of skillet.
- Add scallions, garlic, and ginger. Cook for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Push the scallions, garlic and ginger to the side of the skillet.
- Give the soy sauce mixture one more whisk and then stir it into the skillet. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens and the rest of the ingredients are coated.
- Serve immediately over rice or wrapped in tortillas or lettuce leaves.
Notes
- The cornstarch is an important ingredient for thickening the sauce so make sure not to skip it.
- You could swap the broccoli for bell peppers or even throw in some spinach at the very end.
- Leftovers taste great. You can eat it cold or heat it up (make sure the chicken is piping hot all the way through) try adding a splash of water or chicken broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
- You can freeze this in suitable containers once cooled
Nutrition
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado
Ahhh I LOVE cashew chicken! Totally swooning to the fact that your version is way healthier than take out and I only have to clean out one pot! SCORE
Blair
Thanks, Bethany! This is so easy, you would love it!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Only one skillet and 5 minutes of prep time? Sign me up! Skillet dinners are my favorite, especially when it involves chicken. This looks SO good, Blair!
Blair
Thanks so much, Gayle! Yep, you can't beat the ease of this meal!
Sarah @ The Gold Lining Girl
I really want to live where you live! It looks so absolutely, perfectly beautiful there!!! This looks FAR better than takeout, and you speak my cooking language: quick. It looks fabulous!
Blair
Thanks so much, Sarah! We love it here, although I'm not a fan of the HOT and muggy weather we're still having. Can it be fall yet?!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
Cashew chicken is one of my favs! I make mine in the oven. I'll have to try the skillet sometime which by the way, I adore your little blue skillet. We know we're food bloggers when we look at the props. 🙂
Blair
Thanks, Megan! Hah -- that skillet was a great find at either Walmart or Target. I can't remember. I use it ALL of the time! 🙂
Kristy from Southern In Law
This looks amazing! And yay for only having one pan to wash!
Blair
Thanks so much, Kristy!
Lindsay Cotter
This looks so much better than take-out! One skillet dinners are the best!
Blair
Thanks, Lindsay! I agree -- anything that creates fewer dishes to wash is a winner in my book!
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
Sooo cashew chicken is one of my all-time favorite dinners. This is such a great recipe! And yes, kids eating protein and veggies is a HUGE win!!!
Blair
Isn't it delicious, Chrissa! This option is such a winner!
Emily
I love cashew chicken, thanks so much for sharing this healthier version!
Dana
Just found this recipe and tried it today . It'awesome! I highly recommend it! Delicious !
Blair
Thanks, Dana!