Chicken with Cashew Nuts

Name: Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Cuisine: Chinese Menu
Ingredients: Chicken Thighs — 350g; Light Soy Sauce — 1 tbsp; Shaoxing Rice Wine — 1 tbsp; Sesame Oil — 1 tsp; Brown Sugar — ½ tsp; Cornflour — 1 tsp; Garlic — 1 clove; Cashews — 50g; Onion — ½; Green Pepper — ½; Carrot — ½; Celery — 1 stalk; Garlic — 2 cloves; Vegetable Oil — 2 tbsp; Oyster Sauce — 1 tbsp; Light Soy Sauce — 1 tbsp; Dark Soy Sauce — 1 tsp; Chicken Stock — 3 tbsp

Chinese Chicken with Cashew Nuts is perhaps the most iconic example of a 'texture-first' dish. It is a light, elegant stir-fry that avoids heavy, overpowering sauces in favour of highlighting the natural sweetness of the poultry and the toasted, buttery crunch of the nuts.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 to 3

Notes:

Skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts can be used if preferred, though keeping the skin on gives a crispier, richer texture.

Chicken stock or a splash of water can be added during stir-frying to steam harder vegetables like carrots quickly without burning.

Toasting the cashews directly in the wok base before adding sauce releases their essential oils and enhances their crunch.

Prep Ingredients and Marinade
Dice the chicken into chunky cubes, leaving the skin on if using. In a bowl, toss the chicken with light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, cornflour, and a little chopped garlic, massaging well until fully coated.

Prep Vegetables and Sauce
Slice the onion, pepper, carrot, and celery on an angle into uniform pieces, and roughly chop the garlic. In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and chicken stock.

Sear the Chicken
Heat oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the marinated chicken skin-side down and sear without moving until the skin turns golden and crispy. Flip and stir-fry until cooked through, then drain and set aside.

Stir-fry Aromatics and Vegetables
Add a little oil to the smoking hot wok. Stir-fry the onion and garlic first, then toss in the sliced carrots, celery, and peppers, cooking briefly to retain a tender-crisp bite.

Toast Cashews and Combine
Push the vegetables to the side, add the cashew nuts to the bottom of the wok, and toast briefly until fragrant. Reintroduce the cooked chicken and pour over the prepared sauce.

Finish and Serve
Toss rapidly over high heat until the sauce caramelises around the chicken and vegetables, then serve hot.