Is the chicken and cashew stir fry healthy?

Yes. A chicken and cashew nuts recipe like mine is healthy if the chicken is not deep fry in loads of oil. The chicken is stir-fried in oil rather than deep-fried. Added vegetables-bell peppers, onions, and green onions make this Thai cashew chicken even healthier. The cashew nuts added to the stir fry are naturally healthy, nutritious ingredients. See detailed nutritional information in the recipe card below.

What is cashew chicken sauce made of?

There are variations of Thai cashew chicken sauces. The sauce for this easy recipe of Thai cashew chicken is made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar, and a little dash of ground white pepper.

What's the difference between kung pao chicken and cashew chicken?

Cashew chicken has a flavor profile similar to the Chinese Kung Pao chicken with flavor sauce made with minced garlic and fresh ginger stirred with light and dark soy sauce. The thick, velvety golden brown sweet sauce is very similar to the flavorful sauce in the Thai cashew chicken. Peanuts are used instead of cashew in the stir fry. Like many Chinese-influenced stir fries, fish sauce is more common, while Thai cooking uses more fish sauce. This recipe, however, doesn't use fish sauce.

Easy Thai Cashew Chicken Recipe

Name: Easy Thai Cashew Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used thin soy sauce). A light Thai soy sauce that is almost equivalent to regular light soy sauce.; 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar; 1 ½ tablespoons water or stock; 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper. Optional; 1 pound chicken breast cut into chunky sizes, around 2-inch pieces; 3 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch; 2-3 tablespoons water or stock or broth; 5 cloves garlic, minced and divided; 1 cup onion, sliced into 1 1/2 inch-pieces; 1 cup green onions, sliced into 3-inch pieces; 1 cup red bell peppers, sliced into 1 1/2 inch-pieces; 1 cup whole cashews unsalted. If using salted cashew, adjust the soy sauce slightly; 4-6 dried long chilis, leave whole; ¼ cup of vegetable oil, divided

Description

This Easy Thai cashew chicken recipe is full of rich flavors with added vegetables and cashew nuts. Not only is it a quick and easy recipe that you can whip up in 30 minutes or less, but it is also a healthy meal when adding extra vegetables to the dish.

Ingredients

Scale

The Sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used thin soy sauce). A light Thai soy sauce that is almost equivalent to regular light soy sauce.
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons water or stock
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper. Optional

The stir-fry ingredients

1 pound chicken breast cut into chunky sizes, around 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
2-3 tablespoons water or stock or broth
5 cloves garlic, minced and divided
1 cup onion, sliced into 1 1/2 inch-pieces
1 cup green onions, sliced into 3-inch pieces
1 cup red bell peppers, sliced into 1 1/2 inch-pieces
1 cup whole cashews unsalted. If using salted cashew, adjust the soy sauce slightly
4-6 dried long chilis, leave whole
¼ cup of vegetable oil, divided

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with water. Add the chicken, and massage well together, set aside for a few minutes.
In a separate bowl, make the sauce mixture by adding oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and sugar, and set to the side.
Heat a wok, pan, or large skillet on medium-high heat, and add half of the oil. Once the wok is hot, add half the amount of chopped garlic, and fry for around 10 seconds. Add the cashews and fry for 1-2 minutes. *Note, you must watch the pan carefully to avoid overcooking the cashews. Turn the heat back down to medium heat.
Add the long-dried chilis, stir, and cook for 20-30 seconds. Turn the heat off, pour the mixture onto a paper towel, and let the oil drain into the towel.
Wipe the walk slightly with a dry paper towel, add the rest of the oil to the pan, and heat still on medium-high heat. Add the rest of the garlic for 30 seconds or less. Stir up the chicken mixture quickly, then add it to the wok. Stir all together well. Allow the chicken to cook for 3-4 minutes without touching the meat to brown to extract flavors.
Add the cashew nuts, onion, and sauce when the chicken pieces are cooked and most have turned light brown. Stir well together for 2 minutes. Add a little bit of water or stock to loosen up the pan. 2-3 tablespoons or as needed.
Add the bell peppers and green onions last. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add a bit longer if you like your vegetables more tender. A couple of minutes or so longer is fine. Turn the heat off and serve with jasmine rice.

Notes

If you are short on time or energy, it's ok to skip frying the garlic, cashew, and chilis. With the delicious sauce handy, you won't miss out too much.
If you like your vegetables on the tender side, cook them longer. I like mine on the crunchy and still lightly crispy side, so I cook mine with less time. The best part is that leftover cashew chicken tastes better when the vegetables are not overcooked.
Make the cashew chicken sauce beforehand to save time and speed up your cooking process. Make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
You can use tapioca starch as a substitute if corn starch isn’t available.
If using chicken breast for this recipe, try skinless chicken thighs next time. The darker meat adds an extra depth of flavor.

** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **

Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 15
Category: Chicken recipes, stir fries, Easy Recipes
Method: Stir fries
Cuisine: Thai

Keywords: Easy Thai Cashew Chicken Recipe, Cashew chicken, cashew chicken recipe, Thai cashew chicken recipe, how to make cashew chicken