Thai Cashew Chicken
This Thai Cashew Chicken has amazing flavor the crunchy golden cashews and chicken are tossed in a simple yet bold Thai stir fry sauce. This recipe is spicy, nutty and full of veggies it is surprisingly quick and easy to make dish.
Stir-fries are a faithful companion on busy weeknights. If you’ve had cashew chicken at take-out restaurants, you’ll be familiar with the rich, savory flavors of the sauce and the warm crunchy texture and buttery flavor of toasted cashews. Stir fries featuring cashews are a favorite across Asia and the Thai version is one of the best!
This great recipe is one of the popular take out dish, and now you can make it at home in 30 minutes!
What is Thai-style Cashew Chicken?
In Thailand, cashew chicken is still considered a Chinese-style dish but it is so common there that it’s become Thai food in its own right.The most noticeable difference in the Thai version is that the sauce is more complex – it is savory, slightly sweet, and with a little bit of tart flavor. Spice is optional, but as with most Thai chicken stir-fry recipes, a little heat is always welcome.
But as usual, no matter where dishes come from, once they arrive in Thailand, Thai people put our own spin on it. So the flavors are a little different in predictable ways; a little lighter, a little spicier, and with a little more fish sauce.
Here’s what you need
- Chicken - I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces.
- Cashews - The star ingredients in this recipe! Raw cashew work best and toast them fresh in oil before cooking.
- Bell Peppers - Adds flavor and color to the dish.
- Garlic and Onions - Is the essential aromatics in stir fry dishes.
- Dried Chilies - This are totally optional. It gives extra kick to the dish.
- Spring Onion - For freshness flavor and adds color.
- Stir Fry Sauce - This simple, savory sauce comes together fast. A combination of soy sauce and dark soy sauce with the additional of fish sauce would add a complexity and depth flavor that is used in many Thai cooking.
Make sure you follow the steps exactly, so you make sure everything is crunchy and crispy, yet all mingled together perfectly!
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This recipe is spicy, nutty and full of veggies it is surprisingly quick and easy to make dish.
- 1 pound chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- oil (for cooking)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 green bell pepper (diced)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (diced)
- 8 dried chilies
- 1/2 cup cashew (raw)
- 1/3 cup spring onion (cut in 2.5 cm pieces)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sugar (adjust according to your taste)
In a bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper. Whisk together then add cornstarch, mix to coat evenly.
Diced onion and bell peppers. Set aside
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, water and cornstarch. Mix well until well combined.
Heat a pan with oil, start frying the dried chilies for about a minute until crispy. Remove and set aside
Using the same pan, add cashews and cook for 5 minutes until color turns dark golden and crunchy. Remove and drain oil.
On the same pan, add enough oil to fry the chicken. Fry chicken by batches for about 5 minutes or until the chicken turns golden brown and crispy. Drain oil and place in a paper toweled plate.
In a wok, heat about tablespoon of oil. Saute onion until translucent then add garlic until fragrant. Then, add bell peppers. Stir fry for a few minutes.
Stir in sauce, stir fry with the vegetables until sauce start to thicken then sprinkle with sugar ( adjust according t your taste). Add in chicken, stir to coat the chicken with the sauce. Stir in dried chilies, cashew and spring onion. Toss everything together for a few minutes until well combined.
Serve and Enjoy with hot steamed rice!
