Cashew Chicken

I’ve been collecting recipes on Pinterest for a couple of months, and I’ve tried a number of dishes with mixed results. Of the roughly half dozen dishes that I’ve tried so far, only three recipes are keepers: this sweet and sour chicken with vegetable fried rice that I blogged about several weeks ago and this cashew chicken from SheWearsManyHats.com.

The original recipe is served on lettuce wraps but I wanted a more substantial meal so I served the chicken with steamed white rice. I made some changes to the original recipe to suit my taste. Specifically, I doubled the amount of brown sugar in the sauce and I substituted spring onions for the yellow onion (although the next time I make this dish I would toss uncooked spring onions on top of the completed dish instead of stir frying it with the garlic because the onions wilted immediately). I also doubled the amount of stir fry sauce and I’m so glad I did because the sticky sweet and spicy sauce was fabulous. Heat wise, I give this dish a medium rating, so folks who prefer less heat may want to reduce the amount of ground red pepper in the sauce, though I think it’s perfect. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this dish (my changes are included):

For the sauce:
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground ginger root
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
For the cashew chicken:
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 cup spring onions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup cashews, chopped
Instructions:
  1. Combine the stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
  2. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center (about   4-5 minutes); set aside.
  3. Add garlic and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to the pan; cook for a minute or two then add the stir fry sauce, cooked chicken, and cashews. Saute the mixture and stir to combine; remove from heat. Top with diced spring onions.

8 Comments on Chicken with Cashews

  1. i think ive pinned something like this and i will deffinatly be using your recipe instead..i to am pin cook, and like you about 3 have turned out worth eating..lol thanks for sharing..lovely post sarah

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