Cashew Chicken (Easy Take Out Recipe) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

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Cashew Chicken - Delicious and easy cashew chicken recipe with tender and silky chicken in Chinese brown sauce. Homemade is so much better than takeout.

Cashew Chicken (Easy Take Out Recipe) - Rasa Malaysia (1)

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Chinese Cashew Chicken

There are many recipes online, but I am going to teach you the best homemade and authentic Chinese cashew chicken recipe that tastes just like takeout from the best Chinese restaurants.

The secret to becoming an expert on this recipe lies in the silky velveting techniques of the chicken and the sauce. Master those and you won’t need takeout again, believe me.

Cashew Chicken (Easy Take Out Recipe) - Rasa Malaysia (3)

Other Recipes You Might Like

  • Thai Cashew Chicken
  • Honey Cashew Chicken
  • Spicy Cashew Chicken

How to Make Cashew Chicken “silky”

If you have been to a good Chinese restaurant, you would notice that the chicken is extremely tender and silky smooth – almost velvety. Yes, most Chinese chefs “treat” the chicken with baking soda.

Baking soda removes the potential “meaty” odor from the meat and tenderizes at the same time (learn all about it in my Cook’s Note). Pairing the velvety chicken with crunchy cashew nuts adds texture and tastes absolutely delicious.

Cashew Chicken (Easy Take Out Recipe) - Rasa Malaysia (4)

Cashew Chicken Sauce

What kind of sauce is used? Like most Chinese stir-fry, the sauce is a Chinese brown sauce that is made of oyster sauce, soy sauce, water (or chicken broth) and sugar.

For authentic flavors, sesame oil, ground white pepper and Chinese rice wine are also used to make the sauce. Lastly, corn starch is added to thicken up this traditional sauce.

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Tips for the Best Cashew Chicken

  • Use chicken breasts for the best result.
  • Do not skimp on the cashews – include loads of cashew nuts.
  • The brown sauce is the soul of this dish, so get the best quality Chinese soy sauce and oyster sauce.
  • Add red or green bell peppers and cook in a wok or skillet. Make some steamed rice to go with it and you don’t need Chinese takeout ever again!

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 515 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken - crazy delicious and easy cashew chicken recipe with tender and silky chicken in Chinese brown sauce. Homemade is so much better than takeout, and it's perfect for busy weeknights.

4.86 from 14 votes

Print

By Bee Yinn Low

Yield 2 people

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 5 minutes mins

Total 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 10 oz (280g) boneless and skinless chicken breast (cut into small cubes)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 5 slices peeled ginger
  • 1 small red or green bell pepper (cut into small squares)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted cashew nuts

Marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (optional)

Sauce:

  • 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 3 dashes ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice wine (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch

Instructions

  • Rinse the chicken breast with cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate with corn starch and rice wine (if using). Mix all the ingredients for the Sauce together. Set aside.

  • Heat up a wok or skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the chicken until they turn white (not bot completely cooked). Dish out and set aside.

  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil into the wok or skillet and add the ginger and bell pepper. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers, then add the chicken back in. Stir in theSauce and toss and stir fry continuously until the chicken is cooked and the sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.

  • Add the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Notes

To make the chicken extremely tender like Chinese restaurants, you may use 1 tablespoon of baking soda to tenderize the chicken. In a bowl, add the baking soda to the chicken. Use a spoon to mix well so the baking soda coats the chicken evenly. Leave on for 5 minutes before rinsing the chicken off with cold water. Make sure you rinse the chicken well so there is no residue on the chicken. Pat dry with paper towels before marinating with corn starch and rice wine.

Course: Chinese Recipes

Cuisine: Chicken

Keywords: Cashew Chicken

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cashew Chicken

Amount Per Serving (2 people)

Calories 515Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 15g94%

Cholesterol 91mg30%

Sodium 421mg18%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 37g74%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

Cashew Chicken (Easy Take Out Recipe) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

What is cashew chicken sauce made of? ›

Usually soy sauce, water, cornstarch, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine (sherry is a great sub), and possibly a bit of hoisin sauce.

How many calories are in cashew chicken takeout? ›

Calorie Count

One cup of cashew chicken contains 375 calories. Fifty percent of the calories come from fat, 32 percent from protein and 18 percent from carbohydrates. The high fat content of the dish is due largely to the good fats, or monounsaturated fatty acids, in the cashews.

What does cashew chicken taste like? ›

Cashew chicken is simply a stir fry of chicken and cashews with a sauce that's got a salty-sweet flavour profile. Many people might think of cashew chicken as a Chinese dish, and indeed China is where this dish originated. You can tell by the presence of sesame oil, which we don't use very much of in Thai cooking.

Why add cashews to butter chicken? ›

In many recipes for butter chicken, copious amounts of butter and heavy cream supply richness, but we do as we were taught in India and use cashews pureed with a small amount of water until smooth. The nut puree adds creaminess without making the dish heavy.

What is cashew sauce made of? ›

Cashew Sauce! Just four easy ingredients: cashews, garlic, salt, and water! Perfect base sauce recipe for pasta, dips, or cheesy sauce alternatives. Vegan.

What ethnicity is cashew chicken? ›

Cashew chicken (Chinese: 腰果雞丁) is a Chinese-American dish that combines chicken (usually stir-fried but occasionally deep-fried, depending on the variation), with cashew nuts and either a light brown garlic sauce or a thick sauce made from chicken stock, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

What to use instead of hoisin sauce? ›

Ready-made hoisin sauce alternatives
  • soy sauce.
  • tamari, which is suitable for gluten-free diets.
  • oyster sauce.
  • chili sauce.
  • barbecue sauce.
  • sweet and sour sauce.
  • teriyaki sauce.
Feb 2, 2022

What is the difference between kung pao chicken and cashew chicken? ›

Unlike another nutty stir-fry favorite, Kung Pao Chicken (which is cooked with chillies and roasted peanuts), cashew chicken (also called chicken with cashew nuts) has a mild, lightly sweet brown sauce, the perfect complement to roasted cashews.

What restaurant invented cashew chicken? ›

After the war, Leong moved to Springfield with his wife and three children when they opened Leong's Tea House and eventually invented Springfield Cashew Chicken as a way to entice Americans who didn't have any experience eating traditional Chinese cuisine.

Why do you soak cashews before eating? ›

Like many nuts and seeds, cashews contain phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that can hinder mineral absorption. Soaking helps to reduce the phytic acid content, promoting better absorption of minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and calcium.

Can I use peanut butter instead of cashews in butter chicken? ›

Our version riffs on the frequency of nuts and seeds used in traditional Butter Chicken sauces. We use my much-loved ingredient of Peanut butter to boost the flavour of the creamy, buttery chicken to great result whilst adding the savoury richness of peanut.

What does cashew butter do for your body? ›

Cashew Butter

Whether you call it a nut or a seed, it's a great source of copper, which your body needs to nourish tissues and blood, and produce energy. It may also have antioxidant properties that protect your cells against damage.

What is cashew butter made of? ›

ingredients to make cashew butter

Cashews: Start with raw unsalted cashews and roast until nice and toasty golden brown. This brings out the best flavor in this DIY cashew butter. Neutral oil (optional): Add a neutral oil like avocado or coconut oil to help thin the thick cashew butter to the consistency you like.

What is hoisin sauce made of? ›

Ingredients. The key ingredient of hoisin sauce is fermented soybean paste. Some hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as sweet potato, wheat and rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, white distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, red chili peppers, and sometimes preservatives or coloring agents.

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