Chinese

Serving

Chinese Quick & easy

Cashew Chicken

Name: Cashew Chicken
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup raw cashews; 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares; 3 tbsp oyster sauce; 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Tender stir-fried chicken and crunchy toasted cashews in a light, savory brown sauce.

30 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

14 min prep

23 min cook

Contains common allergens

Seafood Shellfish Soy Tree nut Wheat

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Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
Toast the cashews in a dry wok over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking frequently, until they turn golden and smell nutty, then tip them onto a plate to stop the cooking.
2
Stir together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl to make the sauce base.
3
Raise the heat to high, add the vegetable oil, and stir-fry the chicken pieces for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and cooked through to 165°F, then push them to one side.
4
Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes until just crisp-tender and still bright.
5
Pour in the sauce base and bring to a rapid simmer, then stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens and glazes the chicken.
6
Fold the toasted cashews back in, toss for 30 seconds so they stay crunchy, and serve hot over rice.

Cashew Chicken — plated and served — Serving moment. How Cashew Chicken looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

61/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 50

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 86

Budget-friendly 64

Great leftovers 50

Pantry-friendly 58

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

630

Calories

52 g

Protein

15 g

Carbs

41 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Cashew chicken, as many North American cooks know it, sits in the Chinese-American stir-fry tradition rather than one fixed regional Chinese recipe. It uses the Cantonese restaurant logic of quick wok cooking, a glossy savory sauce, and clear texture contrast: tender chicken, crisp pepper, and nuts added late so they stay crunchy.

Listahan note

This version keeps the sauce light and direct, so the toasted cashews and chicken are not buried under sweetness. The main priorities are high heat, small chicken pieces, and adding the cashews only at the end.

Technique cues

Toast the cashews before anything else and move them off the heat as soon as they smell nutty; they keep cooking if left in the hot wok.
Cut the chicken and bell pepper to a similar size so each bite has both sauce and texture instead of separate chunks of meat and vegetable.
The cornstarch slurry should go in only after the sauce is simmering, because heat is what turns it from cloudy liquid into a glossy coating.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Start rice first, then toast the cashews and mix the sauce while the rice cooks.
Make-ahead: Cut the chicken and pepper and mix the sauce up to a day ahead; keep the cashews separate until cooking.
Leftover move: Chop leftovers and fold them into fried rice, adding the cashews near the end so they do not soften too much.
Cleanup rhythm: Rinse the sauce bowl and slurry spoon right after they are emptied, then soak the wok while the rice bowls are served.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Boneless skinless chicken thighs

Main protein

Purpose: Thigh meat stays tender during high-heat stir-frying and gives the dish a fuller bite than very lean cuts.

Handling: Cut into 1-inch pieces so the chicken cooks quickly and evenly in the wok.

Adaptation: Boneless chicken breast works, but cook it a little more cautiously because it firms up faster.

Raw cashews

Crunch and richness

Purpose: Cashews add the soft crunch and buttery finish that define this dish.

Handling: Toast in a dry wok and remove to a plate before stir-frying the chicken.

Adaptation: Roasted unsalted cashews can be used; add them at the end and skip the initial toasting step.

Red bell pepper

Sweet crisp vegetable

Purpose: The pepper brings color, mild sweetness, and a fresh snap against the brown sauce.

Handling: Cut into broad 1-inch squares so the pieces stay crisp-tender instead of wilting.

Adaptation: Green bell pepper is sharper, while snap peas give a brighter crunch.

Oyster sauce

Savory sauce base

Purpose: Oyster sauce gives the stir-fry its rounded restaurant-style body without needing a long simmer.

Handling: Whisk it with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and water before the wok gets busy.

Adaptation: Vegetarian oyster-style sauce changes the flavor slightly earthier but keeps the same glossy texture.

Low-sodium soy sauce

Salt and color

Purpose: Soy sauce sharpens the savory edge and helps the sauce glaze the chicken evenly.

Handling: Measure it into the sauce bowl so it can hit the pan all at once.

Adaptation: Tamari can replace soy sauce if that fits the pantry, with a slightly different depth and salt level.

Shaoxing wine

Aromatic cooking wine

Purpose: Shaoxing wine adds a warm, lightly fermented note that makes the quick sauce taste less flat.

Handling: Stir it into the sauce base rather than adding it separately to the hot wok.

Adaptation: Dry sherry is the closest common substitute; the result is a little cleaner and less earthy.

Technique notes

Let the wok get hot before the chicken goes in; a lukewarm pan makes the chicken release liquid and slows the browning.
Do not crowd the chicken into a small pan. If needed, stir-fry it in two batches and combine everything when the sauce goes in.
Give the slurry a quick stir before adding it, because cornstarch settles fast and can leave a thin sauce on top with paste at the bottom.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Use tamari in place of soy sauce, choose oyster sauce labeled gluten-free, and replace Shaoxing wine with a labeled dry sherry; expect a slightly different aroma.
Tree-nut direction: Replace cashews with toasted pumpkin seeds for a smaller, snappier crunch, and fold them in at the very end.
Extra vegetable path: Add snap peas or broccoli florets after the chicken browns, giving them just enough time to turn bright and crisp-tender.
Pantry wine backup: Use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, or add a splash more water if you prefer to skip the wine note.

Serve alongside

Steamed jasmine rice
Egg fried rice
Garlic sauteed bok choy
Smashed cucumber salad
Jasmine iced tea
Sparkling water with lime
Light lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, knowing the cashews will soften as they sit.
Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the glaze, then add a few fresh toasted cashews if you want crunch back.
Freeze the chicken, pepper, and sauce without extra cashews for up to 2 months; thaw overnight and refresh with freshly toasted cashews after reheating.

Equipment

Wok or large skillet
Small mixing bowl for sauce
Wooden spatula or wok spatula
Sheet pan or plate for toasted cashews

Make this household-aware

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