Cashew Chicken – Takeout Style (Video)

4.96 from 23 votes
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This Cashew Chicken tastes better than Chinese takeout, with the tender chicken, crunch from the toasted cashews, and the most delicious sauce! You’re going to love making this at home and it’ll be ready in less time than it takes to place a delivery order!

Cashew Chicken on a plate with white rice.

Watch the Cashew Chicken Recipe Video Below!

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Raw ingredients for cashew chicken in bowls on a cutting board.

Ingredients

  • chicken thigh – I like to use 1″ pieces of chicken thigh for Cashew Chicken. You want to cut them into similar sized pieces so the chicken can cook evenly.
    • You can substitute with chicken breast if you prefer.
  •  light soy sauce – You will need “light” (not “low sodium”) or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it is too intense for this recipe.
  • dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than all-purpose soy sauce. I don’t recommend using one as a substitute for the other.
  • white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
  • kosher salt
  • Shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
  • neutral oil, for frying – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. The flavor profile does not work with the flavors of Chinese cooking.
  • cornstarch – Cornstarch is a key ingredient in Chinese cooking because it is used for velveting the meat. Velveting is a Chinese technique where protein is marinated in cornstarch and cooked quickly in hot oil, resulting in the meat becoming tender and silky. It’s one of my favorite ways to guarantee moist, tender protein!
  • light soy sauce
  • dark soy sauce – Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker, and sweeter (as well as has a higher sodium content) than all-purpose soy sauce. I don’t recommend using one as a substitute for the other.
  • hoisin sauce – Hoisin sauce has a sweet, salty, and slightly fishy flavor- it’s thick and smooth, similar to barbeque sauce in texture. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with oyster sauce.
  • rice vinegar – If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, you can substitute with apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
  • sesame oil
  • sugar
  • white pepper
  • MSG – I use MSG in moderation as a flavor enhancer; you can always skip it!
  • chicken stock – If you don’t have chicken stock on hand, you can substitute with water. (You can also use beef or vegetable stock or broth.)
  • ginger
  • garlic
  • cashews
  • scallions
Cashew chicken plated.

Cashew Chicken: Recipe Instructions

1. Marinate the Chicken and Prep Aromatics

Cut chicken thigh into 1″ pieces and place in a medium sized bowl.

To the raw chicken in the bowl, add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, kosher salt, shaoxing wine, neutral oil, and cornstarch. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

While the chicken marinates, prepare your aromatics (mince your ginger and garlic) and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the Cashew Chicken sauce and set aside.

Because this dish cooks so quickly, it’s important to have your ingredients prepped and ready to go so the cooking process goes smoothly!

Raw ingredients for cashew chicken in bowls on a cutting board.

2. Toast the Cashews

In a large pan or wok, heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil over medium heat and add your cashews. Cook for about 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. We want the cashews to be slightly toasted and golden brown. Once they are golden brown, remove and set aside in a bowl.

PRO TIP

Toasting The Cashews

The cashews have a tender skin so be sure to keep the cashews moving to evenly toast them in the pan and avoid scorching them. Lower the heat if necessary.

3. Cook the Chicken

In the same pan or wok, heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil over high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

TIP – If you want to get the best color on your Cashew Chicken, you may need to cook the chicken in batches (depending on how large your pan or wok is). This is because if the oil is too cold due to overcrowding the pan, the chicken will not brown properly.

4. Fry Aromatics

In the residual oil, fry the minced garlic, ginger, and scallion whites for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Make sure the bowls with the cooked chicken and premixed sauce are ready by your pan or wok, because the cooking process for Cashew Chicken is going to go very quickly from here on out!

5. Finish Your Cashew Chicken!

In the same pan or wok as the fried aromatics, add back the cooked chicken and mix to combine. Once mixed, add the premixed sauce – continue stirring over high heat until the sauce has thickened (this should take about 1-2 minutes).

Finally, add the scallion whites and give it a final mix. Serve with rice and enjoy your Cashew Chicken!

PRO TIPS

Expert Tips for Restaurant Quality Cashew Chicken!

Prep Your Ingredients BEFORE Cooking

The key tip for any dish like Cashew Chicken, which cooks extremely fast once you start, is to have all of your ingredients prepped and portioned near your pan or wok BEFORE you begin cooking. Otherwise, if you take the time during cooking to prepare your next ingredient, you run the risk of overcooking or even burning your dish! Have your premixed sauce, garlic/ginger, scallions, chicken, and cashews in separate bowls so they are easily accessible during the cooking process.

Velveting – the Secret to Chinese Cooking

Velveting is a Chinese technique where protein is marinated in cornstarch and cooked quickly in hot oil, resulting in the meat becoming tender and silky. It’s one of my favorite ways to guarantee moist, tender protein! Do not skip the (minimum) 15 minutes of marinating the chicken, as this step will be key in making the best Cashew Chicken!

Toast Cashews Evenly

When toasting your cashews in the pan or wok, make sure to keep them moving – this helps each cashew’s surface area hit the pan or wok and get evenly toasted. This will ensure that you don’t have some raw cashews.

Cook Your Chicken in Batches

When cooking your chicken, you want to brown them for the best flavor and texture (especially since the chicken will have been. marinated for at least 15 minutes). Depending on the size of your pan or wok, you may need to cook your chicken in batches. If you overcrowd your pan or wok, the oil will not get hot enough to brown the chicken properly. You want to avoid this at all costs, as you want each bite to have taste great AND have great texture!

Cashew chicken plated.

Storage and Reheating

You can store Cashew Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Because Cashew Chicken is not coated in a batter, you won’t have to worry about trying to restore the crispy texture of the dish – I recommend reheating this in the microwave or in a hot pan/wok for a couple minutes (add a little bit of water if you want to loosen up the chicken pieces that stuck together in the refrigerator).

What to Serve with Cashew Chicken

If you love American Chinese Take-Out, you have come to the right place – I absolutely love recreating BETTER versions of all of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes! Here’s how to have the perfect American Chinese Take-Out meal at home:

Other Dishes Like Cashew Chicken

Some American Chinese takeout dishes are battered and deep fried (like Orange Chicken) – Cashew Chicken is one of the ones that are not! If you want similar dishes that are not battered but instead covered in a savory sauce, try:

Cooking with a Wok

By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food! Cooking in a wok will give your dish that signature “wok hei” or “breath of the wok”, which is a beautiful smoky flavor profile to your dish. The best part is, the wok will only get more seasoned with time, adding more flavor to your food!

If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.

If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.

If you tried this Cashew Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

4.96 from 23 votes

Cashew Chicken

Servings: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Cashew Chicken on a plate with white rice.
This is my ultimate Cashew Chicken recipe! What makes cashew chicken so delicious? For me, it's the tender chicken and savory sauce! This recipe is so much better than takeout and you're going to LOVE IT!

Equipment

Ingredients 

Chicken

Sauce

Cashews + Aromatics

  • 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 oz cashews
  • 6 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated

Instructions 

  • Cut chicken thigh into 1" pieces and marinate with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper, kosher salt, shaoxing wine, neutral oil, and cornstarch for 15 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix together your sauce by combining light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, msg, chicken stock, and cornstarch.
  • Chop your scallions, separating the whites from the greens, then mince garlic and ginger and set them aside along with your marinated chicken and sauce.
  • In a large pan or wok, heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil over medium heat and add your cashews. Cook for about 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
  • In the same pan, heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil over high heat, then add your marinated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
  • In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil over high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add back the cooked chicken and mix to combine. Add the premixed sauce and continue stirring over high heat until the sauce has thickened (about 1-2 minutes).
  • Once the sauce has thickened, add back your toasted cashews and scallion greens. Mix to combine and serve with freshly steamed white rice!

Notes

KEY TIPS
Prep Your Ingredients BEFORE Cooking
The key tip for any dish like Cashew Chicken, which cooks extremely fast once you start, is to have all of your ingredients prepped and portioned near your pan or wok BEFORE you begin cooking. Otherwise, if you take the time during cooking to prepare your next ingredient, you run the risk of overcooking or even burning your dish! Have your premixed sauce, garlic/ginger, scallions, chicken, and cashews in separate bowls so they are easily accessible during the cooking process.
Velveting – the Secret to Chinese Cooking
Velveting is a Chinese technique where protein is marinated in cornstarch and cooked quickly in hot oil, resulting in the meat becoming tender and silky. It’s one of my favorite ways to guarantee moist, tender protein! Do not skip the (minimum) 15 minutes of marinating the chicken, as this step will be key in making the best Cashew Chicken!
Toast Cashews Evenly
When toasting your cashews in the pan or wok, make sure to keep them moving – this helps each cashew’s surface area hit the pan or wok and get evenly toasted. This will ensure that you don’t have some raw cashews in your finished Cashew Chicken!
Cook Your Chicken in Batches
When cooking your chicken, you want to brown them for the best flavor and texture (especially since the chicken will have been. marinated for at least 15 minutes). Depending on the size of your pan or wok, you may need to cook your chicken in batches. If you overcrowd your pan or wok, the oil will not get hot enough to brown the chicken properly. You want to avoid this at all costs, as you want each bite of Cashew Chicken to have taste great AND have great texture!

Storage and Reheating

You can store Cashew Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Because Cashew Chicken is not coated in a batter, you won’t have to worry about trying to restore the crispy texture of the dish – I recommend reheating this in the microwave or in a hot pan/wok for a couple minutes (add a little bit of water if you want to loosen up the chicken pieces that stuck together in the refrigerator).

Nutrition

Calories: 474kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 27gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 1247mgPotassium: 554mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 269IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

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4.96 from 23 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this recipe twice this weekend and it’s genuinely better than takeout! Tried it with tofu too and such a winner! 👌🏼 this is definitely my new go to – I’m obsessed!

  2. 4 stars
    Wow! Just made this super easy meal for dinner last night! Everyone thought we were at our favorite restaurant!! The marinade and sauce super easy to make!!! 😊

  3. 5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight and I couldn’t stop! The flavor is so addicting! Tonight I followed the recipe exactly since it was my first time, but if I want to add some spice (dried red chilis) and veggies (zucchini, celery, carrot, snow peas, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions) when would you add these?

    Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    Love this recipe so much. Better than any take out. Super fast to make and dinner is on the table in no time. Haven’t food. A recipe of yours we haven’t loved yet. Working my way through the recipes.