Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken — 🙌🏻😋🌶️🥦 Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce!! Skip takeout and make your own restaurant-quality meal that’s easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthier than the restaurant version!
Table of Contents
I’ve shared many peanut chicken recipes, but never one for copycat takeout chicken with cashew nuts. I don’t know what I was waiting for! This easy cashew chicken really does taste better than a restaurant. Not that I’m partial or anything.
Consider this dish like a cashew chicken stir fry. The chicken is sautéed with sesame oil for depth of flavor before adding broccoli, red bell peppers, edamame, and garlic.
The vegetables stay crisp-tender, which is exactly the way I like them. If you prefer green bell peppers or other vegetables, mix and match as you see fit.
The dish is finished with cashews, of course, and that wonderful cashew chicken sauce that’s made with soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and Asian chili garlic sauce. Asian chili garlic sauce is kept in the Asian section of my regular grocery store.
The heat from this sauce really makes the chicken come to life without being overly hot and spicy, but if you’re sensitive to heat and spices, scale back as you see fit.
The sauce helps keep the chicken moist and tender and clings to the veggies beautifully.
I loved how fast and easy dinner came together. Now, this cashew chicken recipe is going into our regular rotation. No need for takeout when homemade tastes so good.
Cashew Chicken Ingredients
To make the actual Chinese cashew chicken, you’ll need:
- Cornstarch
- Chicken breasts
- Sesame oil
- Olive oil
- Broccoli florets
- Bell pepper
- Shelled frozen edamame
- Garlic
- Roasted unsalted cashews
And for the cashew chicken sauce, you’ll need:
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Asian chili garlic sauce
- Ground ginger
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cashew Chicken
This is a super simple recipe — the hardest part is chopping up some veggies! Here’s an overview of how to make copycat takeout chicken with cashew nuts:
- Add the cornstarch, diced chicken, salt, and pepper to a large zip-top bag and squish the chicken around to coat it.
- Add the chicken to an oiled skillet and cook until the chicken is about 90% done (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Add the broccoli, bell pepper, edamame, and garlic to the skillet and cook just for a few minutes. You want the veggies to remain crisp-tender.
- Add the sauce and roasted cashews to the skillet. Simmer for a minute or two, just to give the sauce time to heat up and thicken slightly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, feel free to mix and match the veggies to use up whatever’s in your produce drawer. Just note that different veggies will have different cook times.
I’m sure you could use chicken thighs to make this easy cashew chicken recipe. Just make sure they’re boneless, and that you dice them into 1-inch chunks.
You’ll want to use roasted and unsalted cashews to make this recipe. I do not recommend using salted cashews otherwise your Cashew nut chicken will be far too salty.
No! Make sure to buy rice wine vinegar and not rice wine (also called mirin). They’re two different things!
Do not omit the cornstarch in this recipe. It coats the chicken and helps it crisp up in the skillet without having to deep fry it. The cornstarch also thickens the cashew chicken sauce.
Yes, you can make the entire recipe as written and eat leftovers throughout the week or you can prep the ingredients in advance of making the entire recipe. For example, the veggies can be diced ahead of time, the sauce can be whisked together, and the chicken can be diced and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. If you also made rice or rice noodles, store that separately from the chicken and green beans.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe because the green beans will soften once frozen.
To Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 30-second intervals or in a skillet over medium heat but I prefer the micro for quickness and ease.
What to Serve with Cashew Chicken
Recipe Video Tutorial
Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken
Video
Ingredients
Stir-Fry:
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- about 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 heaping cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup red bell peppers, diced small
- 1 cup shelled frozen edamame
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted whole cashews
- ¾ to 1 cup green onions, sliced into thin rounds (from about 3 or 4 green onions)
Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- To a gallon-sized ziptop bag, add the cornstarch, salt, pepper, chicken, seal, and shake to coat chicken evenly.
- To a large skillet, add the oils, chicken, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, flipping and stirring so all sides cook evenly. Chicken should be about 80-90% cooked through.
- Add the broccoli, bell peppers, edamame (I add it straight from the freezer), garlic, and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through; stir intermittently. While vegetables cook, make the sauce.
- To a medium bowl add the soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, and whisk to combine; set aside.
- Add the cashews to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Add the sauce and stir to combine. Allow sauce to simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the green onions, stir to combine, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Asian Chicken Recipes:
Favorite CHICKEN RECIPES and all of my ASIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES.
Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!
Chicken Pad Thai — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and BETTER than takeout!! Tender rice noodles, juicy chicken, with crisp-tender carrots, cabbage, and more for an IRRESISTIBLE and AUTHENTIC chicken pad Thai!!
Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this AMAZING sticky chicken at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with plenty of sticky sauce!!
15-Minute Skillet Sesame Chicken with Broccoli – Healthier sesame chicken that isn’t breaded or fried! You won’t miss the fat or calories in this fast and easy version that’s loaded with Asian-inspired flavors! You can happily skip takeout now!
Healthier Orange Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this HEALTHIER orange chicken at home in less than 10 minutes!! EASY, authentic, and so INCREDIBLE that you’ll never miss the fat and calories!!
15-Minute Chicken, Vegetable, and Ramen Noodle Stir Fry – Don’t call for takeout when you can make this EASY Asian stir fry in minutes!! HEALTHIER and faster than takeout and great for busy weeknights!
Kung Pao Chicken — An easy, BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT recipe with juicy chicken and such a flavorful sauce!!
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken – The easiest orange chicken ever because your slow cooker does all the work! Super juicy, tender, and coated with a sweet-yet-tangy orange glaze that’s irresistible!
Originally posted April 23, 2018. Reposted January 11, 2019 and June 11, 2021 with updated text.
Sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you – it’s delish!
Very tasty recipe and easy to follow. I used some chicken thighs and added a couple tablespoons of dry sherry I had laying around and was still great. Would recommend
Thanks for the 5 star review, Gino, and glad to hear your chicken thighs (and the dry sherry) both worked out great and it turned out very tasty!
One of my favorite recipes!!! I’ve made it several times and it’s always a hit!
Thanks for letting me know that it’s one of your favorite recipes and that it’s always a hit when you make it, Deborah!
this is my go-to healthy diiner! use a wok and it comes out perfect every time.
Thanks for th 5 star review, Robin, and I love knowing this is your go-to healthy dinner and that in a wok, it comes out perfectly every time!
My family loves home cooked stir fry, and this was definitely as close as I’ve gotten to mimicking the one from Super Panda Garden Wok down the street. By the way, a little baking soda mixed in with the corn starch and left to work for a few minutes will “velvet” the chicken, a secret of wok chefs.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Art, and I’m glad that this turned out like a very close copycat of your favorite stir fry from a restaurant! Thanks for sharing your velveting tip, too.
This recipe was great. I served it over white rice. I did find that a bit more honey made the sauce taste better.
Thanks, Samantha, for the 5 star review and I am so pleased that it turned out great for you and that you added the honey, to taste!
SO-O-O good, and easy. One of my new favorites
Thanks for the 5 star review, Norma, and I am glad to hear this is so good and easy and a new favorite for you!
My husband and I really enjoyed this. It was slightly different from other cashew chicken recipes I’ve made and my husband made a point to let me know how much he liked it. Mine had fewer ingredients b/c I was using things I had on hand. Thank you for this!!
It’s great to hear this was a winner for you, Michelle, and that you were able to take advantage of ingredients you had on hand!
This is good, family liked it. Maybe I would add some extra ginger and maybe some red pepper flakes.
Thanks for trying the recipe, Stephanie, and by all means if you make it again, go ahead and add additional ginger, red pepper flakes, or anything else your palate is craving and you think will be an asset to the recipe!
Excellent The whole family enjoyed it
hank you so much for the 5 star review, Deena, and I’m glad it was a hit with the whole family!
This is one of my favorite recipes! There are many variations, but I enjoyed using your recipe as an upgrade to my older version. Everyone loved it!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Deborah, and I’m glad this is one of your favorites and that my recipe helped spruce up your older version!
Yummy recipe! Thank you for helping make dinners more exciting with your delicious meals!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Tamara, and you are so kind! I am glad you are enjoying my recipes and that I’m helping your dinner game out!
Made this today. I added celery and snap peas since I didn’t have any red pepper. This was excellent and will make again.
Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Connie, and I’m glad it was excellent and you’ll make it again!
This recipe is delicious! I have made it several times and it is a family favorite. Thank you once again for such a great copycat recipe. Honestly, I think it is even better because it comes straight from my kitchen hot and fresh!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Donita, and I am glad this is a family favorite for you and you’ve made it several times!
Absolutely delicious – LOVED the addition of the edamame!
Made this several times, it is my go-to Cashew Chicken recipe and have added this to our regular dinner rotation
Thanks for the 5 star review, Chris, and glad to hear this is your go to cashew chicken recipe and it’s in your regular dinner rotation!
AMAZING dinner! I generally use recipes as a launching point, and did with this as well. I had only a yellow pepper, rather than red. I don’t like or have on hand edamame. I completely forgot to add the ginger. I somehow have two bottles of fish sauce, so I threw some in. I put in all of the broccoli I had, and wish I’d had more. This was SO delicious over fluffy jasmine rice. I’ll definitely make it again! Note: I left the chicken chunks in the corn starch for about 30 minutes before cooking. The velveting process really helps!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Mary, and it’s so great to hear this was a great launching pad for you! I am a huge broccoli fan too and happily always add more :)
I made this recipe and my husband said to put in the rotation. He only change was I used green peppers instead of red and did not use edamame. I served with rice. Delicious.
It was a little time consuming. Once everything was pre measured/diced, cooking time was very quick.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Barbara, and I’m glad that your husband said to put this in the rotation! Great compliment!