Quick and easy Thai Cashew Chicken Stir Fry recipe made with chicken breast, roasted cashew nuts, vegetables and loaded with a delicious sauce. Packed with authentic Thai-style spicy, sweet, salty, umami flavour. Ready in 30 minutes! Faster, tastier, and healthier than ordering from takeaways!
400gChicken breastAbout 14oz, Boneless chicken breast/thigh, cut small cubes.
80gRaw cashew nutsAbout half cup or use roasted cashew nuts
3clovesGarlicFinely chopped
½OnionCut small dices
8-10Dried ChilliesDeseeded and cut small pieces,
100gMushroomAbout 3.5 oz, Straw, button, white mushrooms, etc
½Bell Pepper Cut small squares
3-4Spring Onioncut 2'' pieces
2-3tbspVegetable oilPeanut, canola, sunflower, or neutral flavour oil
Marinate for Chicken
1tspLight soy sauceOr regular soy sauce
½tspBaking Soda
1tspCorn starch
1tsp Sugar
Stir Fry Sauce
1tbspLight soy sauceOr regular soy sauce
1tspDark sweet soy sauceOr dark soy sauce or Kecap Manis
1tbspFish sauce
2tbspOyster sauce
1tspSesame oil
2tspSugar
½tspCorn starch
Instructions
First, add all the sauce ingredients to a small bowl. Mix it well and set it aside. Cut the chicken into small dices, gather, and prepare all the ingredients.
Next, marinate the chicken pieces with soy sauce, baking soda, corn starch, and sugar. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. If you have more time, you can leave for an hour.
Heat the wok into low medium heat, drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil and saute the cashew nuts for 2-3 minutes until crispy golden brown. Then remove wok and set it aside.
Drizzle a bit of oil in the wok and bring the heat over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the pan and set it aside.
In the remaining pan, add more oil if needed and bring it to medium-high heat. Add onions and stir fry for few seconds, and follow with the dried chillies. Next add the garlic, red peppers and mushrooms.
Place the cooked chicken back in the wok and pour the sauce mixture in. Toss well to combine everything evenly.
Once the sauce become thick and glossy, turn off the heat, sprinkle cashew nuts and spring onions. Combine well with other ingredients. Serve immediately while hot with a bowl of plain rice or noodles.
Cashew nuts - If you use ready roasted cashew, you can skip the roasting step. Instead of cashew, you can add roasted peanuts or almonds.
Dried chillies - Adjust the chilli amount by adding mild or hot dried chilli peppers to your preference. You can add the whole deseeded chilli or cut it into small pieces.
Mushroom - If you use small button mushrooms, you can add them in whole. If you use large mushrooms, cut them into small dices.
Vegetables - Customize the vegetables by adding more of your favourite stir fry vegetables.
Dark soy sauce - Dark sweet soy sauce ( Kecap Manis ) or regular dark thick soy sauce can be used to bring some colour to the dish.
Fish sauce - There is no exact same substitute for fish sauce, which has a unique salty, umami taste. If you can't have fish sauce, you can substitute it with regular soy sauce or light soy sauce.
Oyster sauce - Oyster sauce can be substituted with mushroom stir fry sauce, available in Lee Kum Kee brand.
Salt - You don't need salt as soy sauces and fish sauce contains salt content.
Can you freeze it? Do not recommend freezing as this dish taste best when freshly cooked. If you have any leftovers you can keep it in an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for a couple of days.
Can you reheat it? Reheat in the microwave or stovetop until piping hot. Add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.
Nutritional facts are calculated approximately and can be varied by the number of factors.