Cashew Chicken (腰果鸡丁)
A takeout style cashew chicken recipe that teaches you how to make restaurant-style cashew chicken with super juicy and tender meat and crisp pepper and cashews, all brought together with a rich, gingery, garlicky sauce. It is very easy to make and you don’t need a wok!To make this dish gluten-free, use a gluten-free oyster sauce such as LKK gluten free oyster sauce. Use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Replace Chinkiang vinegar with rice vinegar.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) skinless boneless breast , cut into 2/3-inch (1 cm) pieces (or thigh)
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/3 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
Stir fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 4 cloves garlic , sliced
- 2 teaspoons ginger , finely chopped
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 bell pepper , seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup roasted unsalted cashews
Instructions
- Combine chicken, Shaoxing wine, salt, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well so the chicken is evenly coated with a thin slurry.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the chicken with minimal overlapping. Let cook until the bottom side is light golden, 1 minute or so. Turn to the other side and cook until light golden. Stir a few times until all surfaces turn white. Transfer the chicken to a big plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, and green onion. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- Add the pepper. Stir and cook until the pepper just turns tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour into the pan. Quickly stir a few times until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken to the skillet and mix again.
- Add the cashews, quickly give it a stir and immediately transfer everything to a plate. Serve hot as a main dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 335kcal, Carbohydrates: 16.2g, Protein: 28.6g, Fat: 18.7g, Saturated Fat: 3.5g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 598mg, Potassium: 206mg, Fiber: 1.4g, Sugar: 5.7g, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 2mg