This easy Cashew Chicken stir fry is better than takeout and great for meal prep. Plus, the sauce is made using mostly pantry staples!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work. For a seafood option, use shrimp instead of chicken as your protein.
- Cornstarch – arrowroot or tapioca starch can also be used.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Sesame oil – you can use a neutral cooking oil like olive oil but it will have a milder flavour.
- Mushrooms – add in another veggie like zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, snap peas, bok choy or celery.
- Carrot – see substitution notes above.
- Yellow onion – white onion, red onion or shallots would all work instead.
- Green and red pepper – swap out for any colour bell pepper of your choice.
- Cashews – cashews are the star of this recipe, but you can try making the stir fry with another nut of your choice like peanuts.
Stir fry sauce
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Honey – agave, maple syrup or brown sugar would all help sweeten the stir fry sauce.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch. You could also swap out half the garlic for minced ginger.
How to make cashew chicken stir fry
Step 1: Make the stir fry sauce.
Mix the stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Season and toss the chicken.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then toss with the cornstarch.
Step 3: Sauté the carrots and mushrooms.
Cook the carrots and mushrooms in a skillet until the carrots start to soften and the mushrooms release their juices.
Step 4: Brown the chicken.
Add the chicken and sauté until browned, stirring often.
Step 5: Mix in the rest of the veggies.
Add the onion, green pepper and red pepper and sauté in the skillet. Add the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.
Step 6: Pour in the stir fry sauce, serve and enjoy!
Stir in the cashews, then remove from heat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Tips for the best cashew chicken
Here are some of my top tips for the best cashew chicken stir fry:
- Make your own stir fry sauce: It's made of pantry staples and is so much better than the preservative-filled options you buy from the grocery store.
- Use a wok: You can use a skillet for this recipe, but a wok will give you that authentic stir fry flavour and ensures everything cooks evenly.
- Mix up the veggies: Add in different veggies like zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, snap peas, bok choy, water chestnuts or celery.
- Roast the cashews: For even better flavour, roast the cashews in the oven for 10-15 minutes first at 350°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can serve this cashew chicken stir fry on its own or with a side of white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles, steamed broccoli or bok choy.
Yes! I used chicken breasts to make this stir fry a bit healthier, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. Shrimp would also work, just keep in mind the cooking time will be less (cook until the shrimp are no longer translucent).
This stir fry is already super healthy! The chicken isn't breaded but is tossed in cornstarch to make it super tender, and the sauce is made using whole ingredients including low-sodium soy sauce. If you want to keep the sides healthy, I'd recommend steamed broccoli, brown rice or cauliflower rice.
You can mix up the veggies to include anything you have in your fridge. I used mushrooms, carrot, onion and bell peppers, but this stir fry would also be delicious with zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, snap peas, bok choy, water chestnuts and celery.
Storing and reheating
This cashew chicken stir fry is great for meal prep and will last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Store individual serving sizes in airtight glass containers or meal prep bowls.
You can reheat your stir fry in the microwave for 1-2 minutes if you’re in a rush, but I suggest reheating in your wok or a skillet until heated through. It ensures the veggies stay nice and crisp! If you do use the microwave, make sure to sprinkle some water over top of the chicken so it doesn’t dry out.
Freezing this recipe
If you plan on freezing this cashew chicken stir fry, I suggest cooking the vegetables for less time so they don’t get mushy when you defrost and reheat them. This way, the dish should last in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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Easy Cashew Chicken {30-Minute Meal}
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced in half
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup cashews
Stir fry sauce
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari if gluten-free
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, season chicken with salt & pepper, then toss with cornstarch. Meanwhile, mix the stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over med-high heat. Add carrots and mushrooms to skillet, cooking for 5 minutes until carrots soften and mushrooms release juices. Add chicken and saute for another 5 minutes until browned, stirring often.
- Add onion, green pepper and red pepper to the skillet, sauteeing another 2-3 minutes, then add sauce, cooking for 2-3 more minutes until sauce thickens.
- Stir in cashews, then remove from heat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds (optional), and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Louise says
This is delicious and doesn’t take long at all! It’ll be a new meal prep go-to for me.
Lin says
I made this tonight. It was fantastic! I love the honey in this recipe, it makes a big difference.
Cara says
Going to freeze this, I know mushrooms don’t freeze good. Thought of this too late but next time I’ll do waterchest nuts instead of mushrooms
Taylor Stinson says
Please let me know how freezing goes!
Erin says
This recipe was so good, I added some rice and hot sauce, definitely will make again!
Erica says
Hi, didn’t this recipe used to be different? I’ve been making it for awhile now and have the link saved but I remember it differently with fresh ginger and siracha. I’m sure this recipe is great too, but is there an original somewhere? Or am I going crazy? 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Erica – I recently updated this recipe and changed it very slightly to make it better than the original. The only things missing from this version are the sriracha and ginger as you noticed so go ahead and add those back in if you’d like 🙂
george says
How many days can this be stored in the fridge and if it can, what area the reheating instructions
Thanks
George
Taylor Stinson says
Hi George! It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Store in airtight containers, either as a large batch or individually for meal prep.
Reheat in the microwave or toss in your wok or skillet until heated through, usually 1-2 minutes. There are some more tips in the blog post above the recipe card if you’re interested in reading more 🙂
Erin says
I just found this recipe and made it for supper using broccoli, carrots, celery and peppers and it was DELICIOUS. There were so many layers of flavour! Everyone loved it! Thanks, Taylor!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you liked it Erin! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Amrita says
absolutely love your page! Recipes are saving my life rn
– from another toronto girl , now living in ohio 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you so much Amrita, you are so sweet!!! Please let me know if you ever have any requests 🙂
Dina says
Yum! One portion for me please 🙂