Cashew Chicken

Another recipe from Jen at Carlsbad Cravings. When I was first planning on cooking cashew chicken I looked at The Pioneer Woman's recipe, but this one looked so much better. All I've edited so far is to bring over a tablespoon of brown sugar and half a can of water chestnuts from The Pioneer Woman's recipe. One thing to remember next time you cook this is to NOT add the fresh ginger into the stir-fry sauce. You add it in while you're stir-frying everything together at the end.

Ingredients

Cashew chicken
Cashew Chicken

CHICKEN VELVETING (Quick Marinade)

  • 1 1/2 Lbs. chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon Japanese rice wine (yep, saké) or dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

STIR FRY SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Japanese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1-3 teaspoons Asian chili sauce (like Sambal Oelek or Sriracha)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

STIR FRY

  • 1 cup UNSALTED cashews
  • 1/2 cup water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, divided
  • 1 bunch green onions, white and green parts separated, chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper, 1-inch chop
  • 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch chop
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, or 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced

What to do with them...

  1. Add the velveting ingredients to a large freezer bag or bowl; whisk to combine. Add chicken and turn until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature while you prep your veggies, preferably 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile:
  2. Whisk the Stir Fry Sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. Chop your veggies and aromatics.
  3. Toast the cashews in a dry, large nonstick skillet over medium heat until toasted golden in spots, stirring a few times; remove cashews from the skillet.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in the now empty skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken in a single layer and sear for 1-2 minutes; then continue to stir until cooked on all sides (does not need to be cooked through). Remove chicken to a plate.
  5. To the now empty pan (don’t wipe out), heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and the white parts of the green onions only. Stir fry until vegetables are crisp and tender, about 3 minutes. (Don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in sauce). Add garlic and ginger to the veggies and sauté for 30 seconds.
  6. Whisk the Stir Fry Sauce (to recombine) and add to the veggies along with the chicken, cashews, and half of the remaining green onions. Simmer, while stirring, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through; 1-2 minutes. Adjust to taste with additional, honey, soy sauce, or chili sauce. Garnish with remaining green onions if desired, and dig in.