Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

5 from 1 vote

Tired of takeout? Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry is the answer! With tender chicken, crunchy cashews and a rainbow of fresh vegetables, every bite is coated in a savory sauce that tastes like it came straight from your favorite restaurant.

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Servings: -6 people

Calories: 621kcal

Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli florets
1 cup carrots peeled and sliced thin
1 cup celery sliced thin
2 cups chicken broth I recommend using Better Than Bouillon
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil optional
½ - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated, use up to 1 teaspoon depending on how much you enjoy the flavor of ginger, or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons light olive oil or avocado oil
1 pound chicken boneless, skinless breasts or thighs, cut into 1” chunks
3 cloves garlic minced or chopped
1 cup snow peas fresh or frozen
2 cups cashews plus more for garnish
Cooked rice optional

Instructions

Chop the Vegetables

Dice and chop the broccoli, carrots and celery and set aside. Rinse the snow peas and pat dry - if using fresh. Otherwise, remove the frozen now peas from the freezer and let them defrost at room temperature while you prep the other ingredients.
4 cups broccoli, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery

Make the Sauce

In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and ginger. Whisk in the ¼ cup of corn starch and set aside.
2 cups chicken broth, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, ¼ cup cornstarch

Stir-Fry the Chicken and Veggies

In a large skillet or wok, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil (or avocado oil) until it’s shimmering.
2 tablespoons
Add the chicken to the skillet or wok, and stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink. (3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken portions.)
1 pound chicken
Remove the chicken from the pan, cover and keep warm. Leave any liquid or dippings in the pan.
To the same pan, add the garlic, carrots and celery. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
3 cloves garlic
Add the broccoli and snow peas to the pan and stir-fry all of the vegetables together for another 5 minutes or until tender, but still crisp. Turn the heat down to medium and you may need to sprinkle a few teaspoons of water on the veggies to keep them moist.
1 cup snow peas

Combine All Ingredients

Whisk the broth mixture in the measuring cup and add it to the pan along with the cooked chicken.
Stir to coat all of the ingredients with the broth and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it heats in the pan.
Stir in the cashews. Serve over cooked rice, garnish each serving with additional cashews.
2 cups cashews, Cooked rice

Notes

If you are fairly confident you'll have leftovers, I recommend sprinkling the cashews on each serving (about ⅓ cup per serving) instead of stirring them into the vegetables, sauce and chicken in the pan. The cashews will lose their crunchiness after being refrigerated overnight with the other ingredients.

Nutrition