This chicken and cashew stir fry makes an easy and delicious weeknight meal. With juicy chicken, tender vegetables and roasted cashews coated in a delicious garlicky oyster sauce, you can skip the restaurant and make your own, healthier version in less than 25 minutes!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare. We’re talking less than 25 minutes to make, including prep time.
- A great option for when you want dinner in a hurry, but still want a healthy and flavour packed meal.
- Pair it with this homemade fried rice, prawn gyoza or char siu pork spring rolls for your own version of “takeaway” at home!
- Customise to suit whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Chicken stir fry with frozen vegetables is also a great option.
- Meal-prep friendly. All of the elements (including the sauce) can be prepped ahead, if you love to get organised.
- It can be prepared on the stovetop, or in a slow cooker/crockpot if you prefer to have dinner waiting for you when you get home. I’ve included slow cooker instructions in the recipe card below.
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Chicken. Boneless thigh fillets are best in this recipe, as they will stay juicy and tender. Chicken breast can be used, but be careful not to overcook it.
- Chinese wine (Shaoxing) is a type of Chinese rice wine used for cooking. It is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes and will help to create the authentic flavour that you may find difficult to replicate at home. It can be substituted for mirin or dry sherry.
- Cornflour. The chicken is coated in a mix of cornflour, salt and peppers which helps the sauce to thicken and cling to the chicken pieces beautifully.
- Sauces like oyster, soy sauce and hoisin sauce are used as a base for the homemade stir fry sauce.
- Oil, for cooking the chicken. Use a mild-flavoured oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola or peanut oil.
- Rice malt syrup is used to balance the sauce with a little sweetness.
- Chilli flakes are optional and can be omitted to keep it mild. A little sriracha sauce works great too!
- Cashews. Use natural or roasted, un-salted cashews. Peanuts work well in this recipe too.
- Vegetables. Use 2 cups of your favourite stir fry vegetables. Capsicum, broccoli, baby corn, bok choy, mushrooms, snow peas, carrots, onions, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, onions or even a mix of frozen veggies.
- Rice, noodles or quinoa, to serve.
Step by step guide
If you are making this fresh in a wok, I recommend chopping all of your veggies, coating the chicken and preparing the sauce first. That way, everything is ready to be added to the wok without fuss and dinner will be ready in no time!
- Mix the sauce. Place all of the sauce ingredients together in a jug and stir.
- Chicken coating. Toss the chicken pieces in the cornflour, salt and pepper mix until thoroughly coated.
- Brown the chicken in a hot wok with a little oil. Then add the sauce and cook for a further minute, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add your favourite chopped veggies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cashews and stir.
Expert tips
- The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week.
- For an even faster dinner, pre-chop the veggies and store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days, ready to add to the hot wok.
- Leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- A non-stick pan or wok is recommended, as it will prevent the coating from sticking to the pan and falling away from the chicken. However, it won’t matter if this does happen, as the cornflour coating will still thicken and flavour the sauce.
- Don’t have any fresh vegetables? Use whatever frozen vegetables you like! A mix of frozen stir fry veggies works perfectly, or add some frozen broccoli, peas and green beans.
FAQs
How long does chicken stir fry last in the fridge?
Keep leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days, covered or in an airtight container.
Can you re-heat a chicken stir fry?
To safely re-heat chicken stir fry, it should be refrigerated immediately after it has been cooled, stored in an airtight container. Then, stir fry in a hot wok or microwave until steaming hot.
Related recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or leave a review below and let me know how you went!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for the latest recipes and news.
Chicken with Cashew Nuts
This chicken and cashew stir fry makes an easy and delicious weeknight meal. With juicy chicken, tender vegetables and roasted cashews coated in a delicious garlicky oyster sauce, skip the restaurant and make your own, healthier version in less than 25 minutes!
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 6
Calories: 453kcal
Ingredients
- 600 grams chicken thighs (1.3lb/3-4 fillets) boneless, chopped
- ¼ cup cornflour
- ½ tsp black pepper ground
- ¼ tsp white pepper ground
- ¼ tsp salt
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce light or regular soy, not dark
- 2 tbsp Chinese wine (Shaoxing), available in most Asian stores and supermarkets. Or use mirin or dry sherry as a substitute
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp rice malt syrup (or sugar)
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp ginger very finely grated
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional). Or, use sriracha chilli sauce to taste
Plus
- oil, for frying peanut oil, canola or vegetable
- 1 cup cashews unsalted
- 2 cups mixed vegetables mixed stir fry vegetables of choice (see suggestions in the notes below)
- steamed rice or quinoa, noodles or fried rice to serve
Instructions
- Place all of the sauce ingredients into a jug and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Combine the cornflour, black pepper, white pepper and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken and stir until the chicken is completely coated in the flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a wok over high heat and add chicken. Stir fry until the chicken is browned on all sides.
- Add the sauce and stir fry for a further minute, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Add the cashew nuts and stir to combine.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice, quinoa or homemade fried rice. Enjoy!
Slow cooker method
- Place all of the sauce ingredients into a jug and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Combine the cornflour, black pepper, white pepper and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken and stir until the chicken is completely coated in the flour mixture.
- Heat oil in a pan over high heat and add chicken. Stir until the chicken is browned on all sides. If using a pressure cooker, this can be done on the sautee setting.
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker and cover with the sauce.
- Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours. Once finished, stir through chopped veggies and leave on heat for 20 minutes. They will cook through if sliced thinly enough. (You can add the veggies at the beginning, if required). Stir through the cashews before serving.
- Serve immediately over steamed rice, quinoa or homemade fried rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken. Boneless thigh fillets are best in this recipe, as they will stay juicy and tender. Chicken breast can be used, but be careful not to overcook it.
- Chinese wine (Shaoxing) is a type of Chinese rice wine used for cooking. It is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes and will help to create the authentic flavour that you may find difficult to replicate at home. It can be substituted for mirin or dry sherry.
- The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week.
- For an even faster dinner, pre-chop the veggies and store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days, ready to add to the hot wok.
- Leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for 2-3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- A non-stick pan or wok is recommended, as it will prevent the coating from sticking to the pan and falling away from the chicken. However, it won’t matter if this does happen, as the cornflour coating will still thicken and flavour the sauce.
- Reheating: To safely re-heat chicken stir fry, it should be refrigerated immediately after it has been cooled and stored in an airtight container. Then, stir fry in a hot wok or microwave until steaming hot.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the stir fry being divided into six bowls, with each bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any rice, noodles, additional toppings or other sides served with the stir fry.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 908mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3183IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @TheCookingCollective or tag #thecookingcollective!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in February 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in October 2021.
Kate cruicky says
This is so good Andrea.
Easy to prep in the am for an easy dinner. Loved it
Andrea Geddes says
Hi Kate! Thank you so much for letting me know, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this! We love it too. Such a great dinner to prep ahead on a busy night. Andrea 🙂