• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Caramel Tinted Life logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Work With Me
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Main Course Recipes » Easy Cashew Chicken

    Easy Cashew Chicken

    Published: Aug 11, 2017 · Modified: Jun 23, 2020 | This post may contain affiliate links·

    399 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy cashew chicken, served with jasmine rice, tastes absolutely delicious, and is a much lighter version of the original takeout Chinese recipe!

    Easy Cashew Chicken
    Raise your hands if you've ever trawled the internet, looking for a simply weeknight dinner recipe? Of course you have! We all have. Much as I like to make a nice and elaborate meal, and follow recipes that often begin with ' browning the onions' and approximately 20 steps later, end with 'layering the rice, meat and browned onions', I like keeping my weeknights simple. As do many of us.

    I have a weakness for Chinese food, and back when we lived in India, Chinese takeout used to be a much-awaited Friday night meal, at the end of a hectic work-week.

    In the Swiss town that we live in, Baden, there are a handful of Chinese takeaway places, none of which come anywhere close to the Chinese restaurants we were so content to order from, back in India. And Chinese takeout at Swiss prices - that's a story for another day. So, to summarize, Chinese take-out isn't really a viable option here. But the cravings need to be satisfied, and with a few pantry supplies, on a rainy day this week, this meal came together to satisfy all those longings for a nice little Chinese-inspired meal.

    Here are a few tried and tested takeout-style dishes that we have came to love!

    Asian Noodle Bowls

    Sweet and sour cauliflower

    Easy fried rice

    What do I need to make this Easy Cashew Chicken?

    If your pantry supplies include soy-sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar, you don't have to stress a bit. Whip up a Chinese-takeout style cashew chicken in under 30 minutes, without breaking a sweat. Serve it with jasmine rice and sit back and enjoy a delicious meal.

    Easy Cashew Chicken with Jasmine rice

    A healthier version of takeout cashew chicken

    This easy cashew chicken is also pretty good for you. Now I'm no nutrition expert, but it has chicken, veggies and nuts. And rice. And its made with low-sodium soy sauce. That makes it healthy enough in my books!

    If you'd like more weeknight recipes with chicken, here are a few you could try. I guarantee they are delicious!

    Chicken cooked in spinach (Saag Murgh)

    Chicken with za'atar and pomegranate molasses 

    Easy Lamb Kofta Curry

    If you liked this recipe, do comment below and rate the recipe! If you make this recipe, please post a pic on INSTAGRAM -tagging @carameltintedlife and follow along on FACEBOOK and PINTEREST

    Easy Cashew Chicken with Jasmine rice
    Easy Cashew Chicken with Jasmine rice
    Cashew chicken with jasmine rice 3

    Easy Cashew Chicken

    Shinta
    Easy cashew chicken, served with jasmine rice, tastes absolutely delicious, and is a much lighter version of the original takeout Chinese recipe!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 5

    Ingredients
      

    • 20 lbs (600 grams) skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
    • 2 large bell peppers chopped into cubes
    • 1/2 cup peanut butter
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 3/4 cup cashews

    For the sauce:

    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 3 teaspoons oyster sauce
    • 3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

    To serve:

    • Cooked Jasmine rice cook as per instructions on the pack
    • 2 scallions or spring onions

    Instructions
     

    • Start by pre-heating the oven to 200C (390 F)
    • In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chicken cubes, chopped bell peppers, peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Give it a good mix, so that the chicken and the veggies are well coated with the condiments.
    • In a large baking sheet lined with foil, turn out the well-coated chicken and veggies, and bake for 5 minutes at 200 C (390 F).
    • After 5 minutes, take out the sheet. The juices from the chicken will be running in the pan. Give the chicken and veggies a good mix with a spatula, add the cashews and return to the oven. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
    • While the chicken, veggies and cashews bake, make the sauce.
    • Turn up the stove to medium heat and in a sauce pan, and all the ingredients listed under 'sauce'.
    • Give it a good stir and let it come to a simmer. Turn off the heat once it starts to simmer. The sauce would have thickened.
    • Once the chicken-veggies and cashes are done, take out the baking sheet and place on the counter top to let the chicken rest.
    • When you are ready to serve, combine the baked chicken, veggies and cashew nuts with the prepared sauce and serve with jasmine rice garnished with chopped scallions.

    Notes

    You could add more salt depending on your preference. The sauce has sufficient salt, as does the peanut butter and hence I choose to not add additional salt.
    You could also top the chicken with some chopped peanuts and red chili flakes for added texture and spice.
    Keyword Cashew Chicken, Easy Cashew Chicken
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag me on Instagram! @carameltintedlife or use the hashtag #carameltintedlife
    « Peach, Balsamic & Saffron Jam
    Aperol Spritz with a twist »
    399 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adrian says

      February 27, 2021 at 12:20 am

      I'm guessing you mean 2.0 pounds of chicken and not the listed 20 pounds. Easy to make a typo.

    2. Helen of Fuss Free Flavours says

      May 09, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      I really like to make a tasty fakeaway, so much healthier and cheaper too. This dish sounds delicious and so flavoursome, the rice is the perfect side too. Don't need to worry about weekend meals with a recipe like this.

      • Shinta says

        May 13, 2019 at 12:00 pm

        Glad you liked it!

    3. Rosa says

      May 09, 2019 at 12:13 pm

      5 stars
      Yum!! I love homemade “takeout” and this sounds so delicious!!!

      • Shinta says

        May 13, 2019 at 12:01 pm

        Thank you, I totally agree!

    4. Danielle Wolter says

      May 09, 2019 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      i just love making recipes with cashews. This sounds so delicious, loving the flavors!

      • Shinta says

        May 13, 2019 at 12:01 pm

        Thank you, I'm quite fond of cashews and related recipes as well!

    5. Amy | The Cook Report says

      May 09, 2019 at 11:32 am

      5 stars
      I love easy recipes like this and this one looks so full of flavour!

      • Shinta says

        May 13, 2019 at 12:02 pm

        Thank you so much, Amy!

    6. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says

      May 09, 2019 at 10:39 am

      5 stars
      I do love such tasty plus quick and easy take out alternatives. Your cashew chicken sounds divine and I would be happy to devour it without even thinking twice. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    7. Laura Affolter says

      November 01, 2017 at 7:45 am

      Hey this recipe sounds delicious! I really must try that.

    8. Hanka says

      August 18, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      Although my kitchen supplies don't involve the oyster sauce, I think this is an easy and tasty recipe - I´ve just saved it on Pinterest as an inspiration for those days I´m desperate and have no idea what to cook (although our fridge is completely full)

    9. LunaCat Studio says

      August 16, 2017 at 8:22 am

      5 stars
      That looks so yummy! I will surely try this recipe as I love cooking chicken.

      Cathy, newborn photographer

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 17, 2017 at 6:30 am

        thank you so much! glad you liked it!

    10. Petra says

      August 14, 2017 at 10:28 pm

      The chicken sounds delicious and better than any takeaway! It looks so fresh! Love the addition of peanut butter!
      Thank you for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday! 🙂

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 17, 2017 at 6:31 am

        Thank you Petra, I did my own take on cashew chicken and love the way peanut butter enhanced the flavour of the dish!

    11. Judith Graber says

      August 14, 2017 at 9:18 pm

      This was one of my first Chinese recipes I learned to cook after taking a Chinese cooking class many, many years ago. Your ingredients are similar but the method of cooking is different.

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 17, 2017 at 6:32 am

        Yes, I tried making it in the oven instead of the stove top, as that simplifies the whole process, and there is lesser babysitting involved!

    12. Familyearthtrek says

      August 14, 2017 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      We rarely eat out as it is very expensiv but we do its oftwn chinese food.
      Not to questioning your methode of cooking but can we fry the chicken in the pan instead of putnit in the oven?

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 17, 2017 at 6:34 am

        Absolutely! The traditional way of making this is on the stove top, I just chose to make it in the oven so that its more convenient for a weekday dinner.

    13. Tamara Gerber says

      August 14, 2017 at 7:36 am

      your "dish"!

    14. Tamara Gerber says

      August 14, 2017 at 7:35 am

      I hear you, I don't know of any decent Asian restaurants in Aargau. (I live in Lenzburg)
      What I dislike about making my own is how many opened and rarely used bottles I have to keep in my fridge: soy sauce, fish sauce, curry paste, rice vinegar, etc.
      I do LOVE cashews, and I have been known to order "chicken with cashew nuts" only for the cashews 😉
      Your sidh looks delicious!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 17, 2017 at 6:38 am

        Such a pity that there are no good Asian restaurants around! And for that reason, I make Asian at home more often now. Thank you Tamara!

    15. Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

      August 13, 2017 at 2:29 pm

      That's so true! I think that we we eat healthier and also appreciate the food we cook even more, by avoiding takeout

    16. [email protected] says

      August 12, 2017 at 3:22 am

      It is so nice to be able to create meals you love without relying on take out.

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 13, 2017 at 2:26 pm

        That is so true! I think this way, we eat healthier, and appreciate what we cook even more so.

    17. TurksWhoEat says

      August 11, 2017 at 4:06 pm

      Looks even better than takeout 😀

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 13, 2017 at 2:25 pm

        Thank you so much! Glad you liked it Alex!

    18. Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says

      August 11, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      5 stars
      I would love to devour this!! Looks so delicious and I love cashew chicken! Thanks for bringing this at Fiesta Friday party table. I hope you are enjoying the party.

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 13, 2017 at 2:23 pm

        Thank you Jhuls! glad you liked the recipe, thanks so much for co-hosting!

    19. Vanitha says

      August 11, 2017 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      I love Indo-Chinese too; Cashew Chicken sounds so exotic! Love the fact that you have baked instead of stir fried..a must try soon!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        August 13, 2017 at 2:22 pm

        Thank you Vanitha! It is quite the treat.. Hope you give it a try sometime!

    Primary Sidebar

    Shinta Simon

    is always on the lookout for inspiration for her next meal. She shares recipes for family meals, Instant Pot recipes and more

    Read more...

    Recent Recipes

    chopsticks holding noodles over a bowl
    chickpea salad in a bowl with a fork
    sausages with roated potatoes on a plate
    collage of indian chicken images
    rogan josh curry in a black pan
    caramelized bananas on a plate

    Popular Posts

    chopsticks holding noodles over a bowl

    Korean Gochujang Noodles - Noodles in spicy Gochujang sauce

    Instant Pot Sausage Pasta

    Instant Pot Sausage Pasta

    Close up of saag paneer in a bowl

    Saag Paneer | Palak Paneer | How to make Saag Paneer

    Pesto Potatoes

    Pesto Potatoes

    steel bowl with vegetable stew next to appams and curry leaves

    Vegetable Stew | Kerala Ishtew | Vegan Stew

    side view of air fried eggplant on a plate with a dip

    Airfryer Eggplant

    Footer

    Affiliate Links

    Caramel Tinted Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
    • About

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Me

    FREE e-book

    • Sign Up! for a FREE e-book on
      Indian Recipes

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Caramel Tinted Life | Technical Partner </> Host My Blog