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.
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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.
In a large bowl, season chicken with salt & pepper, then toss with cornstarch.
Step 3: Sauté the carrots and mushrooms.
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.
Step 4: Brown the chicken.
Add chicken and saute for another 5 minutes until browned, stirring often.
Step 5: Mix in the rest of the veggies.
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.
Step 6: Pour in the stir fry sauce, serve and enjoy!
Stir in cashews, then remove from heat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds (optional), and enjoy!
What to serve with cashew chicken
I like to serve this cashew chicken stir fry over rice, but if you’re looking for more options, here are some side dish ideas:
- Cauliflower rice
- White or brown rice
- Stir fried noodles
- Steamed broccoli
- Bok choy
Frequently Asked Questions
The stir fry sauce for this cashew chicken recipe is super easy. In fact, you only need three ingredients, and they’ll all pantry staples you likely already have on hand! Just whisk together 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tbsp. honey and 4 cloves minced garlic to make this flavourful sauce.
Yes! Cashews are high in protein, healthy fats and antioxidants. As long as you don’t smother them in salt, they’re a healthy addition to any meal or even a great snack option on their own.
This cashew chicken stir fry has 333 calories per serving. It’s a great low-calorie and low-carb meal option!
While kung pao chicken and cashew chicken are both chicken-based Asian dishes, kung pao chicken is typically made with peanuts whereas chicken cashew stir fry is made with cashews. Kung pao chicken also tends to be a bit spicier than cashew chicken, since it uses chilies.
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 or a big batch 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 suggesting 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 Stir Fry {Meal Prep}
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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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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 🙂