Authentic & Easy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe: A Family Favorite from The Secret Recipe Club
My passion for stir-fries is no secret among my family and friends, and it’s a love affair that continues to deepen with every new creation. On this blog, you’ll find a growing treasury of stir-fry recipes featuring pork, chicken, and beef, each a testament to the incredible versatility and quick-cooking nature of this beloved Asian-inspired dish. Stir-frying is more than just a cooking method; it’s an art form that allows for endless culinary exploration, from customizing vegetables to perfecting that savory sauce. It’s a weeknight warrior’s dream, delivering vibrant flavors and satisfying meals with remarkable efficiency. While I’ve had the pleasure of developing many of my own recipes, which are proudly shared here, sometimes the most delightful culinary adventures begin with a recommendation from a cherished friend. The sheer joy of discovering new flavor combinations and adapting them to suit my family’s tastes is a constant source of inspiration, making every stir-fry a unique and rewarding experience in my kitchen.
This particular journey into the world of flavor took a slightly different path, leading me to a recipe discovered through a wonderful initiative called The Secret Recipe Club. It’s an exciting opportunity for food bloggers to step outside their culinary comfort zones, explore new techniques, and introduce their readers to the vast and inspiring community of online cooks. The club started with a modest group, but its popularity has soared, attracting nearly 50 enthusiastic participants in a short time. This growth speaks volumes about the collective love for food, creativity, and connection that binds us all. It’s truly a rewarding experience to delve into another blogger’s collection and find a gem that sparks inspiration, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared passion within the food blogging world.
Among the many talented food creators who joined The Secret Recipe Club, I was thrilled to find the blog of an old friend, Barb from Mom’s Fridge. Barb and I have known each other for many years through our online community, dating back to my early days with FamilyCorner. Her culinary prowess is well-known; she’s an incredibly seasoned and knowledgeable cook, always sharing delightful and approachable recipes that truly resonate with home cooks. When I discovered her blog was my assignment for the club, a wave of excitement washed over me. I knew I was in for a treat and eagerly anticipated diving into her repertoire to find the perfect dish to share with my own audience, confident that any recipe from Barb would be a winner.
After browsing through Barb’s extensive collection of comforting and delicious recipes, her Cashew Chicken recipe immediately caught my eye. It promised classic flavors and hearty satisfaction, perfect for my family who appreciates a good Chinese-inspired meal. While I aimed to keep the essence of Barb’s original creation intact, I also wanted to adapt it slightly to suit my family’s larger appetite and my personal stir-fry cooking style, which I’ve refined over countless culinary experiments. My first and most significant modification was doubling the recipe. With six hungry mouths to feed, a single batch of stir-fry rarely lasts long enough for everyone to get seconds! This adjustment ensures ample portions for a satisfying dinner and often a bit left over for lunch the next day, a true win in a busy household where efficient meal planning is key.
I also took the liberty of swapping out a couple of the vegetables, a common and highly recommended practice in stir-frying that allows for seasonal adjustments or simply catering to family preferences. Instead of the original vegetables, I opted for crisp celery, vibrant snow peas, and sweet, tender cubed onion. This combination not only adds a wonderful variety of textures but also complements the chicken and cashews beautifully, providing both freshness and a subtle crunch. The true beauty of stir-frying lies in its flexibility; you can truly make it your own by incorporating your favorite vegetables, experimenting with different colors and textures, or simply using whatever fresh produce you have on hand that needs to be used up.
Furthermore, I refined the cooking method to align with the technique I’ve perfected over years of making stir-fries. My usual approach involves a specific order of operations to ensure each ingredient is cooked to perfection and flavors are layered effectively. I always start by cooking the aromatics, such as freshly minced garlic and ginger, first. This crucial step allows their fragrant oils to infuse the wok and the cooking oil, creating a deeply aromatic and flavorful base that will permeate the entire dish. Next, the marinated chicken goes in, cooked quickly over high heat until it’s just browned and tender, locking in its juices. Finally, the vegetables are added, starting with harder ones like celery and onions that require a bit more cooking time, followed by softer ones like snow peas. A crucial tip I’ve learned, and one I always adhere to, is to add green onions last, right at the very end of the stir-frying process. This prevents them from becoming mushy and ensures they retain their vibrant color and mild, crisp bite, adding a final touch of freshness and a subtle oniony zest.
The result of these adaptations was nothing short of fantastic. My adapted Cashew Chicken was incredibly delicious, packed with savory flavors, and satisfying textures from the tender chicken to the crunchy cashews and crisp-tender vegetables. It was also remarkably easy to prepare, making it an ideal choice for a busy weeknight or a relaxed weekend meal when you crave something flavorful yet straightforward. My family, who shares my profound love for stir-fries, devoured it with enthusiasm, praising its balance of flavors and hearty appeal. There’s something so comforting and globally appealing about a well-made stir-fry, a dish that consistently brings smiles to every face at the dinner table. Sometimes, I truly wonder if I was destined to be Chinese or Mexican, given my undeniable affection for both these vibrant, flavor-rich cuisines!
If you are a fellow food blogger and would like information on The Secret Recipe Club and are interested in joining this thriving community of passionate cooks (participants need to have a blog with a decent number of recipes for others to choose from), you can click right here to read all about it and sign up! It’s an excellent way to discover new blogs, make new friends, and expand your own culinary horizons while contributing to a supportive and engaging network.
Cashew Chicken
adapted from Mom’s Fridge
More Delicious Stir Fry Recipes to Explore
- Mongolian Beef
- Sesame Chicken
- Moo Goo Gai Pan
- Chinese Pepper Steak
- Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Kung Pao Chicken
- General Tso Chicken
Cashew Chicken
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Ingredients
- 15 ounces boneless chicken breast fillets about 3 large, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 5 tablespoons canola oil separated
- 2 cup cashews
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 stalks celery leaves and ends removed, cut into thin slices
- 1 cup onion peeled & cubed
- 6 oz snow peas
- 6 green onions cut into 1″ pieces
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- ¾ cup chicken stock
Instructions
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Place chicken pieces into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and stir thoroughly to ensure all pieces are lightly coated. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar until they are well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Pour this flavorful marinade over the cornstarch-coated chicken and stir gently to ensure every piece is evenly coated. Set the chicken aside to marinate for at least 15-20 minutes at room temperature, or longer in the refrigerator if time permits, for deeper flavor infusion.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large wok or a wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the cashews. Stir-fry constantly for 1-2 minutes until they turn a beautiful golden brown and become fragrant. It’s important to stir continuously as cashews can toast very quickly and burn easily. Once golden, remove the toasted cashews with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil and cool. Set aside for later.
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Return the wok to the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh canola oil to the pan. Add the minced garlic and fresh minced ginger and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until they become wonderfully fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic brown too much. Push the aromatics to the side of the wok to make space. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of canola oil (as needed) to the hot pan, then add the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer if possible to ensure even cooking. Fry the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping occasionally, until it’s cooked through and lightly browned on all sides. Next, incorporate the snow peas, thinly sliced celery, and uniformly cubed onion into the wok. Continue to stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender and brightly colored, maintaining their desirable texture.
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Once the chicken and vegetables are perfectly cooked to your liking, add the previously toasted cashews and the fresh green onions (cut into 1-inch pieces). Toss everything together quickly and stir-fry for just another minute or so. This brief final stir-fry step is just enough to heat the cashews through and slightly soften the green onions while ensuring they retain their delightful crunch and vibrant color, adding that final fresh element to the dish.
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In a small, separate bowl, combine the remaining 3 teaspoons of cornstarch with the Hoisin sauce and chicken stock. Whisk this mixture vigorously until it is completely smooth and no lumps of cornstarch remain. This concoction will form the rich, glossy sauce for your stir-fry, binding all the flavors together. Pour this prepared sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the wok. Mix everything thoroughly with your stir-fry spatula, ensuring all ingredients are beautifully coated. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, for 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency and has a beautiful, appealing sheen.
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Serve this delectable Cashew Chicken immediately while hot, ideally over a bed of fluffy white or brown rice to soak up all that wonderful, savory sauce. The rice perfectly complements the textures and flavors of the stir-fry. For an extra touch of presentation and flavor, garnish with a few extra toasted cashews or a sprinkle of fresh green onions. Enjoy your homemade, restaurant-quality stir-fry – a dish that’s sure to become a regular in your family’s meal rotation!
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
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