Cashew Chicken comes together in just 15–20 minutes! Toss leftover chicken with red peppers, roasted cashews, and a bold, savory sauce—no frying needed.
A Quick Cashew Chicken Recipe
I’ve seen so many people on social media asking for fast and easy meals—so I started a back-to-school series with fast, tasty recipes like Thai Chicken Pinwheels and Instant Pot Mac and Cheese. They can all be made in under 30 minutes with just a few ingredients.
This dish fits right in! It looks and tastes impressive, but comes together in just 15–20 minutes.
What’s In Cashew Chicken?
- Chicken: Use rotisserie or grilled chicken—no need to reheat first.
- Red Pepper: Thinly slice mini red peppers or use 1 large bell pepper.
- Cashews: Use dry-roasted cashews. Not a fan? Add to individual plates.
- Sesame Oil: I use toasted sesame oil. Find it in the Asian food section.
- Garlic & Ginger: For a shortcut, use a paste, jarred, or frozen cubes.
- Rice: Grab Ready Rice® to keep things quick or make this white rice.
- Cashew Chicken Sauce: A sweet, savory sauce that brings it all together.
How To Make Cashew Chicken (Tips)
- Make the cashew chicken sauce first. the dish comes together fast.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks. Shredded chicken can get stringy.
- No frying or baking. just sauté everything in a skillet for quick prep.
- Garnish. While the garnishes are optional, they add a fresh finishing touch.
Quick Tip
Restir the sauce just before adding it to the skillet; it separates as it sits!
Storage
- Store leftover cashew chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Stir Fry with loads of veggies
- Chicken Chow Mein with cabbage and carrots
- Applebee’s Chicken Salad with a creamy dressing
- Chicken Ramen with diced red pepper and broccoli
- Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps with ground chicken
Cashew Chicken
This quick Cashew Chicken is ready in just 15–20 minutes! No frying needed—just toss leftover cooked chicken with sautéed red peppers and roasted cashews in a delicious sauce for a tasty stir-fry!
Equipment
- Large pan nonstick
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger see note 1
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil divided
- 1-1/4 cups thinly sliced red pepper see note 2
- 3 cups cubed cooked chicken see note 3
- 1/2 cup halved roasted cashew
- Toppings as desired see note 4
Instructions
- Make Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk cornstarch and vinegar until smooth. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir until smooth and set aside for now. Stir the sauce again right before adding to pan.
- Cube chicken into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice bell peppers.
- Heat 2/3 tablespoon sesame oil in a large nonstick pan. Once hot, add the thinly sliced pepper and sauté for 3–5 minutes until crisp-tender. Add cubed chicken and cashew halves, scraping in all the sauce. Cook gently for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and everything is warmed through. Remove from heat and drizzle the remaining 1/3 tablespoon sesame oil over the dish.
- Serve right off the stovetop over cooked rice and garnish with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Keep things quick by using refrigerated minced garlic and ginger paste.
Note 2: Use 1 large bell pepper or about 6–7 mini peppers. In the picture and video, I use mini red bell peppers and thinly slice them on a diagonal.
Note 3: Use leftover grilled chicken breasts, pre-grilled chicken breasts from the store, or a rotisserie chicken. I don’t recommend shredding the chicken; it’s best when cut into larger cubes.
Note 4: For a quick rice base, use Ready Rice, which is already cooked and just needs to be warmed through. You can top the chicken with thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Note 5: Since the chicken is pre-cooked, you don’t want to cook it too long. Just warm it through and make sure the sauce thickens nicely!
Storage: Cool the Cashew Chicken, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for 3–4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.8g | Protein: 32.2g | Fat: 14.1g | Cholesterol: 83.2mg | Sodium: 558.8mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10.4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Chelsea, this looks wonderful! Can’t wait to try it, thanks!
I can’t wait to hear what you think! Thanks Kris! 🙂