Chinese Chicken Cashew nuts recipe

Stars based on 49 votes

This dish of tender stir-fried chicken and roasted cashews in garlic sauce tastes just like take-out, only better. It’s easy too. You don’t need a wok — just a large nonstick skillet — and, aside from the chicken, the only chopping involves some garlic and scallions. The rest comes out of bottles and jars.

The only way to mess it up is to overcook the chicken. So, be sure to have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking and don’t cut the chicken pieces too small (they’ll cook too fast).

Also, try to use a good quality hoisin sauce; it makes all the difference. I like Kikkoman (I found it at Whole Foods) or Lee Kum Kee (I found it at Giant, my local grocery store).

You’ll be amazed how much better it feels to eat fresh, homemade Chinese food — and it won’t take you any longer to cook than it would to call it in and wait for it.

Serve with white rice and steamed broccoli…Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 8 scallions (1 bunch), white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. (They will crisp up as they cool.)
3. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Add half of the chicken to the skillet and stir-fry (stir as you cook) until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
5. Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; then add remaining chicken, garlic and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the rice vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
6. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and water; cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, cashews and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

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