Cashew chicken stir fry is a quick and colourful dinner that’s packed with flavour and texture. Tender pieces of chicken, crisp vegetables, and buttery cashews are coated in a savoury-sweet sauce — all ready in just 20 minutes. It’s one of those meals that’s perfect for a weeknight when you want something fresh and satisfying.
This recipe serves 4 and is delicious with steamed rice or noodles.
What You Need
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
Chicken breast – Slice into thin strips so it cooks quickly and stays tender. You can swap for chicken thighs if you prefer a richer flavour.
Cornflour – Coating the chicken in cornflour before frying helps it brown nicely and keeps it juicy.
Soy sauce – Reduced sodium soy sauce works well here, as there are plenty of other salty-savoury ingredients in the sauce.
Oyster sauce – Adds a rich, savoury depth. If you prefer not to use oyster sauce, you can replace it with more hoisin sauce and a pinch of brown sugar.
Hoisin sauce – Slightly sweet and tangy, it balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce.
Rice vinegar – Brings a touch of acidity to brighten the sauce. White wine vinegar can be used as an alternative.
Honey – Adds sweetness and helps bring the sauce together.
Garlic and ginger – Fresh or frozen both work well. They give that classic stir fry flavour base.
Vegetables – A mix of red pepper, yellow pepper, broccoli, and carrot adds colour and crunch. You can swap in courgette, mangetout, or baby corn if you like.
Cashew nuts – Unsalted cashews work best so you can control the salt in the dish. Toasting them first brings out their nutty flavour.
Oil – Use vegetable oil or sesame oil for extra flavour.
Spring onions – Sliced and scattered on top for a fresh finish.
Equipment
A wok or a large sauté pan. I made this recipe in my large Ninja ZeroStick sauté pan, and it worked brilliantly.
The wide base meant the chicken browned evenly without crowding, and the high sides kept everything contained while stirring. The non-stick surface also meant I could use less oil without worrying about the sauce catching or sticking. I have linked to the exact pan I used in the recipe card down below.
Making Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Step 1: Marinate the chicken
Start by adding the sliced chicken to a mixing bowl with the cornflour and a spoonful of soy sauce. Give it a good stir so every piece is lightly coated. Set it aside while you get the vegetables and sauce ready — this step gives the chicken a lovely texture when cooked.
Step 2: Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the rest of the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger. This will be your stir fry sauce, so keep it nearby as it all comes together quickly once you start cooking.
Step 3: Toast the cashews
Heat up a large wok or frying pan without any oil. Add the cashews and let them warm through, stirring often so they don’t burn. After a couple of minutes, they should be lightly golden and smell amazing. Tip them out onto a plate and set aside for later.
Step 4: Cook the chicken
Add a splash of oil to the hot wok and turn the heat right up. Spread the chicken out so it’s in a single layer. Let it cook for a minute or so before you start stirring — this helps it get that lovely golden colour. Stir fry for another couple of minutes until it’s just cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.
Step 5: Cook the vegetables
Add the rest of the oil to the wok, followed by the peppers, broccoli, and carrot. Keep them moving so they don’t catch, and cook until they’re starting to soften but still have a bit of crunch. This usually takes 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Combine everything
Tip the chicken and cashews back into the wok. Pour over your sauce and give everything a good stir so it’s evenly coated. Let it bubble for a minute or two so the flavours can mingle and the sauce clings to the chicken and veg.
Step 7: Serve
Scatter over the spring onions and serve straight away with steamed rice or noodles.
Storage
Cashew chicken stir fry is best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat, adding a splash of water if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, swap the chicken for firm tofu or tempeh and use vegetarian oyster sauce or extra hoisin sauce.
Do I have to toast the cashews first?
It’s not essential, but toasting makes them more flavourful and crunchy.
Tips
- Have everything chopped and ready before you start cooking — stir fries move fast and you won’t have time to prep once the wok is hot.
- If you have a small wok or frying pan, cook the chicken in batches so it browns instead of steaming.
- For a finishing touch, drizzle over a little sesame oil before serving.
More Stir Fry Recipes
Are you looking for more quick stir fry recipes? Try some of these for inspiration.
Cashew Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast sliced into thin strips
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 3 tbsp soy sauce divided
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic or 2 tbsp frozen
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or frozen
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 1 yellow pepper sliced
- 100 g broccoli florets sliced
- 1 carrot sliced into thin batons
- 100 g unsalted cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp vegetable or sesame oil
- 2 spring onions sliced
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, mix chicken with cornflour and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Set aside.
- Mix the sauce: In a small bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger.
- Toast cashews: Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add cashews and toast for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the chicken: Add 1 tbsp oil to the hot pan. Stir fry chicken over high heat for 3–4 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the vegetables: Add remaining oil to the pan. Stir fry peppers, broccoli, and carrot for 3–4 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Combine: Return chicken and cashews to the pan. Pour in sauce and stir for 1–2 minutes until everything is coated and heated through.
- Serve: Top with spring onions and serve immediately with rice or noodles.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an estimate.