This amazingly simple (and simply plain wonderful) Cashew Rooster is a favourite weeknight dinner! Constructed from juicy hen stir-fried with tender veggies in a tangy, savory Asian-inspired sauce. This 25-minute home made recipe is one million instances higher than takeout.
Should you love fast take out at house impressed dinners, be sure that to strive my Beef and Broccoli recipe!
Higher-Than-Takeout Cashew Rooster Recipe
We’re no strangers to takeout on this household. I’m a sucker for the comfort of a scorching and prepared meal from our favourite native take out spot, however I additionally know there’s nothing higher than home made! For the times when a craving strikes, this simple cashew hen recipe has all of the acquainted Asian-style flavors that I like, made proper at house (within the time it might take to have it delivered, too!). Like my Orange Chicken, it is a restaurant-quality hen dinner that anybody could make with just a few fundamental substances and a skillet.
The spicy and tangy cashew hen sauce is simply next-level scrumptious, and you can also make this recipe as gentle or as scorching as your loved ones prefers. Should you’re on the go all week lengthy, my cashew hen is your new finest pal. That is the kind of dinner you want in your life, belief me.
What Is Cashew Rooster?
Cashew Rooster is all the time my go-to order once we seize Chinese language take-out. It’s a preferred dish produced from hen and greens, stir-fried with cashew nuts in a mix of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The flavors are savory, a bit tangy, and a bit spicy (relying on how a lot chili is concerned).
Enjoyable truth: You’ll discover completely different variations, together with Chinese language-style, like this one, and Thai cashew hen, however cashew hen was really invented in Missouri! It’s extra of an American dish that’s Chinese language-inspired, created at a restaurant referred to as Leong’s Tea Home.
What You’ll Want
There are two elements to this cashew hen recipe: the flavorful stir-fry sauce, plus the hen and different add-ins. Beneath is an outline of the varied substances you’ll want for each. Keep in mind to discuss with the recipe card for the complete ingredient quantities!
For the Sauce
Hoisin Sauce and Soy Sauce: Each of those conventional Asian condiments pack in a great deal of umami taste. Like soy sauce, hoisin sauce is produced from soybeans, with further spices, garlic, and chilies. It’s largely gentle, so that you’ll discover I spice it up with chili sauce afterward. You’ll discover hoisin sauce within the condiment aisle of most main supermarkets.
Rooster Broth: I like to recommend utilizing low-sodium hen broth since substances like soy sauce already include excessive quantities of sodium. You don’t need your sauce to return out overly salty.
Honey: For a touch of pure sweetness. Should you don’t have honey available, brown sugar can be utilized as an alternative.
Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is the most effective for seasoning and flavoring Asian-style recipes. Should you don’t have it, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are good substitutes.
Sesame Oil: You’ll need to get your palms on some. Sesame oil has a particular taste that basically can’t be substituted in Chinese language-style cooking!
Ginger: I extremely suggest utilizing freshly grated ginger on this cashew hen stir fry sauce. It’s simple to grate utilizing a zester, and also you’ll discover recent ginger root in most grocery shops or markets. Floor ginger works in a pinch, however the taste simply doesn’t evaluate!
Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce.
Sriracha and Crushed Crimson Pepper: To beef up the spiciness of the sauce. I take advantage of sriracha for its barely candy chili taste. One other related chili sauce may also work. Should you’d favor a extra gentle sauce, be happy to adapt the quantity of chili or depart it out altogether.
For the Rooster
Rooster: I take advantage of boneless skinless hen breasts, reduce into skinny strips. Some individuals favor to make use of boneless hen thighs, which is completely effective additionally! You’ll additionally want canola oil or vegetable oil for sautéing the hen.
Greens: I take advantage of a mix of snow peas, thinly-sliced carrots (julienne-style is finest), and crispy water chestnuts in my cashew nut hen, together with garlic for aromatics. You possibly can positively adapt this recipe with any greens you’d like. See afterward for straightforward variation concepts.
Cashews: Everybody thinks the hen is the star of the present right here, however actually, it’s the cashew nuts! Cashews grow to be wealthy and nutty as they prepare dinner, lending a great deal of taste to the stir fry. Be sure you use unsalted cashews so that you just don’t wind up with a dish that’s too salty.
Jasmine Rice: I serve my cashew hen over a mattress of fluffy jasmine rice. After all, you’ll be able to serve your stir fry nevertheless you’d like! Try the part beneath for extra tasty serving options and facet dish concepts.
Tips on how to Make Cashew Rooster
Don’t be shocked if this cashew hen is essentially the most ridiculously simple dish you’ll make this week! When you whisk up your stir-fry sauce, simply 20 minutes is all it’s essential to sauté the substances in a skillet.
Put together the Sauce: This half is tremendous simple. Merely whisk collectively all of the sauce substances in a bowl, and set this apart for now.
Brown the Rooster: When you’ve got a wok, now’s the chance to make use of it! In any other case, warmth a little bit of oil in a non-stick skillet on the stovetop. Give your hen strips a sprinkle with salt and pepper, after which toss these into the skillet to sear on both sides. I like to recommend working in batches, in order to not overcrowd the hen items. Over medium-high warmth, the hen ought to brown fairly rapidly.
Cook dinner the Veggies: Switch the seared hen items out of the pan and onto a plate. Subsequent, decrease the warmth and add the carrots and snow peas to the skillet to prepare dinner till they’re crisp-tender. Afterward, stir within the garlic and water chestnuts.
Mix: Now, it’s time to carry all of it collectively. Add the cooked hen again to the skillet, and over low warmth, pour within the stir fry sauce. Sprinkle within the cashews, after which stir all the things to coat whereas the sauce thickens and cooks. Dish up your home made cashew hen over rice or noodles, and dig in!
Suggestions for Success
Beneath are some remaining recipe notes to assist your cashew hen come out precisely to your liking:
Adapt the warmth ranges. Should you’re catering to milder palates, you’ll be able to adapt the quantity of chili on this recipe as wanted. Use kind of scorching sauce, or omit the chili altogether.
Toast the cashews. When you’ve got the time, frivolously toasting the cashews in a pan with some oil brings out an much more nutty taste. It’s also possible to use pre-roasted cashews.
Make it vegetarian. You possibly can simply swap out the hen for tofu for those who’re making a vegetarian stir-fry. Or, simply exchange the hen with extra veggies! See beneath for straightforward variation concepts.
Straightforward Recipe Variations
I like meals like cashew nut hen as a result of I rarely run out of the way to customise the substances. A stir fry is an ideal manner to make use of up nearly any leftover veggies, and so forth. you’ll have kicking round within the fridge. Listed here are some simple cashew hen variations to strive:
Totally different Protein: Why not strive cashew beef? Or tofu with cashew nuts? Rooster is a traditional, however go forward and blend it up with any protein you’d like.
Totally different Veggies: This recipe works with nearly any vegetable. Strive it with broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, candy corn, onions, inexperienced beans, mushrooms, cabbage, or bok choy. Understand that completely different greens could have completely different prepare dinner instances.
Straightforward Add-Ins: Gown up this straightforward stir-fry recipe with bean sprouts, edamame, chives, or inexperienced onions.
What to Serve with Cashew Rooster
All it takes is a facet of rice or Spicy Sesame Noodles to show your cashew hen right into a well-rounded meal. Simply another reason to like this recipe! After all, for those who’re on the lookout for easier dishes to serve alongside a scrumptious plate of hen with cashew nuts, beneath are a few of our favorites.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover cashew hen hermetic for as much as 3 days. Leftovers are simple to reheat within the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. You possibly can add a bit water to assist loosen up the sauce if wanted.
Can I Freeze Cashew Rooster?
Sure! This hen stir fry freezes effectively. Retailer it hermetic in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag, and freeze it for as much as 3 months. Thaw the cashew hen within the fridge earlier than reheating.
This 25-minute Cashew Rooster recipe is a straightforward takeout-inspired meal! A family-friendly dinner thought produced from juicy hen cooked with tender-crisp veggies in a flavorful sauce.
For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup hen broth
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1½ teaspoons sesame oil
1½ teaspoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
½–1 teaspoon crushed crimson pepper
For the Rooster:
1– 2 teaspoons canola oil
1½ kilos boneless hen breasts, sliced thinly into 2-inch strips
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced very skinny
8 ounces snow peas
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) can of sliced water chestnuts
1 cup cashews
salt and pepper to style
4 cups cooked Jasmine Rice
Sauce: Whisk all of the substances for the sauce collectively in a bowl till easy and set it apart.
Rooster: Warmth the canola oil in a big non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high warmth.
Season the sliced hen with salt and pepper and when the oil is scorching place the hen into the skillet in batches, browning on both sides. Ensure to not over-crowd the skillet. The hen will prepare dinner rapidly, 2- 3 minutes on both sides. Switch the hen to a plate and proceed till all of the hen is cooked.
Scale back the warmth to medium and add within the carrots and snow peas, sauteing till they’re comfortable, however left with a slight chunk, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and water chestnuts and prepare dinner for 1 minute.
Scale back the warmth to low and return the hen again to the pan. Add the reserved sauce and the cashews, then stir to mix. Cook dinner till the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Serve scorching over jasmine rice.
Notes
Retailer hermetic within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Key phrases: hen with cashews recipes, hen with cashew nuts, cashew hen stir fry
