Thai cashew chicken is a super easy stir-fry recipe that is FULL of flavour! This cashew chicken stir-fry contains chicken breast, 5 different vegetables, toasted cashews and a combination of oyster and soy sauce that goes perfectly with rice or noodles. Thai cashew chicken stir-fry is ready in just 35 minutes making it an easy and quick weeknight dinner!
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Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I visited Thailand with a couple of pals. We travelled from Bangkok to Koh Samui and then up to Chang Mai and it was INCREDIBLE. Thailand is such a beautiful place with so many friendly people. Definitely go if you get the chance!
But, I digress. While in Chang Mai we attended a Thai cooking class taught by some locals. We bought ingredients from the local market, which was a fabulous vision of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables – some I’d never even heard of! We were even shown how to make fresh coconut milk. It was pretty awesome. Back at
While my amazing tan may have faded and the blue elephant print trousers I bought developed holes, this recipe has stuck with me all those years. And for good reason! The dish is flavoured with oyster sauce, soy sauce and garlic. Mixed with the amazing flavours of the toasted cashews (literally the tastiest little things) this simple dish becomes the most flavoursome weeknight meal to add to your repertoire.
The original recipe calls for onion, baby corn and mushroom, but I’ve upped the veg game with some extra peppers and sugar snap peas because apparently veggies are meant to be pretty good for you?
How to make Thai Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
Time needed: 35 minutes.
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Stir-fry the cashews for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
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Heat a tablespoon of oil, then stir-fry the chicken with the dried chilli and garlic for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Once cooked transfer to a bowl.
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Add the onions and pepper to the wok and stir-fry. Transfer to a bowl once done.
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Stir-fry the mushrooms then set aside in a bowl.
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Finally, stir-fry the baby sweetcorn and sugar snap peas.
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Add everything back to the wok with the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until everything has heated through. Serve with rice or noodles.
Thai Cashew Chicken Stir Fry FAQ
Allow the stir-fry to cool to room temperature for no longer than two hours. Transfer to air-tight containers and store in the fridge for 2-4 days.
It should be noted that stir-fries are best served freshly cooked. However they can be reheated, it will just affect the texture. The most important thing to ensure when reheating chicken stir-fry is that the chicken is heated through thoroughly. Add the stir-fry to a hot wok with a little oil and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes until everything is piping hot.
Alternatively, you could reheat in the microwave, although this will definitely mean the vegetables will lose their original crunchy texture. Transfer the stir fry to a microwave safe container, covered, and heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring halfway through. Ensure everything is piping hot before serving.
The chicken can be replaced with any vegan protein substitute. Tofu works particularly well – coat it with a little cornflour first before stir-frying. There are also vegan and vegetarian versions of oyster sauce that you can buy.
Oils that can withstand a high heat are best used in this type of cooking, that includes oils such as groundnut and vegetable.
How to Stir-Fry: Tips for Stir-Frying
- Firstly make sure all of your ingredients are prepared and ready to go. That means chopping any meat or veg, measuring out any sauces and having any accompaniments such as rice or noodles cooked. Stir-frying is a quick process and you don’t want to be caught out chopping up veg while you’ve got food cooking/burning on the stove. Preparation is key!
- Woks were made for fast stir-fry cooking, but if you don’t have one a big frying pan would work just as well.
- High heat is required when stir-frying – get your wok nice and hot before adding anything else in and allow it to come back up to temperature between cooking the different ingredients.
- When stir-frying cook all of the ingredients in batches, then transfer the cooked ingredients to a bowl while you stir-fry the next. This ensures everything is cooked properly and the pan isn’t overcrowded.
- Stir! But not for the entire time. Leave things to sit in the pan for around 30 seconds before stirring again – this allows things to develop a little caramelisation which adds additional flavour.
If you love this Thai cashew chicken recipe you might also enjoy…
- Vietnamese Pesto Noodles
- Asian Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Soup
- Roast Chicken Tikka Masala with Cauliflower
- Peanut Tofu Noodle Bowl Recipe
- 30-Minute Sweet Thai Chili Peanut Chicken and Grilled Pineapple Stir-Fry from Half Baked Harvest
Thai Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
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This Thai Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry is ideal for a quick and simple weeknight meal, packed with veggies, cashews and chicken it’s also super tasty too!
Ingredients
- 100 grams (3/4 cup) cashews
- 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
- 1 dried chilli or 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1cm cubes
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 150 grams (2 cup) mushrooms, sliced
- 100 grams (1 cup) baby sweetcorn, cut in half
- 100 grams (1 cup) sugar snap peas
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Rice or noodles to serve
Instructions
- Heat a wok over a medium heat. Dry fry the cashews for 1-2 minutes until they are golden brown. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn! Remove the cashews from the wok into a bowl.
- Add the groundnut oil to the wok. If using dried chilli stir-fry it for 1-2 minutes in the oil to flavour the oil. Remove the chilli from the wok and add to the bowl with the cashews while leaving the oil in the pan.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high. If using the dried chilli flakes add them to the wok now alongside the garlic and chicken. Stir-fry everything together for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the wok into a bowl.
- Add the onion and pepper to the wok and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the wok to a bowl.
- Stir-fry the mushrooms in the wok for 3-4 minutes until they have released most of their liquid and begin to take on colour. Remove from the wok to a bowl.
- Finally, add the baby sweetcorn and sugar-snap peas to the wok and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, before adding all of the vegetables, chicken, chilli and cashews back to the pan.
- Add the oyster sauce and soy sauce to the pan and mix everything together. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes until everything is piping hot. Serve on top of rice or noodles and enjoy!
Keywords: Stir Fry Recipes, Thai Recipes, Cashew Chicken Recipe, Asian Recipes, Quick Dinners
Last Updated:
Update Information: New photos have been added, alongside process photos and a new FAQ.
Michael
March 25, 2019 at 6:40 pmThis is so yummy! I much prefer it to the chinese style cashew chicken that i normally get from the takeaway.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Chloe
March 25, 2019 at 7:08 pmThanks so much!
Emmeline
March 27, 2019 at 8:33 amThis looks so yummy! As some who has lived in Bangkok, attended Thai cooking classes & travelled a lot around the country I really appreciate how authentic you kept it! Yummy!
Elizabeth Chloe
March 27, 2019 at 9:00 amThanks so much, Emmerline 😊
Cathy
March 27, 2019 at 8:55 amLove absolutely everything about this recipe! So inviting and delicious looking! Can’t wait to make this chicken cashew!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Chloe
March 27, 2019 at 9:00 amWoo, thank you, Cathy!
Heidy L. McCallum
March 27, 2019 at 10:49 amThai Cashew Chicken is one of my all time favorites. When I was away at college I was lucky enough to meet 2 wonderful ladies and become roommates with them ( Li Li and Su). Their mom made this frequently for us. I loved every bite of it. I cannot wait to try your version of this recipe.
Have a wonderful day
★★★★★
Elizabeth Chloe
March 27, 2019 at 10:55 amOh that sounds fabulous Heidy! Thanks for your comment, you have a great day too 😊
Rosa
March 27, 2019 at 11:43 amMmm this looks so yummy and totally doable! I love being able to make my favourite take out dishes at home!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Chloe
March 27, 2019 at 12:39 pmTotally Rosa – I absolutely love a fakeaway! Thanks 😊
Dannii
March 27, 2019 at 12:00 pmI love a chicken cashew stir fry and we make it every couple of weeks. The cashew adds so much texture.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Chloe
March 27, 2019 at 12:39 pmThe cashews are my absolute favourite Dannii!