Thai Cashew Chicken

Thai chicken with cashews in wok with wooden spoon digging in

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

I think you'll be surprised at not only how delicious this Thai Cashew Chicken is, but also how easy it is to make!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £3 / $4

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Bowl & Tongs (for coating chicken)
Large Wok & Wooden Spoon (or a large pan)
Slotted Spoon (for removing cashews/chicken)

Ingredients

600g / 1.3lbs boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, diced into bite-sized pieces (see notes)
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tbsp + 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
50g / 1/3 cup Plain Flour
120ml / 1/2 cup Veg Oil (for frying)
200g / 7oz Unsalted Cashew Nuts
2 medium White Onions, halved then diced into quarters (pull layers apart)
2 medium Peppers, I use 1 red 1 green (diced into pieces to similar size as the onion)
4 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
2 Red Chillies, deseeded if you want to reduce spice (see notes)
3 Spring Onion, separated into firm white part and green part, then chopped into 2.5cm/1" pieces
1 1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
Cooked Rice, for serving

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken with the white pepper and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Mix in the flour until the chicken is fully coated.
Heat the oil in a wok or large, deep frying pan/wok over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Once hot, add the cashews and fry until deep golden. Keep an eye on them, as they’ll burn quickly. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to one side, leaving the oil behind.
Working in two batches, shake off any excess flour from the chicken and add it to the oil. Fry until golden and crisp on the outside and piping hot right through the centre (about 5 minutes per batch). Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all but around 2 tablespoons of oil (just eyeball it).
Add the peppers, onions and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the chilli and firm white parts of the spring onions and fry for a minute longer. Stir in the chicken, then stir in the sugar, oyster sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Toss in the cashews and the rest of the spring onion. The sugar should have fully dissolved and the sauce should have a glossy texture that just lightly coats everything. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Chicken - chicken thigh is the best option because you can build up a golden crust without the meat overcooking. Having said that, you can use breast if you’d prefer, it’ll just cook a lot quicker.

b) Flour - coating the chicken in flour is essential to not only ensure you build a crust on the chicken (i.e. more flavour), but also so the crust can absorb the sauce and help it cling to the chicken.

c) Chillies - traditionally, you’d use dried red chillies and keep them whole, but they’re trickier to get your hands on. I use the pre-packaged large red chillies you find in the supermarkets, which work just fine.

d) Cookbook - this recipe is featured in my debut cookbook 'Comfy'.

e) Calories - whole recipe divided by 4, assuming half the oil is consumed (likely overestimate).

Nutrition