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Chinese Cashew Chicken {30-Minute Meal}

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped fresh ginger, or ginger paste from a tube
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeded, cored and diced into bite-size pieces
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups roasted cashews, I prefer unsalted

Sauce:

  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions 

  • Place the diced chicken in a medium bowl and toss with the 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
  • Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
  • Rinse the chicken in a colander and pat dry (I leave the rinsed chicken in the colander, grab a bunch of paper towels and dab all over the surface, kind of turning the chicken as I pat dry).
  • In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. You want the skillet very hot.
  • Add the chicken in a single layer and stir constantly; the chicken should turn white as it cooks - but not get overly brown. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes (it's ok if it isn't fully cooked yet; it will cook more in the next few steps).
  • Scoot the chicken to the edges of the pan. Add another drizzle (a teaspoon or so) of olive oil to the center of the skillet.
  • Add the garlic and ginger to the center of the skillet and mash gently as it cooks, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the green peppers; stir to combine the chicken, garlic/ginger, and peppers.
  • Whisk the sauce to recombine, and add it to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, the chicken is cooked through, and the peppers are crisp-tender.
  • Remove from the heat, add the cashews, and serve over hot, cooked rice (if desired).

Notes

Saltiness: I highly recommend using low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium chicken broth (both of which I keep on hand vs their saltier counterparts) for this recipe so the finished dish isn't too salty. 
Ginger: a note about ginger, that fresh pop of flavor really adds to this dish, but if you don't like the taste or don't have it, you can probably leave it out. I always grab large knobs of ginger from the produce section, chop into 1-inch pieces and pop into a freezer ziploc bag. When I need it, I pull a piece straight from the freezer and grate it on the small holes of a box grater or a rasp grater. Works perfectly!
Cashews: I like using unsalted cashews as well, but if you only have salted, try rinsing them and patting dry before using. I find unsalted, roasted cashews at my local grocery store's bulk bins, sometimes even in the snack aisle, or at Trader Joe's.