Straightforward Cashew Hen | Cookies and Cups

This amazingly simple (and simply plain superb) Cashew Hen 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.

If you happen to love fast take out at house impressed dinners, make sure that to strive my Beef and Broccoli recipe!

Higher-Than-Takeout Cashew Hen Recipe

We’re no strangers to takeout on this household. I’m a sucker for the comfort of a sizzling 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 really like, made proper at house (within the time it might take to have it delivered, too!). Like my Orange Hen, this can be a restaurant-quality hen dinner that anybody could make with a couple of primary elements and a skillet.

The spicy and tangy cashew hen sauce is simply next-level scrumptious, and you can also make this recipe as delicate or as sizzling as your loved ones prefers. If you happen to’re on the go all week lengthy, my cashew hen is your new finest buddy. That is the kind of dinner you want in your life, belief me.

What Is Cashew Hen?

Cashew Hen is at all times 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 mixture 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 totally different variations, together with Chinese language-style, like this one, and Thai cashew hen, however cashew hen was truly 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 components to this cashew hen recipe: the flavorful stir-fry sauce, plus the hen and different add-ins. Under is an summary of the varied elements you’ll want for each. Bear in mind to consult with the recipe card for the total 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 principally delicate, so that you’ll discover I spice it up with chili sauce in a while. You’ll discover hoisin sauce within the condiment aisle of most main supermarkets.
• Hen Broth: I like to recommend utilizing low-sodium hen broth since elements like soy sauce already comprise excessive quantities of sodium. You don’t need your sauce to return out overly salty.
• Honey: For a touch of pure sweetness. If you happen to don’t have honey readily available, brown sugar can be utilized as a substitute.
• Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is the perfect for seasoning and flavoring Asian-style recipes. If you happen to don’t have it, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are good substitutes. 
• Sesame Oil: You’ll need to get your fingers 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 contemporary 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 Purple 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 can even work. If you happen to’d favor a extra delicate sauce, be at liberty to adapt the quantity of chili or depart it out altogether.

For the Hen

• Hen: I take advantage of boneless skinless hen breasts, lower into skinny strips. Some individuals favor to make use of boneless hen thighs, which is completely advantageous additionally! You’ll additionally want canola oil or vegetable oil for sautéing the hen.
• Greens: I take advantage of a mixture 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’ll be able to positively adapt this recipe with any greens you’d like. See in a while 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 change into wealthy and nutty as they cook dinner, lending a great deal of taste to the stir fry. You’ll want to 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. In fact, you may serve your stir fry nonetheless you’d like! Take a look at the part under for extra tasty serving ideas and facet dish concepts.

Make Cashew Hen

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 you’ll want to sauté the elements in a skillet. 

• Put together the Sauce: This half is tremendous simple. Merely whisk collectively all of the sauce elements in a bowl, and set this apart for now.
• Brown the Hen: 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 either side. 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 cook 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 every little thing 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

Under are some last recipe notes to assist your cashew hen come out precisely to your liking:

• Adapt the warmth ranges. If you happen to’re catering to milder palates, you may adapt the quantity of chili on this recipe as wanted. Use roughly sizzling 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. You can even use pre-roasted cashews.
• Make it vegetarian. You’ll be able to simply swap out the hen for tofu in case you’re making a vegetarian stir-fry. Or, simply substitute the hen with extra veggies! See under for straightforward variation concepts.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

I really like meals like cashew nut hen as a result of I rarely run out of the way to customise the elements. A stir fry is an ideal manner to make use of up nearly any leftover veggies, and so forth. you might have kicking round within the fridge. Listed below are some simple cashew hen variations to strive:

• Completely different Protein: Why not strive cashew beef? Or tofu with cashew nuts? Hen is a traditional, however go forward and blend it up with any protein you’d like. 
• Completely different Veggies: This recipe works with nearly any vegetable. Attempt it with broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, candy corn, onions, inexperienced beans, mushrooms, cabbage, or bok choy. Remember the fact that totally different greens might have totally different cook dinner instances.
• Straightforward Add-Ins: Costume up this easy stir-fry recipe with bean sprouts, edamame, chives, or inexperienced onions.

What to Serve with Cashew Hen

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! In fact, in case you’re in search of less difficult dishes to serve alongside a scrumptious plate of hen with cashew nuts, under 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’ll be able to add a bit water to assist loosen up the sauce if wanted. 

Can I Freeze Cashew Hen?

Sure! This hen stir fry freezes properly. 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.

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