Description
This Thai Cashew Chicken Stir Fry is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining tender chicken thighs with crunchy cashews, aromatic garlic, and a tangy, slightly sweet sauce. Perfect for a quick and satisfying weeknight meal, it comes together in under 20 minutes and is served best alongside fragrant jasmine rice.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, unsalted (see Note 1 for roasted)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/2 onion (brown, yellow, or white), cut into thin wedges
- 200g / 7oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced into 1cm / 1/3″ thin strips (see Note 2)
- 2 green onions, cut into 2.5cm / 1” lengths, white part separated from green part
- 1/2 red cayenne pepper, deseeded and finely sliced on the diagonal (optional, omit or reduce if preferred) (see Note 3)
- Red chilli, finely sliced (optional garnish)
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (see Note 4)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (see Note 5)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (see Note 6)
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 3 tbsp water
For Serving
- Jasmine rice (or other rice of choice)
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves and set aside.
- Cook Cashews: Heat the oil over medium heat in a wok or large skillet. Add the raw cashews and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they turn a dark golden color and become crunchy. Remove them from the skillet using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Onion: Increase the heat to high. Add the minced garlic and onion wedges to the skillet and cook for approximately 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook Chicken: Add the sliced chicken thighs to the skillet. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the outsides turn from pink to white.
- Add White Green Onions & Cayenne: Incorporate the white parts of the green onions and the sliced red cayenne pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute more until the chicken is just cooked through.
- Pour in Sauce: Add the prepared sauce to the skillet. Continue cooking for 1 minute until the sauce reduces slightly, becoming syrupy and coating the chicken evenly.
- Finish with Green Onions & Cashews: Add the green parts of the green onions and the cooked cashews. Toss everything together for 30 seconds to combine and heat through.
- Serve: Transfer the stir fry to a serving dish. Serve alongside jasmine rice or your preferred rice, garnished with additional finely sliced red chilli if desired for extra heat.
Notes
- Note 1: If you prefer, use roasted cashews but skip the initial cooking step for cashews in oil.
- Note 2: Using chicken thighs keeps the meat tender and juicy; skinless and boneless is best for quick stir-frying.
- Note 3: Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to your preferred spice level or omit for a milder dish.
- Note 4: Oyster sauce adds a rich, savory flavor; substitute with vegetarian oyster sauce or soy sauce for vegetarian options.
- Note 5: Dark soy sauce provides color and depth; light soy sauce can be used but will yield a lighter color.
- Note 6: Fish sauce contributes essential umami; substitute with soy sauce for a vegetarian version.
