Name: Thai Cashew chicken
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 500 g chicken thighs ((skinned, boneless, I had skinless)); 3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce; 3 tbsp. soy sauce; 4 tbsp. dark soy sauce; ~300 ml of neutral oil; 80 g cashew nuts; 1 onion ((medium size)); 1 tbsp. sugar; pinch of roasted chili powder ((optional, but desired)); 2-3 stalks of green onions

Cashew chicken is served in many Asian countries, but it is particularly popular with Chinese diners in the United States. In the U.S., the dish is even attributed to Chinese-American cuisine, despite its distinctly Asian roots.

In the traditional preparation, chicken and vegetables are stir-fried in a wok and served with copious amounts of sauce based on chicken broth and a mixture of soy and oyster sauces.

But the more popular the dish, the more variations it has. In the U.S., for example, there is a variation called “Springfield-style cashew chicken,” in which the chicken is cooked in a deep fryer instead of stir-fry.

The Thai variation also has its own differences. The chicken and cashew pieces are coated in sauce, but not floating in it as in gravy. This makes the Thai version lighter and fresher.

Also, the Thai version we’ll be making has a much more ascetic set of products. Of the vegetables here, only onions: yellow or white and green. And for the sauce there is no need to bother with chicken broth, all the ingredients can be found at home of any fan of oriental cuisine.

The only difficulty may be with the roasted chili powder. Yes, it has to be cooked separately. You can, of course, do with store-bought or even make a baby, non-spicy version without chili. But considering that cashew chicken cooks quickly, I think you can find an extra 5-10 minutes to roast the chili and chop it in a blender or coffee grinder.

It’s definitely worth the effort. Just a pinch will add bright flavor and spice to any dish. And for stir-fry dishes in general, it is an indispensable thing and very often used.

Recipe from the books Night+Market

⏱ Cooking time — 65 minutes overall. Includes 20 minutes of preparation and cooking + 45 minutes unattended.

🥣 Ingredients

🍽 For 2 servings (for a serving for one, halve the chicken, sugar, and cashews):

500 g (1,1 lb) chicken thighs (skinned, boneless, I had skinless)
3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. dark soy sauce
~300 ml (1,3 cups) of neutral oil
80 g (2,8 oz) cashew nuts
1 onion (medium size)
1 tbsp. sugar
pinch of roasted chili powder (optional, but desired)
2-3 stalks of green onions

Ingredients needed to cook Thai cashew chicken: chicken thighs, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cashew nuts, onion, sugar, vegetable oil, pinch of roasted chili powder, green onion stalks.

🔪Step by step Directions

Peel 1 onion, cut in half and slice into half rings, about 1/2 cm (1/4 inches) thick.

Rinse green onions, and slice at an angle. Set aside.

Cut 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken thighs into cubes about 2 cm (3/4 inches) apart. Place in a large bowl.

Pour 3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce, 3 tbsp. soy sauce and 3 tbsp. dark soy sauce into the bowl with the chicken (1 tbsp. remains for later use). Stir and leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, transfer the chicken to a sieve or skimmer, rub slightly over a bowl, and then leave for 5-10 minutes to let the excess marinade drain off.

Heat a dry wok over high heat until smoking.

Pour in the vegetable oil, so that it is a couple of centimeters deep. Heat the oil until shimmering.

Add 80 g (2,8 oz) cashews to the wok. Stirring constantly, stir-fry cashews until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Then use a slottedotted swirled spoon to drain off the excess oil. Place on paper towels and set aside.

Pour the oil from the wok into a heatproof bowl, reserving about 3 tbsp. in the wok.

Save the oil for later use.

Heat a wok with 3 tbsp. oil over high heat. Add half the chicken and half the onions. Fry, stirring constantly for 1 minute or so. Transfer to a bowl.

Fry the rest of the chicken and onions in the same way. But first, make sure there are no small particles left in the wok from the last batch, otherwise they will burn and give bitterness.

When the second batch of chicken is ready – return the chicken from the first batch to the wok and heat everything together for 15-20 seconds, stirring frequently.

Add 1 tbsp. sugar, roasted cashews and the remaining 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce to the wok. Stirring constantly, cook until sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 1 pinch of roasted chili powder and half the green onions (use the rest to serve), stir again and remove from heat.

Serve immediately, with steamed rice as a side dish. Don’t forget to garnish with the remaining green onions.

Thai Cashew chicken

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Chicken and cashews are served in many Asian countries, but they are especially popular with Chinese diners in the United States.

When served, the chicken and cashew pieces are coated with sauce, but they are not floating in it as in gravy. This makes the Thai version lighter and fresher. Also, the Thai version, which we will be making, has a much more ascetic set of products. The only vegetables are yellow or white and green onions. There's no need to bother with chicken broth for the sauce. Every lover of oriental cuisine has all the ingredients for it at home.

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Cook Time20 minutes

Unattended:45 minutes

Total Time1 hour 5 minutes

Servings Servings

Ingredients
Metric – US Customary

500 g chicken thighs (skinned, boneless, I had skinless)
3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. dark soy sauce
~300 ml of neutral oil
80 g cashew nuts
1 onion (medium size)
1 tbsp. sugar
pinch of roasted chili powder (optional, but desired)
2-3 stalks of green onions

Instructions

Peel the onion, cut in half and slice into thin half rings, about 1/2 cm (1/4 inches) thick.
Rinse the green onions, and slice at an angle. Set aside.
Slice chicken thighs into cubes about 2 cm (3/4 inches) apart. Place in a large bowl.
Pour teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and dark soy sauce into the bowl with the chicken, saving about 1 tbsp. for later use. Stir and leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, transfer the chicken to a sieve or skimmer, rub slightly over a bowl, and then leave for 5-10 minutes to let the excess marinade drain off.
Heat a dry wok over high heat, until smoking.
Pour in the vegetable oil, so that it is a couple of inches deep. Heat the oil until shimmering.
Add the cashews to the wok. Stirring constantly, roast cashews until golden brown, about 2 minutes. With a slotted skimmer, remove the nuts, letting the excess oil drain off. Place on paper towels and set aside.
Drain the oil, leaving about 3 tbsp. in the wok. Save the oil for later use.
Heat the wok with the oil over high heat. Add half the chicken and half the onion. Fry, stirring constantly for 1 minute or so. Transfer to a bowl.
Fry the rest of the chicken and onions in the same way. But first, make sure there are no small particles of food left in the wok from the last batch, or they will burn and give bitterness.
When the second batch of chicken is ready – return the chicken from the first batch to the wok and stirring frequently warm them together for 15-20 seconds.
Add the sugar, cashews and the reserved 1 tbsp of soy sauce to the wok. Stirring constantly, cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add a pinch of roasted chili powder and half the green onions (save half for serving), stir everything again and remove from heat.
Serve at once, with steamed rice as a side dish. Don't forget to garnish with the remaining green onions.