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Meat, East Asian

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice

Cashew chicken stir-fry with rice is a Chinese style dish made with chicken breast, bell peppers, and roasted cashews, served over plain rice. This easy recipe serves 4, takes 35 minutes, and costs €3.50 per serving. The key is cooking the chicken and vegetables over high heat so they stay tender and crisp instead of steaming.

Tonight we're going full takeout style, with a cashew chicken stir-fry and crunchy bell peppers.

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
550 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Cashew chicken stir-fry with rice is the dish you'd order from your favorite Chinese takeout, made faster and at home. The chicken stays tender thanks to a cornstarch coating, the peppers keep their crunch, and the cashews add a rich bite that beats the usual peanuts. The oyster sauce ties everything together with a sweet and salty note, without drowning out the other flavors.

It's the dish for a busy weeknight when you want something different from the usual dinner rotation without spending hours in the kitchen. Kids tend to love the sweet and salty flavor and the crunch of the cashews, as long as you go easy on the green pepper for picky eaters. Mon Chou likes to pull this one out when there are peppers left in the vegetable drawer.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken breasts 600 g

Pantry

  • Roasted plain cashews 80 g
  • Oyster sauce 2 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red bell pepper 1
  • Green bell pepper 1
  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Allergens Tree nuts, Mollusks, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces and mix it with the soy sauce and cornstarch. 10 min

    Add 1 tbsp of water to the cornstarch, it coats the chicken much more evenly.

  2. Cut the peppers and onion into 2 cm squares, and mince the garlic.

    Pieces of the same size cook at the same rate, which is the key to a good stir-fry.

  3. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    A splash of oil in the cooking water keeps the grains from sticking together.

  4. Brown the chicken in hot oil for 5 minutes, stirring only a little, then set it aside. 5 min

    Leave it alone for 1 minute before stirring, the browning happens through contact with the hot pan.

  5. Stir fry the onion, peppers, and garlic for 3 minutes, add the chicken back in, pour in the oyster sauce with 5 cl of water, then add the cashews. 4 min

    No oyster sauce? Soy sauce with a bit of ketchup gives a very close sweet and salty result.

Our tips to get it right

  • Cut the chicken and vegetables into even pieces before you start cooking, since the stir-fry itself only takes a few minutes and you won't have time to adjust once it's going.
  • Use a wide skillet or a wok so the chicken sears instead of steaming in its own juices, cooking it in two batches if your pan is on the smaller side.
  • Cook the rice first and keep it warm, the stir-fry itself comes together in about ten minutes once everything is chopped.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for peeled shrimp, searing them just two minutes per side so they stay tender.
  • For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for firm tofu cut into cubes and seared the same way, and use soy sauce instead of oyster sauce.
  • For kids in a hurry, skip the green pepper and serve the stir-fry over Chinese noodles instead of rice for a different texture.

What to serve it with

  • Plain or fried rice
  • Spring rolls as a starter
  • Hot green tea

Storage

Cashew chicken keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, ideally with the rice stored separately. It freezes well for up to 2 months, though it's best to leave out the cashews since they lose their crunch after thawing. Reheat in a hot skillet rather than the microwave to bring back the crispness of the vegetables.

Questions about this dish

Can I use something other than oyster sauce?

Yes, a mix of soy sauce and a bit of ketchup gives a very similar sweet and salty result. It's a good fix if you don't have oyster sauce on hand.

Do I need to toast the cashews before adding them?

It's not required since they're already roasted, but dry toasting them in the pan for a few minutes brings out a deeper, nutty flavor. That's Mon Chou's tip for this dish.

Can I prep this dish ahead of time?

You can chop the chicken and vegetables the day before and store them separately in the fridge. The actual cooking should happen right before serving, since the stir-fry loses its crunch if it sits too long.

How do I make this milder for young kids?

Leave out the green pepper, which has a slightly more bitter edge, and stick mostly to the red pepper. You can also cut back on the oyster sauce if you prefer a gentler flavor.

How long does it take to make a cashew chicken stir-fry with rice?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a cashew chicken stir-fry with rice?

About 550 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a cashew chicken stir-fry with rice cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains tree nuts, mollusks, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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