Chinese Chicken and Cashew Recipe

This Chinese Chicken and Cashew Recipe is easy, ready in about 20 minutes, and loaded with flavor. It’s better than what you’d get at a restaurant! The chicken is sautéed with vegetable oil for depth of flavor before adding leeks. The leeks stay crispy and therefore the dish is finished with cashews and an exquisite sauce.  

The heat from the chili aioli makes the chicken come to life without being overly hot and spicy. The sauce helps keep the chicken moist and tender and clings to the veggies beautifully. 

You don’t need a wok, just a large nonstick pan. And, aside from the chicken, the only chopping involves some garlic and leeks.  

The only way to mess it up is to overcook the chicken so have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking and don’t cut the chicken pieces too small (they’ll cook too fast). You’ll be amazed how much better it feels to eat fresh, homemade Chinese food.  

Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup roasted, unsalted cashews 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 2 teaspoons corn-starch 
• 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce  
• 400-700 grammes of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced 
• 8 leeks (1 bunch), white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 2 tablespoons vinegar 
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil 

HOW TO MAKE CASHEW CHICKEN 

To begin, place the cashews on a baking sheet in a single layer. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. (They will crisp up as they cool.) Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the water, cornstarch, sweet chili sauce and soy sauce. Set aside. 

Next, season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over high heat until very hot. Add half of the chicken to the pan 

Stir-fry until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 

Add the remaining tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet; then add remaining chicken, garlic and white parts of the leeks. Stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Return the first batch of chicken to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add the vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. 

Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. 

Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallion greens, cashews and sesame oil. 

Voila! Serve with rice.