Cashew Chicken
Serves 4
Adapted from Feasting at Home
For Chicken:
1 pound (500 grams) chicken breast, cut into 1 inch (2½ cm) chunks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3–4 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
For Sauce:
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1½ tablespoons Shaoxing wine, sherry vinegar, or rice vinegar
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger
1-2 cloves garlic
¼ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sriracha
For Veggies:
1 cup cashews, roasted
1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
½ cup onion, diced
1 cup (3 ounces, 85 grams) mushrooms, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
For Chicken:
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the cornstarch, water, and salt into a slurry. Add the chicken and toss with slurry until fully coated. Set aside.
For Sauce:
In a blender add the soy sauce, maple syrup or honey, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, cornstarch, cinnamon, and sriracha. Blend until smooth.
For Veggies:
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and even disperse the cashews over top. Once the oven is preheated, toast the cashews for 8-10 minutes. Watch the cashews closely so they reach your preferred color, they burn quickly!
While the cashews are roasting, set a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Pour in the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken in batches until they are just light brown. Set aside on plate.
Reduce the stove heat to medium and, in the same pan, add more avocado oil. Add the onions and mushrooms and let them sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally as they cook. Add in the bell pepper and continue sautéing everything for 2-3 minutes. Follow that up with the garlic, ginger, and half the green onions and sauté for 1 more minute.
Reduce the heat to low and pour in the cooked chicken, cashews, and sauce. Stir everything together until the sauce thickens and bubbles, and everything is well combined.
Serve over rice and garnish with additional green onions.
Enjoy!