Nobody expects the sauce to be blended cashews and red curry paste but that is exactly what makes these kebabs work. Martha Stewart’s Cashew Chicken Kebabs are grilled chicken thighs marinated in a Thai-inspired cashew curry sauce, served over rice noodles with shaved cucumber, carrots, iceberg lettuce, and lime.
I make this summer dinner recipe when I want grilled chicken that feels like a real meal and not just meat on a plate. The sauce does double duty as the marinade and the dipping sauce, so you blend it once and you are done.
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Why You Will Love These Cashew Chicken Kebabs:
- The sauce is a food processor away: Cashews, red curry paste, and water. You pulse it smooth in 30 seconds and half goes on the chicken as a marinade while the other half gets thinned out for dipping. I was not expecting a blended cashew sauce to taste this close to a restaurant satay.
- Chicken thighs hold up on the grill: Martha cuts them into 1 1/2-inch pieces and threads them on skewers. Thighs do not dry out over high heat the way breast does, and the curry marinade caramelizes on the edges. Every piece comes off the grill with a sticky, charred crust that I cannot stop eating.
- Everything else is raw and cold: The noodles are rinsed in cold water. The cucumber and carrots are shaved into paper-thin ribbons. The lettuce is shredded. You build your own bowl of cold, crunchy things and drop the hot kebabs right on top. That contrast is what ties the whole plate together.
Cashew Chicken Kebabs Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted cashews, plus more, chopped, for serving
- 3 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste (depending on desired heat)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/4 pounds total), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles, broken in half
- 1 English cucumber
- 2 large carrots, peeled
- Safflower oil, for brushing
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- Lime wedges, for serving
How To Make Martha Stewart Cashew Chicken Kebabs
- Soak the skewers: Put eight 8-inch wooden skewers in water and let them soak for at least 15 minutes so they do not burn on the grill.
- Make the cashew sauce: In a food processor, pulse the cashews with the red curry paste and 3/4 cup of water until smooth. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a small bowl and stir in 1/3 cup of water to thin it out for a dipping sauce. Toss the chicken with the remaining thicker mixture and season lightly with salt.
- Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Drain well.
- Prep the vegetables: Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave the cucumber and carrots into wide, paper-thin ribbons.
- Grill the kebabs: Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and brush lightly with oil. Thread the chicken onto the soaked skewers. Grill, in batches if needed, about 6 to 8 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
- Serve: Set out the noodles, shredded lettuce, cucumber ribbons, carrot ribbons, cashew dipping sauce, chopped cashews, and lime wedges. Let everyone build their own plate.
Recipe Tips
- Control the heat with the curry paste: Martha says 3 to 4 tablespoons depending on how spicy you want it. I start with 3 and taste the sauce before adding more. Some brands are much hotter than others and you cannot take it back once it is blended in.
- Rinse the noodles twice if they stick: Martha says if the cooked noodles clump together, run them under cold water again before serving. I always do this because vermicelli noodles are thin and stick to everything. A little sesame oil tossed in helps too.
- Shave the vegetables thin: A vegetable peeler gives you those wide, translucent ribbons that curl around the noodles and the chicken. Thick slices of cucumber and carrot would feel like a different dish. The thin ribbons are what make this feel light even though the sauce is rich.
It Is More Of A Build Your Own Situation
Martha does not plate this for you. She puts everything on the table and lets people assemble their own bowl. Noodles on the bottom, lettuce and ribbons on top, kebabs pulled off the skewer, sauce drizzled over, lime squeezed, chopped cashews scattered.
I like this because everyone makes it different. Someone loads up on noodles. Someone skips the lettuce. The kids dip the chicken straight into the sauce and ignore everything else. It works every way.
What Goes Well With These Kebabs
This is already a full spread so I do not add much. Maybe a plate of deviled eggs on the table while the grill heats up so people have something to pick at.
If I am feeding a bigger group I set out edamame as a starter. But the kebabs with all the fixings are usually more than enough.
How To Store Leftovers
Store the chicken and the noodles separately or the noodles absorb the sauce and turn into a sticky block. Fridge for 2 days. The shaved vegetables wilt overnight so make fresh ribbons when you reheat.
I eat leftover chicken cold, straight from the fridge, dipped in the cashew sauce. It tastes like a Thai peanut wrap without the wrap.
FAQs
- Can I use peanuts instead of cashews? Martha says you can use peanuts or almonds for future dinners. Peanuts give you a classic satay flavour and they are cheaper. I have done peanuts and it was just as good, maybe even better if you like that Thai peanut sauce taste.
- Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? You can but breast dries out faster on the grill. Cut it into slightly larger pieces and watch the time carefully. Thighs are more forgiving and stay juicy even if you overcook them by a minute.
- Do I need a food processor? A blender works too. You need something that can pulverize the cashews into a smooth paste. A hand blender will leave it chunky, which is not terrible but it will not coat the chicken the same way.
- Can I use metal skewers? Yes and you skip the soaking step. Metal conducts heat so the chicken cooks a little faster from the inside. I prefer wooden skewers because they are easier to hold but either works.
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Nutrition Facts
(1 serving, serves 4)
- Calories: 580
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
- Sodium: 640mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 48g
- Protein: 38g
Martha Stewart Cashew Chicken Kebabs Recipe
Description
Nobody expects the sauce to be blended cashews and red curry paste but that is exactly what makes these kebabs work. Martha Stewart’s Cashew Chicken Kebabs are grilled chicken thighs marinated in a Thai-inspired cashew curry sauce, served over rice noodles with shaved cucumber, carrots, iceberg lettuce, and lime.
I make this summer dinner recipe when I want grilled chicken that feels like a real meal and not just meat on a plate. The sauce does double duty as the marinade and the dipping sauce, so you blend it once and you are done.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak the skewers: Put eight 8-inch wooden skewers in water and let them soak for at least 15 minutes so they do not burn on the grill.
- Make the cashew sauce: In a food processor, pulse the cashews with the red curry paste and 3/4 cup of water until smooth. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a small bowl and stir in 1/3 cup of water to thin it out for a dipping sauce. Toss the chicken with the remaining thicker mixture and season lightly with salt.
- Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Drain well.
- Prep the vegetables: Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave the cucumber and carrots into wide, paper-thin ribbons.
- Grill the kebabs: Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and brush lightly with oil. Thread the chicken onto the soaked skewers. Grill, in batches if needed, about 6 to 8 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
- Serve: Set out the noodles, shredded lettuce, cucumber ribbons, carrot ribbons, cashew dipping sauce, chopped cashews, and lime wedges. Let everyone build their own plate.
Notes
- Control the heat with curry paste: Start with 3 tablespoons and taste before adding the 4th.
- Rinse the noodles twice: Vermicelli sticks to everything. Cold water plus a little sesame oil helps.
- Shave the vegetables thin: A peeler gives you translucent ribbons that curl around everything.