This tastes like the cashew chicken from the Chinese place down the street and it takes 30 minutes. Martha Stewart’s Cashew Chicken is a quick chicken breast stir fry with hoisin sauce, toasted cashews, six cloves of garlic, scallions, and rice vinegar.
I stopped ordering this takeout once I made it at home. It is one of those weeknight dinner recipes where everything goes in one skillet and the hardest part is remembering to toast the cashews first.
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Why You Will Love This Cashew Chicken:
- The cornstarch coating changes everything: You toss the chicken cubes in cornstarch before cooking and it creates a thin, crispy shell that the hoisin sauce clings to. Without it the sauce slides right off. I skipped it once to save time and the chicken tasted completely different.
- Six cloves of garlic is not too much: I thought it would be overwhelming but it mellows fast over medium-high heat and blends into the hoisin sauce. The garlic is what makes this taste like restaurant food instead of a sad weeknight stir fry.
- The cashews go in at the end: Martha toasts them separately and stirs them in off the heat so they stay crunchy. If you cook them in the sauce they get soft and lose their whole purpose. That crunch against the saucy chicken is the best part.
Cashew Chicken Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3/4 cup raw cashews (4 ounces), toasted
- White rice, for serving (optional)
How To Make Martha Stewart Cashew Chicken
- Coat the chicken: In a medium bowl, toss the chicken cubes with the cornstarch until evenly coated. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Cook the first batch: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Move it to a plate.
- Cook the second batch with aromatics: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the rest of the chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Cook, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Build the sauce: Put the first batch of chicken back in the pan. Pour in the rice vinegar and cook until it evaporates, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and glazed, about 1 minute.
- Finish and serve: Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the scallion greens and toasted cashews. Serve immediately over white rice.
Recipe Tips
- Toast the cashews first: Martha says spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Raw cashews are bland. Toasted cashews are sweet and buttery and they make this dish. I toast a big batch and keep them in a jar for next time.
- Cook the chicken in two batches: One and a half pounds of chicken in a single batch will crowd the pan and steam instead of brown. Martha splits it in half so each piece gets contact with the hot surface. That sear is where the flavour is.
- Serve immediately: The cashews soften if they sit in the sauce too long. Martha says serve right away and she is right. If you plate it within a minute of finishing, the cashews are still perfectly crunchy.
Why Martha Cooks The Chicken In Two Batches
Crowding the pan is the fastest way to ruin a stir fry. Too much chicken at once drops the temperature and the meat steams in its own juice instead of browning. Martha splits 1 1/2 pounds into two rounds so every cube gets a proper sear.
I tried doing it all at once the first time and the chicken came out grey and soft. Two batches, three minutes each, and you get golden edges and a real crust that holds the sauce.
What Goes Well With This Cashew Chicken
White rice is the obvious answer and it is what Martha suggests. The hoisin sauce drips off the chicken and pools in the rice and that is the best bite on the plate.
A cold cucumber salad on the side to cut through the sweetness of the hoisin. I do not add anything else because the cashew chicken is already doing enough.
How To Store Leftovers
Fridge for 2 days but the cashews will lose their crunch overnight. There is no saving that. Reheat the chicken and sauce in a hot skillet, then toss fresh toasted cashews on top right before eating.
I have eaten this cold over rice for lunch and the hoisin glaze tastes even better when it has had time to set. Just add fresh cashews.
FAQs
- Can I use chicken thighs? Yes and they will be juicier. Cut them into the same 1-inch cubes and coat with cornstarch the same way. The cook time is about the same. I have used thighs and they hold up better to the tossing.
- What is hoisin sauce? A thick, sweet, savoury Chinese sauce made from soybeans, garlic, and spices. It is what gives this dish its sticky, glossy glaze. You can find it in the Asian aisle of any grocery store. Once opened it keeps in the fridge for months.
- Can I use pre-roasted cashews? Salted roasted cashews from the snack aisle will work but the salt might throw off the seasoning. Martha uses raw cashews that she toasts herself so she can control the flavour. I would go unsalted if you buy them pre-roasted.
- Can I add vegetables? Bell peppers, snap peas, or water chestnuts all work. Add them with the second batch of chicken so they cook for about 3 minutes. I have added red bell pepper and it was great for colour and crunch.
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Nutrition Facts
(1 serving, serves 4)
- Calories: 460
- Total Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
- Sodium: 720mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 48g
Martha Stewart Cashew Chicken Recipe
Description
This tastes like the cashew chicken from the Chinese place down the street and it takes 30 minutes. Martha Stewart’s Cashew Chicken is a quick chicken breast stir fry with hoisin sauce, toasted cashews, six cloves of garlic, scallions, and rice vinegar.
I stopped ordering this takeout once I made it at home. It is one of those weeknight dinner recipes where everything goes in one skillet and the hardest part is remembering to toast the cashews first.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Coat the chicken: In a medium bowl, toss the chicken cubes with the cornstarch until evenly coated. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
- Cook the first batch: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Move it to a plate.
- Cook the second batch with aromatics: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the rest of the chicken to the skillet along with the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Cook, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Build the sauce: Put the first batch of chicken back in the pan. Pour in the rice vinegar and cook until it evaporates, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Cook, tossing, until the chicken is cooked through and glazed, about 1 minute.
- Finish and serve: Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the scallion greens and toasted cashews. Serve immediately over white rice.
Notes
- Toast the cashews first: 350 degrees, 10 minutes. Raw cashews are bland. Toasted ones are sweet and buttery.
- Cook the chicken in two batches: Crowding steams instead of browns. Two rounds, three minutes each.
- Serve immediately: Cashews soften in the sauce. Plate within a minute of finishing.