Cashew Chicken Improved
Many versions of Cashew Chicken are sickly sweet and goopy salty with dried out chicken. Not this one, a brine marinade keeps the cubes of chicken juicy with crunchy cashews in every bite! All prepared in one skillet for easy cleanup.
Yield
4 servingsPrep
10 minCook
10 minReady
60 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marinade | |||
| ½ | cup |
mirin (sweet seasoning)
|
*
|
| 5 | tablespoons |
soy sauce, sodium reduced
|
|
| 1 | cup |
chicken broth
low-salt or sodium reduced is important |
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
worcestershire sauce
|
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
cornstarch
|
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
sesame oil
|
|
| Main ingredients | |||
| 1 | pound |
chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
about 3 breasts, patted dry and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
vegetable oil
or peanut oil |
|
| 5 | cloves |
garlic
minced |
|
| 1 | tablespoon |
ginger
minced |
|
| 8 | ounces |
snow pea pods
strings removed |
|
| 8 | ounces |
water chestnuts
whole canned, drained and sliced |
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
cayenne pepper
|
|
| 1 | cup |
cashew nuts
toasted |
*
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marinade | |||
| 118 | ml |
mirin (sweet seasoning)
|
*
|
| 75 | ml |
soy sauce, sodium reduced
|
|
| 237 | ml |
chicken broth
low-salt or sodium reduced is important |
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
worcestershire sauce
|
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
cornstarch
|
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
sesame oil
|
|
| Main ingredients | |||
| 453.6 | g |
chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless
about 3 breasts, patted dry and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes |
|
| 15 | ml |
vegetable oil
or peanut oil |
|
| 5 | cloves |
garlic
minced |
|
| 15 | ml |
ginger
minced |
|
| 231.2 | ml/g |
snow pea pods
strings removed |
|
| 231.2 | ml/g |
water chestnuts
whole canned, drained and sliced |
|
| 1.3 | ml |
cayenne pepper
|
|
| 237 | ml |
cashew nuts
toasted |
*
|
Directions
In a bowl, add the mirin, soy sauce, chicken stock worcestershire sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil and mix thoroughly.
Add the cubed chicken, stir to coat, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for ½ hour to two hours maximum. This marinade acts as a brine to keep the chicken moist when stir-frying later.
Toast the cashews in a toaster oven set to 350℉ (180℃) F for 5 minutes.
Rinse the snow peas and make sure to remove the strings from the snow peas and cut in half diagonally.
Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Drain and slice the water chestnuts.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Keep the marinade it will be used to make the sauce.
Make sure to dry the chicken well using paper towels, this will help ensure a nice browning.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat to almost smoking.
Add the chicken and stir-fry for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove to the plate, tenting with foil.
If you have a lot of chicken or are doubling the recipe cook the chicken in smaller batches.
Add the snow peas (add more oil if needed) and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper and cooking stirring constantly for 20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the water chestnuts and stir-fry for one minute.
Add the reserved marinade, cook stirring constantly for 2 or 3 minutes.
Add the chicken along with any accumulated juices and heat through, one or two minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the cashews.
Serve over rice (if desired).
