This Thai cashew chicken recipe (Gai Pad Med Mamuang) features crunchy cashews and perfectly cooked chicken stir-fried in a delicious savory sauce that tastes just like takeout!
For a meal that's both delicious and easy to prepare, this cashew chicken recipe is a must-try. It’s the perfect way to get a better-than-takeout taste while avoiding the expensive prices.
Looking for other stir fried takeout dishes? You’ve got to try my Thai basil chicken (Pad Kra Pao), Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, and Black Pepper Chicken recipes then!
Why I Love This Thai Cashew Chicken Recipe
- Quick, Easy, and Incredibly Flavorful: This recipe is a cinch to put together and is a great recipe for any weeknight dinner. From start to finish, it takes about 35 minutes, and the flavors are more intense and loaded with umami from the addition of fish sauce
- Crunchier and More Flavorful Cashews: Re-roasting the cashews makes them crunchier and more flavorful. Since we only toss them in at the very end, they also keep that delicious and satisfying crunch instead of being soft and soggy.
Thai Cashew Chicken vs Chinese Cashew Chicken
If you're wondering what the difference between Thai cashew chicken and Chinese cashew chicken is, there actually isn't a big difference!
Thai Cashew Chicken is spicier because it's typically stir-fried with dried chili peppers or fresh bird's eye chili and uses fish sauce in addition to soy sauce and oyster sauce. Adding fish sauce adds more depth in the sauce, which is why this version is my favorite way to have it.
Chinese cashew chicken typically has ginger, which gives the sauce a more ginger-garlic flavor. That being said, if you love ginger, you can also add it to the Thai version!
Ingredients For Cashew Chicken
- Chicken: I like to use dark meat (boneless chicken thighs) for my cashew chicken recipe because it has more flavor, is juicer, and is more tender. That being said, you can also use chicken breast as well (chicken breast).
- Garlic, Onions: These aromatics add a flavorful and depth to the dish, making it a stir-fry favorite.
- Bell Peppers: If you want a sweeter dish, use sweet bell peppers (red, orange or yellow). If you want a more savory dish, use green bell peppers.
- Green Onions: Used for both stir-frying and garnish, they add a fresh, oniony flavor and a pop of color to the dish.
- Cashews: The crunchy, nutty flavor of these cashews adds a unique texture to the dish, setting it apart from your average stir-fry. I personally like to use salted cashews, but if you're worried about it being too salty then use unsalted cashews.
- Chili Peppers: You can use whole dried chili peppers or fresh bird's eye chili peppers. The fresh chili peppers will be very spicy, so put no more than 1 or 2 of them unless you like it very spicy. You can also use sriracha chili sauce or sambal oelek hot sauce as well. Alternatively, if you don't want any heat, you can also omit them.
- Shaoxing Cooking Wine: This ingredient adds depth and complexity to the flavor of the dish.
- Hoisin Sauce: A sweet and savory sauce that adds a rich, umami flavor to the dish.
- Oyster Sauce: Another umami-packed sauce that gives the dish a rich and savory flavor.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: The base of the sauce provides a salty, savory flavor.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Used in the marinade, dark soy sauce is a syrupy, and thicker soy sauce and adds a beautiful color and a deeper, richer flavor than regular soy. If you can't find this, you can sub it for regular soy sauce.
- Fish Sauce: This will give the cashew chicken sauce extra umami and depth.
- Cornstarch: This is used to coat the chicken, it helps to thicken the sauce and gives the stir-fry a glossy finish.
How to Make Cashew Chicken
Making this incredible cashew chicken recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here's how to make it step by step:
Preparation
Roast Cashews: Start by baking the cashews in the oven at 350F for 10-12 minutes, even if the label states they're already roasted. Roasting the cashews in the oven will make them crunchy again and add a very flavorful, nutty flavor to them.
Prepare the Garlic: Peel the garlic and finely mince it or grate it. Set it aside for later.
Chop the Green Onions: Finely mince the green onions and set them aside for the very end as a garnish.
Dice the Onions and Bell Peppers: Cut the onions and peppers into ½ inch bite-size pieces and set them aside.
Prepare the Cashew Chicken Sauce
Mix the Starch with Soy Sauce First: In a small bowl, first mix the cornstarch with the soy sauce until the cornstarch has fully dissolved.
Mix In the Rest of the Sauce Ingredients: Next, add in fish sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, and sugar.
Add Water: Then add water to the sauce and mix well, set it aside for later.
Marinate the Chicken
Dice the Chicken: Cut the chicken into ½ inch pieces and place it into a bowl with light soy sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, water, oil, sesame oil, and cornstarch, and mix everything well. Marinate it for 15 minutes. This will help the chicken absorb the flavors and stay tender during the cooking process.
Stir-Fry the Cashew Chicken
Stir Fry the Chili Peppers (Optional): If you are making it spicy, set the stove to medium heat with a bit of oil and toast the dried chili peppers for 1 minute or until they turn dark red.
Add the Chicken: Adjust the heat to medium-high heat, and add in the chicken. Cook it until it's no longer pink in the middle. This should take about 4-5 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces.
Stir Fry Aromatics: Add in the minced garlic, and stir fry it for 30 seconds. Then add in the diced onions and stir fry them for 1 minute.
Push Aside Everything In the Pan, and Add sauce to Thicken It: Stir the sauce in the bowl (the starch settles at the bottom), then push the chicken and veggies aside, then add the sauce into the pan. Keep stirring until it turns dark brown and turns thick. This technique helps make sure that the sauce thickens evenly without clumping.
Combine, Garnish, and Serve
Mix Everything Together: Mix the chicken and onion mixture into the sauce, then add in the bell peppers and stir fry it 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add in the Roasted Cashew Nuts: Turn off the heat, and mix in the cashews. Stir it until the cashew nuts are well coated with the sauce.
Garnish and Serve: Add in the minced green onions and serve with rice!
Joyce’s Tips For Making the Best Cashew Chicken
- Roasting the Cashews: Even if your cashews are labeled as roasted, I highly recommend baking them in the oven again to re-roast them. This will help to enhance their nutty flavor and make them crunchier. (I like to roast extra cashews so I can snack on them!)
- Salted Cashews vs. Unsalted Cashews: I like to use salted cashews because the salt gives them extra flavor, but if you are worried about sodium intake, then go with unsalted cashews.
- Green Bell Peppers vs. Sweet Bell Peppers: If you use sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), the finished dish will have a sweeter flavor. If you prefer a more savory dish, use green peppers.
- Cut Everything the Same Size: Try to cut the onions, bell peppers and chicken approximately the same size (½ inch pieces) so that it cooks quickly, and evenly.
- Add the Cashews At the End: To keep the cashews crisp, crunchy and flavorful, toss it in to the stir fry at the very end to coat it with the sauce. Try not to cook it for more than 30 seconds, the longer you cook the cashews, the more time it will have to absorb liquids, which will make them soggy and soft.
- Don't Eat the Chili Peppers: If you're using whole dried or fresh chili peppers, discard them before serving or eat around them.
- Avoid Leftovers: This dish is best enjoyed the same day it's made because once you reheat it, the cashews turn soggy and soft.
- Best with Rice, or Lettuce Wraps: This saucy Thai cashew chicken tastes best with rice, or as a lettuce or rice wrap. When eaten on it's own, it may be saltier, so you will need to reduce the light soy sauce amount by ½ tablespoon.
Serving Suggestions
- This Thai cashew chicken recipe pairs perfectly with steamed white rice. Or if you want to take it to the next level, try some egg fried rice or garlic fried rice.
- This dish can also be served with noodles. My favorite way to serve this is with a quick and easy to make Thai peanut noodles or pad thai!
- Another easy and fun way to serve this is with lettuce wraps! I like to add a bit of vermicelli noodles, some cashew chicken, drizzled with my hoisin dipping sauce and wrap it in green leaf lettuce.
- For colder months, I love serving this dish with delicious starters like tom yum soup or tom kha ga soup.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Peanut Chicken: If you don't have cashews on hand or prefer a different nut, you can easily substitute peanuts for a twist on the classic recipe. If you love such dishes, you’ll also want to try my Thai peanut noodles.
- Almond Chicken: Similar to peanut chicken, you can substitute the cashew with almonds as well! Just make sure you roast the almonds before using them to give them more flavor.
- Beef Cashew: If you're not a fan of chicken or just want to try something different, you can replace the chicken with beef. Slice the beef into 1-inch pieces and follow the same recipe.
- Chinese Cashew Chicken - To transform this into a Chinese cashew chicken, substitute the fish sauce for soy sauce and slice a few slices of ginger to stir fry with the onions and peppers. Alternatively, you can grate or finely mince the ginger as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. However, be aware that chicken breast tends to dry out more quickly than thighs. To prevent this, make sure not to overcook the chicken breast.
Yes, it's still a good idea to roast the cashews again. This will freshen up their flavor and give them a nice crunch.
If you don't have Shaoxing cooking wine, you can substitute it with dry sherry or a pale dry wine. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, you can omit it.
Yes, you can. This recipe is versatile, and you can use other nuts, such as peanuts or almonds. However, the flavor and texture of the dish will be different.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerating: After enjoying your homemade cashew chicken, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They'll stay fresh for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that this dish is best enjoyed the same day it's made because the cashews will get soggy once you reheat it.
- Reheating: When you're ready to enjoy your leftovers, reheat them in a pan over medium heat. Stir frequently to guarantee even heating and to keep the chicken moist and tender. Alternatively, you can also microwave it for 1-2 minutes as well, making sure to stir in between to ensure that it gets evenly heated.
- Freezing: Unfortunately, I don't recommend freezing this dish, as the texture of the vegetables and cashews can become soggy upon being thawed.
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Recipe Card
Thai Cashew Chicken
Joyce's Recipe Notes
- Roasting the Cashews: Even if your cashews are labeled as roasted, I highly recommend baking them in the oven again to re-roast them. This will help to enhance their nutty flavor and make them crunchier. (I like to roast extra cashews so I can snack on them!)
- Salted Cashews vs. Unsalted Cashews: I like to use salted cashews because the salt gives them extra flavor, but if you are worried about sodium intake, then go with unsalted cashews.
- Green Bell Peppers vs. Sweet Bell Peppers: If you use sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), the finished dish will have a sweeter flavor. If you prefer a more savory dish, use green peppers.
- Cut Everything the Same Size: Try to cut the onions, bell peppers and chicken approximately the same size (½ inch pieces) so that it cooks quickly, and evenly.
- Add the Cashews At the End: To keep the cashews crisp, crunchy and flavorful, toss it in to the stir fry at the very end to coat it with the sauce. Try not to cook it for more than 30 seconds, the longer you cook the cashews, the more time it will have to absorb liquids, which will make them soggy and soft.
- Don't Eat the Chili Peppers: If you're using whole dried or fresh chili peppers, discard them before serving or eat around them.
- Avoid Leftovers: This dish is best enjoyed the same day it's made because once you reheat it, the cashews turn soggy and soft.
- Best with Rice, or Lettuce Wraps: This saucy Thai cashew chicken tastes best with rice, or as a lettuce or rice wrap. When eaten on it's own, it may be saltier, so you will need to reduce the light soy sauce amount by ½ tablespoon.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dark meat chicken (approx. 3 boneless chicken thighs)
- ¾ cup cashews
- ½ white onion (½ inch diced, approx. ½ cup)
- ½ bell pepper (½ inch diced, approx. ½ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced, approx. 1 teaspoon)
- 8-10 whole dried chilies (optional)
Garnish
- 1 stalk green onion
Chicken Marinade
- 1½ teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Thai Cashew Chicken Sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoon dark soy sauce (can substitute with light soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ¾ cup cold water
Instructions
Roast the Cashews (Even If They Are Already Pre-Roasted)
- Preheat oven to 350F and roast ¾ cup cashews in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- At the 5 minute mark, stir it to ensure they don't sit in one spot and burn.
- After they have finished roasting set them aside to cool. We will use them at the very end.
Preparation
- While we are waiting for the cashew nuts to finish roasting, mince 2 cloves garlic and set aside.
- Finely chop 1 stalk green onion, and set it aside for the very end.
- Cut ½ bell pepper into ½ inch cubes and set them aside.
- Peel and dice ½ white onion into ½ inch cubes and set them aside.
Marinate the Chicken
- Cut 1 lb dark meat chicken, approx. 3 thighs) into ½ inch pieces and place it in a bowl.**I like to keep the skin on for extra flavor, but if you don't like the texture, you can peel and discard it.
- Add 1½ teaspoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine, 2 teaspoon water, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch into the bowl with the chicken and marinate it for 15 minutes.
Prepare the Cashew Chicken Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce and 1½ teaspoon dark soy sauce with 2 tablespoons cornstarch until it has fully dissolved. This step will ensure you won't get clumps in your sauce.*If you don't plan to serve this with rice, to offset the saltiness, use ½ tablespoon less light soy sauce.
- Then mix in 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce and stir everything together until it is smooth.
- Then add in ¾ cup cold water and mix well. Set this aside for later.
Stir Fry Everything Together
- In a large skillet or wok, set the heat to medium heat.
- (Optional, if you are making it spicy) Once the pan is hot, add in the oil and 8-10 whole dried chilies and toast the chilies for 1 minute or until they turn dark red.
- Turn the heat to medium high heat.
- Add in the chicken and stir fry it for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Add in the minced garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add in the onions and stir fry for 1 minute.
- Push everything in the frying pan aside.
- Give the sauce a quick stir in the bowl (cornstarch will settle at the bottom), then pour the sauce into the frying pan and keep stirring the sauce until it turns dark brown and thickens. (approx. 1-2 minutes)
- Once the sauce is thick, mix the chicken and onion mixture into the sauce, then add in the bell peppers and stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the roasted cashews and mix until the nuts are fully coated with the sauce.
- Garnish with green onions, and serve with rice!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
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Phyllis Boone says
Delicious! But prep time of 20 minutes is quite inaccurate. By the time I got the chicken cut and marinated, the cloves of garlic peeled and minced, the onion peeled and diced, the bell pepper sliced and diced, the sauce prepared and then everything stir-fried my prep time was much closer to an hour. The end result was well worth the effort, though. This recipe will join my rotation of meals.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Phyllis!
I'm happy you enjoyed it! 🙂