Cashew Chicken

SERVES 4 Ingredients For the Sauce & Marinade Base: • 0.25 cup (60 ml) Soy Sauce • 2 tbsp (30 ml) dry sherry • 2 tbsp (30 ml) tapioca or arrowroot starch • 1 tsp (5 ml) palm sugar For the Chicken: • 12 oz (approx. 340 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced thin • 2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil To Finish the Sauce: • 0.75 cup (180 ml) Chicken Broth or Stock For the Aromatics: • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 2 tsp (10 ml) grated fresh ginger • 0.125 tsp red pepper flakes • 2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil For the Stir-Fry: • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks • 0.25 cup (60 ml) water • 8 oz (approx. 227 g) asparagus, tough ends trimmed • 1 (8-oz / 227 g) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced thin • 0.25 cup (60 ml) roasted unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped Preparation 1. Prepare Marinade & Sauce Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Soy Sauce, dry sherry, tapioca/arrowroot starch, and palm sugar. 2. Marinate Chicken: Measure 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the mixture from Step 1 into a separate bowl. Stir in 2 tsp (10 ml) of olive oil and the sliced chicken. Toss to coat and let marinate for 10 to 30 minutes. 3. Make Sauce: Stir the 0.75 cup (180 ml) of Chicken Broth into the remaining Soy Sauce mixture in the medium bowl. Set this sauce aside. 4. Prepare Aromatics: In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, grated ginger, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 2 tsp (10 ml) of olive oil. Set aside. 5. Cook Vegetables: Add the bell pepper matchsticks and 0.25 cup (60 ml) of water to a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over high heat until the water is boiling and the pepper begins to soften (about 3 minutes). Uncover, add the asparagus, and cook until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are crisp-tender (about 2 minutes). Transfer the cooked vegetables to a clean bowl. 6. Cook Chicken: Return the now-empty skillet to medium-high heat. Add the chicken with its marinade, breaking up any clumps. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides but not yet fully cooked (about 6 minutes). 7. Add Aromatics: Clear the center of the skillet. Add the garlic-ginger-oil mixture and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant (15 to 30 seconds). 8. Combine & Thicken: Stir in the water chestnuts and cashews. Whisk the reserved sauce (from Step 3) to recombine it, then add it to the skillet. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened (30 seconds to 2 minutes). 9. Finish: Add the cooked vegetables back into the skillet and toss to coat everything in the sauce. Serve immediately.

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Cashew chicken with asparagus and water chestnuts is the takeout classic, cleaned up and faster than delivery. Chicken marinates in a soy-sherry base, then everything stir-fries in one skillet under a glossy sauce. The cashews go in at the very end so every bite keeps its crunch.

Pro Tips

• Split the soy-sherry base: 2 tablespoons marinate the chicken, the rest becomes the sauce. It's the trick that layers flavor without dirtying extra bowls.
• Steam-fry the bell pepper matchsticks in a quarter cup of water, covered, before adding the asparagus — the vegetables stay crisp-tender instead of blistering in oil.
• Cook the chicken only until lightly browned and not quite done, about 6 minutes; it finishes in the simmering sauce without drying out.
• Clear a spot in the center of the pan for the garlic-ginger mixture and mash it into the hot surface for 15-30 seconds until fragrant.
• Whisk the reserved sauce to recombine before it goes in — the tapioca starch settles to the bottom — and toss the vegetables back in last so they keep their snap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why marinate the chicken in part of the sauce?

It seasons the meat directly and gives the slices a light coating that browns nicely. The rest of the base becomes the finished sauce.

Can I use other vegetables?

The asparagus and red pepper are the recipe's crunch backbone, and water chestnuts add their signature snap. Anything that cooks in a few minutes will slot in.

Why add the cashews at the end?

Stirred in just before serving, roasted cashews stay crunchy. Simmered in the sauce, they'd go soft and lose what makes them worth adding.

Is this paleo?

It's built to be — swap in coconut aminos for the soy sauce and the whole skillet stays paleo-friendly while keeping the classic flavor.

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