Thai Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

This is a popular Thai chicken stir-fry where crunchy and creamy cashews are the star of the show. Everything is tossed in a bold and savory Thai sauce, which you can make as spicy as you want. Unlike its Chinese counterpart, this is a "dry-style" stir-fry, meaning there isn't a lot of sauce, but the flavor is far more intense and focused. Just a nice kick from a fresh chili—enough to make your tongue buzz without blowing your head off!

Instructions

1. 1

   Begin by mixing all the sauce ingredients—oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and water—together in a small bowl.

2. 2

   Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the raw cashews and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn a dark golden color and become crunchy. Remove the cashews with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

3. 3

   Increase the heat to high. Add the minced garlic and onion wedges to the wok and cook for 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Add the chicken strips to the wok and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the outside changes from pink to white.

5. 5

   Add the white parts of the green onions and the sliced chili to the wok. Cook for 1 minute, or until the chicken is just cooked through.

6. 6

   Pour in the prepared sauce. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces down to a syrupy consistency and coats the chicken nicely.

7. 7

   Add the green parts of the green onions and the toasted cashews to the wok. Toss everything together for 30 seconds to combine.

8. 8

   Transfer the stir-fry to a serving dish immediately. Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with extra red chili slices if you like it spicy.

Recipe Notes

• Pan-toasting raw cashews gives this dish the best possible flavor. If you only have roasted cashews, that works too; just cook them for about 1.5 minutes until they’re lightly golden and fragrant. Be sure to avoid using salted cashews, as they will make the entire dish too salty.

• Chicken thighs are recommended for this recipe because they produce a much juicier result than breast meat. However, chicken breast will also work well. If you choose to use breast, consider using the Chinese velvetizing method to make it incredibly tender and juicy, much like the chicken you get at a restaurant.

• A good rule of thumb is that the larger the chili, the milder the spice level. This recipe calls for a large red cayenne pepper, which provides a gentle kick. You can easily reduce or omit it, or if you prefer a much spicier dish, use Thai bird’s eye chilies instead.

• Oyster sauce can be substituted with vegetarian oyster sauce, which is surprisingly good and can be found in some grocery stores. Dark soy sauce is also key, as it provides a richer color and more intense flavor than light or all-purpose soy. You can replace the traditional fish sauce with more soy sauce, but the flavor won’t be as authentic. Both the oyster and dark soy sauces help to add that deep umami flavor.

• This stir-fry is a fantastic leftover. It stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and also freezes nicely. The nutrition information provided is per serving and does not include any rice.