Cashew Chicken

Photo from Pinch of Yum

I cannot figure out why cashew chicken always seems to taste better at restaurants. No matter how many recipes I try, I just can’t seem to recreate that same flavor at home. This one was no exception. It was definitely good, but it still didn’t hit the mark compared to the version from my favorite Chinese takeout spot.

My biggest issue with this recipe was the sauce. It leaned way too heavily on the hoisin for my taste. I enjoy hoisin sauce, but here it took over and drowned out some of the balance I look for in cashew chicken.

I only made one change to the recipe: I skipped deep frying the chicken. There were a few reasons for that. First, it cuts down on calories a bit. Second—and probably more importantly—I absolutely hate deep frying. I love the end result, but I do not love the mess that comes with it. And third, dealing with batter is its own level of kitchen chaos.

Would frying the chicken have made this recipe better? Maybe. It probably would’ve added more texture, but I’m not convinced it would’ve been enough to turn this into the cashew chicken recipe I’ve been searching for.

Cashew Chicken

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Serves 4

Chicken:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 cup cold water
• about 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup cashew halves

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (optional)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, grated
• a small piece of fresh ginger, grated

Make Batter: Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, and paprika. Set aside half of the flour mixture in a small bowl. Mix the other half of the flour mixture with 3/4 cup cold water to form a loose batter.

Make Sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together. Set aside.

Fry Chicken: Heat oil over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles across the top. Dredge the chicken pieces in the dry flour mixture, then dip into the batter. Let excess batter drip off. Add battered chicken pieces to the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel lined plate. Drain out any excess oil from the pan. 

Finish: Put chicken back in the pan. Add sauce and cashews. Stir for about 1 minute, until coated and you can start to smell the garlic. Done! Serve with rice and maybe some roasted or steamed broccoli. SO GOOD!