Thai Cashew Chicken
This is seriously the best Thai cashew chicken I’ve ever had. This dish has been a firm favourite when ordering takeout for a long time, and now I can finally say that “we have cashew chicken at home” because this is better than takeout. It’s saucy, nutty, and full of fresh, crunchy veg and tender chicken strips. Next time you are thinking about ordering in, try making this instead.
Ingredients:
1 large red onion
2 large peppers (I used orange and red)
6 cloves garlic
1-2 red chillis (optional and adjust to your liking)
5 spring onions
700g chicken breast
½ cup cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup canola or sunflower oil
1 cup cashews (salted or unsalted)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Method:
First, start off with your prep work. Cut your onion in half, then into quarters, and separate the layers. De-seed and chop the peppers into large chunks. Finely chop the garlic, and slice the red chillis. Cut the spring onions into big pieces.
Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, then add them to a bowl along with the pepper, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Use your hands to toss the chicken around until fully coated.
Heat a large pan or wok to medium heat and drizzle in the oil. Add the cashews to the hot oil and fry for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly and ensuring that they don’t burn. Remove as soon as they are a light golden brown.
Using the same oil from the cashews, fry the chicken in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden, then remove from the pan.
In the same pan, add the red onion, peppers, garlic, chilli, and spring onions and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.
Return the chicken and the cashews to the pan with the veggies, then add the oyster sauce. Give it a toss to coat everything well.
Serve with steamed rice and try not to fight over leftovers. Enjoy!