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easy cashew chicken

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When you’re craving takeout but want something fresh, wholesome, and budget-friendly, this Easy Cashew Chicken is the answer. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner — ready in about 30 minutes, packed with flavor, and completely family friendly. Tender chicken, crisp vegetables, crunchy cashews, and a savory-sweet sauce come together in one skillet for a meal that truly tastes better than takeout. My toddler eats it right up! The flavours are so good. It honestly tastes way too good to be healthy. You can serve it over rice, rice noodles or even cauliflower rice if you’re trying to keep it lowcarb.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This dish has everything you want in a balanced dinner: protein, colorful veggies, satisfying crunch, and a glossy sauce that coats every bite. Plus, you control the ingredients — no mystery oils or excess sugar. It’s simple, flexible, and incredibly delicious.

How this Easy Cashew Chicken Comes Together

  • Toss chicken with arrowroot, salt, and pepper.
  • Sear in a hot skillet until golden and cooked through.
  • Add vegetables and sauté until tender-crisp.
  • Stir in cashews and sauce, and let it thicken.
  • Toss well and serve over rice.
  • Perfect for Busy Families

This Easy Cashew Chicken is mild enough for kids, satisfying for adults, and customizable for different dietary needs. It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day — if you have leftovers! Skip the delivery app tonight and make this instead. It’s faster, fresher, and honestly? So much better than takeout. That’s it. One pan, minimal cleanup, maximum flavor.

You can even meal prep this Easy Cashew Chicken on Sunday and have 4 lunches for the week. It reheats beautifully and tastes even better the next day after the vegetables and chicken have really soaked up all the sauce.

If you have a nut allergy, you can omit the cashews and just have this meal as a simple chicken stir fry! Same good flavour.

How To Make easy cashew chicken

The Ingredients

Chicken chicken thighs or chicken breast — I used thighs: Chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful, and forgiving, making them ideal for high-heat cooking. They stay tender and absorb the sauce beautifully.

Substitutes: Chicken breast for a leaner option (just be careful not to overcook), Thinly sliced turkey breast. For a vegetarian version, use extra-firm tofu (pressed and cubed).

Arrowroot Flour or Cornstarch (3 tbsp): This coats the chicken, helping it develop a light crust while also thickening the sauce.

Substitutes: Tapioca starch, Potato starch, Regular flour (texture will be slightly different). Arrowroot is great if you’re avoiding corn or prefer a grain-free option.

Salt & Pepper: Simple seasoning enhances the chicken before it hits the pan. Don’t skip this step — it builds flavor from the start.

Bell Pepper: Bell peppers add sweetness, color, and a slight crunch. Red, yellow, or orange are especially great here.

Substitutes: Snow peas, Zucchini, Carrots (thinly sliced), Mushrooms

Broccoli: Broccoli gives texture and soaks up the sauce beautifully. A broccoli-cauliflower mix works perfectly for added variety. Tip: If you’re short on time, use pre-cut florets.

Unsalted Raw Cashews: Cashews add buttery crunch and that signature takeout flavor. Lightly toasting them in the pan enhances their nuttiness.

Substitutes: Roasted cashews (reduce added salt elsewhere), Peanuts for a more traditional stir-fry feel, Almonds for a slightly firmer crunch

Soyaki Sauce: Trader Joe’s Soyaki is a sweet and savory blend of soy sauce, sesame, garlic, and ginger that makes this recipe incredibly easy. We love that the ingredients are so similar to a sauce we’d make at home so it just makes dinner more convenient BUT feel free to make your own: Just combine:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Substitutes: Teriyaki sauce, Coconut aminos (slightly sweeter, lower sodium)

Rice for Serving: Serve over fluffy white rice to soak up every bit of sauce.

Substitutes: Brown rice, Jasmine rice, Cauliflower rice for lower carbs, Quinoa for extra protein

What You Need

The Steps

  • Wash & chop pepper, broccoli & cauliflower, set aside
  • Pat dry chicken, trim excess fat (optional) and dice into 1 inch cubes
  • Add chicken, flour, salt & pepper to a large ziplock bag & shake really well until each piece is coated
  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with avocado oil & a splash of sesame oil (optional)
  • Add chicken, spread it apart into a thin layer & cook for 5 mins, flip & cook for another 4 mins
  • Add vegetables, cashews & sauce
  • Stir well & let simmer for 5-8 minutes (add lid to make them cook faster) until vegetables are soft
  • Serve over rice & enjoy
  • Store leftovers for up to 4 days

Recipe Tips

  • You can skip the step of tossing the chicken in flour but it does make the texture nicer I find! 
  • If you're short on time, buy pre-cut vegetables.
  • We are seriously obsessed with the Soyaki sauce from Trader Joes but making your own is easy as well!

 

easy cashew chicken

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 525

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken thighs or chicken breast I used thighs
  • 3 tbsp arrowroot flour or cornstarch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 bell pepper chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 head of broccoli chopped or a mixed bag of broccoli & cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup chopped unsalted raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup soyaki sauce from TJs or make your own
  • Rice for serving

Homemade Sauce

  • ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

  • Wash & chop pepper, broccoli & cauliflower, set aside
  • Pat dry chicken, trim excess fat (optional) and dice into 1 inch cubes
  • Add chicken, flour, salt & pepper to a large ziplock bag & shake really well until each piece is coated
  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with avocado oil & a splash of sesame oil (optional)
  • Add chicken, spread it apart into a thin layer & cook for 5 mins, flip & cook for another 4 mins
  • Add vegetables, cashews & sauce
  • Stir well & let simmer for 5-8 minutes (add lid to make them cook faster) until vegetables are soft
  • Serve over rice & enjoy
  • Store leftovers for up to 4 days

Notes

  • You can skip the step of tossing the chicken in flour but it does make the texture nicer I find! 
  • If you're short on time, buy pre-cut vegetables.
  • We are seriously obsessed with the Soyaki sauce from Trader Joes but making your own is easy as well!

Nutrition

Calories: 525kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 35gFat: 22gFiber: 4g

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Meet Ivanka

Recipe creator, toddler mama & wellness enthusiast. Happy&Full is a blog all about quick and easy recipes for every day living! Eating well (and feeling well) doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.

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