Last Updated on 16 March, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
Chicken and cashew stir-fry is a recipe that is fresh, vibrant and healthy. Not to mention quick and simple to make – the perfect dinner for a busy night. Stir-fries are one of my favourite mid-week meals. They are great for using up various veggies and just as delicious as leftovers for lunch.
There is plenty of tasty sauce in this recipe, so when served with rice or noodles it is super moist – not to mention delicious.
Other Popular Easy Stir-fry Recipes
- Lemongrass Ginger Beef
- Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas
- Beef and Green Bean
- Ginger Chicken
- Beef Broccoli and Noodle
Chicken and Cashew Stir-fry Prep
The best thing about stir-fry, is the short time it takes to prepare and cook. With such a quick cook, for most stir-fries you can (and should) prepare all of the ingredients before you start cooking.
Cashews: Although in the title, omit the cashews if desired. Alternatively, swap them for toasted almonds or sesame seeds. However, any nuts or seeds used, must be toasted and unsalted. You can either buy them pre-roasted or roast them yourself – it only takes 5 minutes.
Sauce: The most important part of the Chicken and Cashew Stir-fry. Although all the ingredients end up in the same bowl to make the sauce, mix the cornflour with just a little liquid initially. This will make the sauce smooth and lump-free.
Vegetables: Chop all veggies and garlic, ready to go. The Chicken and Cashew Stir-fry can use a variety of vegetables, but when cooking them, keep in mind that some will take longer to cook than others. So, they may need an extra minute or two in the sauce.
Extras: If you’re serving with rice, make sure it is cooking (or cooked and warm), before you start the Chicken and Cashew Stir-fry.
Chicken Stir-fry Recipe Nutritional Information
The figures used in the recipe are estimates only. If you require precise figures, please check the numbers yourself as they will vary with different food brands, oil content, fat absorption, etc. If there are optional extras or serving suggestions, these may not have been included in the nutrition and calorie figures.
Feedback and More
Have you given the Chicken and Cashew Stir-fry recipe a go? I’d really love to know what you thought—drop a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Cheers, Elby!
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Chicken and Cashew Stir-fry
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
- 40 grams cashews - unsalted (roasted or natural)
Sauce
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine - Shaoxing
- 1 tbsp kecap manis
- 240 ml chicken stock
Stir-fry
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 550 grams chicken breast - thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 red onion - sliced into thin wedges
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or finely chopped
- 200 grams green vegetables - beans, peas, broccoli, Asian greens
- ½ red capsicum - optional
Optional Extras
- sliced shallots, finely chopped chilli, rice or noodles
Instructions
- If using roasted cashews, skip this step. Heat the oven to 200°C | 180°C fan forced. Spread the cashews over a tray and bake until evenly brown, approximately 5 minutes. Set the timer! They will quickly burn if left only a few seconds too long. Set aside to cool.
Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the cornflour with the oyster sauce, wine and kecap manis, until smooth. Stir in the stock and set aside.
Stir-fry
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan and cook the chicken on medium-high for approximately 4-5 minutes, or until browned on all sides and almost cooked through. Transfer to a bowl – juices and all.
- Heat the sesame oil in the same wok. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute – it will brown, but make sure you don’t let it burn.
- Add the sauce and bring to the boil. Let the sauce thicken and reduce slightly, for approximately 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken and juices to the wok and add the greens and capsicum (if using). Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the greens are vibrant green and just cooked. Serve over rice or noodles and top with whole roasted cashews.
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
Oishii!
Arigatō! I think it’s delicious too :)