Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry
This chicken stir-fry dish balances salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy ingredients. Spoon it alongside a quick rice pilaf for the perfect meal.
This chicken stir-fry dish balances salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy ingredients. Spoon it alongside a quick rice pilaf for the perfect meal.
I liked the sauce, it is very light and just right amount. I added some snow peas and zucchini squash and left out the sugar. I have been eating Chinese food since I was 7 years old. Cashew Chicken was the 1st dish that I really liked and I have had many versions of it. This one is one of the best.
This is one of my favorite Cooking Light stir frys - I loved the sauce. I agree with another reviewer that said it needed more veggies - I put in more red pepper than the recipe called for and also through in some celery because I love it in stir fry. I kicked up the sauce with some chili paste and I actually could have gone just a bit spicier. The sauce came out nice and thick and just covered the chicken and veggies - I hate it when food is swimming in sauce . . . came together super super fast which was also a bonus - will definitely make it again!
I significantly increased the sauce and forgot to toast the cashews, but it was still very good! I always cook in my wok so I have the option of moving items to the sides of the pan while other continue to cook in the middle. and I added broccoli and pea pods - something with color for both health and balance. Dry sherry is really best with this - and it keeps essentially forever. I was out of fresh ginger so used ground ginger and added garlic power to the oil when I cooked the veggies. I marinated the chicken for more than an hour and did small strips, more bite sized.
Based on reviews, doubled sauce, plus added 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup of edamame and 1 cup sliced mushrooms. It was just okay, not sure I'd make again.
This is delicious, but I probably wouldn't bring it out on a special occasion or for company. I followed the recipe and there were absolutely no leftovers. I think I'll make a double batch next time.
This is a very straightforward stir fry that can be changed and modified to fit whatever likes/dislikes your family wants. We really enjoy the chicken tenders. I typically omit the ginger as DD isn't a fan. I also put siracha on the table for those who want to spice it up.
My family really enjoyed this. We did double the sauce and added greens into the mix as suggested by others. Great flavor and easy meal to prepare. Served with brown jasmine rice and a cucumber/onion salad with rice wine vinegar.
Great dish, easy to cook
This was easy to make, and quick. I added a generous handful of kale to the recipe at the end to include something green. The sauce wasn't enough and I used marsala to improvise on the dry sherry. This was a standard meal, not much thrill, but that was just fine.
This is one of my favorite dishes we have made! Better than picking up Chinese takeout or even IMO dining at PF Chang's (one of my very faves). Just the right amount of spicy, Asian and satisfying. Add some sticky rice, and you have a weeknight hit on your hands. Oh, and best of all, it's pretty easy! We made it exactly as the recipe reads.
This was great! I've made it twice and loved it. I added a bag of stir fry veggies. I would double the sauce next time though since I added more vegetables than the recipe called for. The breading on the chicken is so good.
I've had other stir-fry recipes I like better on Cooking Light. I loved the chicken and sauce, but it needed more veggies, maybe some broccoli or zucchini/squash. I didn't have any cashews on hand, but I used roasted peanuts which were good. All they had at the store was regular soy sauce (we usually use low sodium) so it was a bit too salty. Definitely stick to the recipe instructions with the low sodium soy sauce.
This was easy and delicious. I even overcooked the cashews by mistake and it still turned out amazing. I added snow peas for some extra veggies since we arent eating carbs. Definitely making this again and thinking about adding some other veggies to it next time
A good guide to something better. I used chicken broth to add to the sauce. Also add cut up asparagus.
One of my family's all time favorites! We add a can of rinsed and drained water chestnuts, as well as carrots and onions.
Unlike, some of the other readers, I didn't think the prep time was too long. I served this with white rice and green beans. Everyone in my family really likes this meal. The only thing that I would do different is to put less cashews on it. Other then that I wouldn't change a thing.
This recipe was just ok. I did like the flavors of the sauce, I just didn't think it was anything special. I also added broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms. I like my stir frys to have a lot of vegetables in them.
I have made this several times over the last couple of years and everyone in my family enjoys it, even four kids with different levels of pickiness. The cashews add yummy crunch. The sauce is flavorful. I always add a little extra garlic. I follow the recipe to a "T" and it turns out consistently good every time.
Tripled sauce per other reviewers, and to avoid clumping problem with corn starch I cut up boneless breast into bite-sized pieces, marinated in couple tablespoons soy sauce and about 1/2 T. Trader Joe's Soyaki for about an hour or so. Increased veggies with red pepper, Vidalia onion, zucchini and carrots. Instead of Tabasco, I used about a tsp. of chili garlic paste. Delicious, definitely make again!
the brilliant recipe! definitely keeping it!
This recipe came up on my Facebook feed and I had all of the ingredients, so I decided to make it for dinner tonight. It was delicious! Just the right blend of flavors. Even my 3-year-old daughter loved it. If I were making this just for my husband and myself I might add a little more hot sauce for a little extra spice, but as it was it was perfect for my daughter's young palate. Will definitely be making this again.
found2be, it lasts a long time. Why not buy some sherry? Do you have dry white wine open? I use dry vermouth for things usually. It stays good a long time like sherry. Dry white wine does not, though.
What can be substituted for Sherry? Don't want to buy a whole bottle of it.
This is fabulous! I have made this so many times and it is always AWESOME! YUMMM!
This was excellent! I added shredded carrots in with the bell pepper. I also microwaved a frozen pack of Asian veges and added it in with the sauce, which I doubled, at the end. Our family loves this!
I don't even like cashews, but my husband does. I thought I'd make him a treat, but I loved the toasted cashews as the topping on this dish. I added more soy sauce than they called for, and a few mushrooms.
Quick, easy, tasty - a weeknight 'go-to' dish. I make it as directed except that I substitute freeze-dried ginger and garlic for fresh. There isn't much sauce, but there is plenty of flavor. I keep chicken breasts in the freezer - 1# is about 2 small boneless breasts - and look for red peppers to be on sale at our local grocer. I serve this over the recommended water-chestnut rice, using frozen brown rice. For our family, the recipe serves 3 adults without any sides.
Everyone in my house loves this!
I thought this was just ok. I think the hot sauce threw it off for me. I will try it again using an asian chili sauce and see if that improves it for me. Or maybe even just some red pepper flakes. This dish was easy and I was able to prep almost everything earlier in the day and it came together nicely that evening. I also doubled the sauce and can't imagine not doing so.
Delicious, easy to make, and fast. My boyfriend LOVED it.
Perfect flavors. Simple and quick. Even our 6 year old liked it! I put in only 1/2 the hot sauce in the recipe, and then the adults could and did add as much as they wanted on their plates.
This was awesome! My husband doesn't normally like rice, but he was quite happy to make an exception. I didn't think it was too much work to prepare. I do like cooking, and the flavors were great.
While this is probably the tenderest chicken stir fry I've ever made (the chicken did not dry out), but I had the same problem when adding the sauce to the pan that some others did: it turned instantly into a brown goo. Perhaps my cornstartch ratio was off. I will try again with some tweaking to the sauce. Otherwise the chicken had good flavor and the veggies and cashews were a nice compliment.
This is very good. I made only 12 oz. chicken and kept the rest of the amounts intact, and it made a great dinner for me and husband with brown rice and steamed Chinese mustard greens on the side. I stir-fried the peppers, garlic and ginger (a full TB of ginger) first, then removed them from the pan. Then I cooked the chicken, which I knew would leave a sticky residue. It did, but no problem because I put the cooked vegetables back in, put in 1/4 cold chicken broth (which cooled down the pan a bit so the sauce wouldn't burn), then the sauce. Topped with cilantro and green onion tops. We applied sambal olek (SE Asian chili paste) at the table. Also, I used just 2 tsp. cornstarch on the chicken and pre-toasted the cashews in the toaster oven.
This was surprisingly yummy! The crunchy cashews added a nice depth of flavor to the dish. I used store bought stir-fry chicken strips which are already coated in corn starch so I omitted that from step 2. I also used frozen fire roasted diced red peppers to save a little time. I served this with the recommended rice pilaf which I used brown rice for. I would definitely make this recipe again.
fantastic! definitely a lot of prep, but worth it. added snow peas and more sauce, loved how the chicken mixture seemed to carmelize. I didn't have any trouble with the sauce clumping, I stirred it up one last time right before I added it and stirred the whole mixture really quickly. Served with brown rice.
We LOVED this! We live in Asia, and my husband is Asian. This is a new family favorite. Also, because of previous reviewers, I doubled the sauce. Excellent suggestion. I sub. apple cider vinegar for the sherry. Can't find sherry in Taiwan. And, I used coconut oil not canola.
Ditto on more sauce...add sugar snap peas for more greens.
Great flavors. Would maybe make extra sauce next time but all in all it's a great recipe. Will definitely be making it again.
This recipe took a lot of preparation, even though cooking time was short. The flavors were okay, but nothing exceptional. I tripled the sauce ingredients...and there still seemed to be none. Served with brown rice, added water chestnuts to chicken mixture near the end. Probably won't make again.
This was really good. Will make extra sauce next time as others have recommended and maybe add a little more heat. Served with brown rice and my husband and I really enjoyed this healthier version of our local Chinese takeout.
This is by far the best Cooking Light recipe I've tried. It was super easy and my boyfriend and I both thought it was delicious. I followed the suggestions of reviewers and added snow peas and water chestnuts to the chicken dish. I forgot to add the sugar and didn't miss it. This will be a frequent meal at my house from now on.
Really delicious! Once you've got your ingredients ready to go, the cooking goes very quickly and easily. The crunch of the cashews added a nice contrast to the texture of the chicken and peppers; I think peanuts or almonds would be nice in this, too. I will also echo the comments of other reviewers to make more sauce than what is called for in the recipe. When I added it, it thickened immediately and while there was enough to coat the chicken and peppers, there wasn't really enough to serve as a sauce over any accompanying rice or other grain.
This was delicious! I made the amounts the same as it called for, except for adding 1 cup of sugar snap peas for more veggies. Next time I will do what previous posters did and make more sauce, as it was a little dry, but the taste was great! I substituted white wine for dry sherry, and cooked some regular onions with the peppers as I didn't have green onions. Also subbed ground ginger for fresh ginger. Toasting those cashews in the beginning made them even better! Served it over brown rice. I will make this again!
easy and yummy - love the flavors. I also added 3 times the mixture for the sauce and added snow peas. Just had plain brown rice and totally enjoyed it. Definite keeper!
Both my fiance and I enjoyed this dish very much, and will definitely make again, especially since we tend to have most if not all of the ingredients on-hand. Good taste, easy to make. I pretty much followed the recipe, except that I used a boneless chicken breast and cut thin strips out of that (which worked just fine). I did not do the rice pilaf (just used regular sticky rice) -- although it sounds good!
This has become a new favorite! So easy and quick.
Made as is and served with brown jasmine rice. It was quick, easy and good. I will make it again for sure and start to add my own twists to the good base.
Wanted something simple that would't require a trip to the store. Picked this out of the Apr 09 issue, except included ¾c julienne-cut onion (from a similar recipe in the May 09 issue) and used bottled garlic & ginger. Served with the recommended water chestnut rice. Very quick & easy. For folks who like a little heat, Sriracha on the table.
Excellent!! This stir-fry is very tasty, and a lot easier than my old recipe for cashew chicken. DH loved it, too. Like most stir-fry recipes, you can play around with the ingredients and add extra vegetables. But it's also delicious "as is". This one is a keeper!
Husband and I really like this dish. Next time will make the chicken and pepper in smaller pieces, double the sauce and put more vegs in, like the idea from a previous reviewer of snow peas and broccoli. A definite repeat.
My husband and I love this recipe! Next time I plan to add snow peas and waterchestnuts along with the red bellpepper. It was awesome and I will definately make this again!
Delicious and easy. I tripled the sauce so that I could add a yellow pepper, an orange pepper, broccoli and sugar snap peas. I like to add lots of veggies! I made the sauce with brandy instead of dry sherry because I didn't have dry sherry on hand. It tasted just fine! I would definitely encourage the addition of more veggies--you can stretch out the servings that way OR just have a big, guilt-free meal!
This was delicious and surprised our whole family including my teenage son who "hates" asian food. I did add carrots and broccoli to increase the veggies in this dish. Because I added veggies, I did have to increase the sauce a bit.
I loved this twist on sweet, spicy, and salty. I served it with boil-in-a-bag whole wheat rice and the water chestnuts and crushed red pepper. My husband was so-so on it, but I thought it was amazing. The sauce sets up nicely, but my pan was a little too hot when I added the chicken and the sauce, so I had to add chicken broth and make a litte bit of a pan sauce to save it. But it might be because I only use Pam cooking spray and not the recommended canola oil.
Easy and Yummy
This was great! My husband and I loved it! We included yellow and green bell peppers to increase our veggie count. Will definitely be making this one again - a great meal to make together!
My family really loved this dish. Will definitely make this one again. I also added snow peas and water chestnuts. The flavors were very good when following the recipe as is. Believe though that next time I will add more garlic and slightly more pepper sauce to give it just a little more kick.
I've tried to make other stir-fries before, and I could never get them to be spicy enough. This recipe has the perfect combination of flavors and was spicy enough for my boyfriend, who likes really spicy food. I doubled this recipe and served alongside the suggested rice pilaf--delicious! I used Huy Fong red chile sauce for the hot sauce (had it leftover from a different Cooking Light recipe). I will definitely make this again!
EXCELLENT. FORGOT THE SUGAR AND LEFT OUT THE NUTS AND CERTAINLY DIDN'T MISS THEM. SERVED IT WITH RACHAEL'S SESAME NOODLES. MMMMMMMMMMM. A KEEPER FOR SURE. (IF YOU TRY HER RECIPE DOUBLE THE SESAME SEEDS AND TOAST THEM AND DOUBLE THE GREEN ONIONS AND USE 5 OZ OF PASTA TO SERVE 2 GENEROUSLY.)
I put the chicken with soy sauce in a zip lock bag and then added the cornstarch. This is a simple way to coat the chicken. The chicken cooked great, however after I had sauted the vegetables, garlic and ginger and put the chicken back in the pan and added the other mixture, it clumped. I had to add some chicken broth to get it to smooth out. Any suggestions on how to keep this from happening in the future? Great flavors and a keeper.
My husband and I have had this several times now and have passed the recipe along to family members. The only change we made was using dry roasted peanuts instead of cashews. This has become one of our all-time favorites. We are both trying to drop a few pounds so we skipped the rice. This dish is satisfying enough to stand alone; we just had a salad on the side. We plan to serve this to company soon.
I just made this dish for our dinner tonight, and EVERYONE raved about it. DELICIOUS, fast, easy. I will definitely make this again and again.
Great! Really good combinations of flavors, and was even better for lunch the next day. Husband said it was the best stir fry I've ever made. Will definitely make again!
Simple to prepare and full of flavor. My kids loved it...husband too. I will make it again and will probably add a little extra hot sauce. I did add some asparagus in when I cooked the red peppers and served this with long grain wild rice.
Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe as written. I also served the suggested rice dish. It was very spicey, but good. Both received rave reviews from my husband. It's a keeper.
At the table, this was a good taste, but my technique must be wrong. I stir fry in a big non-stick skillet on a gas range and use an infra-red surface thermometer at about 325. When I fried the chicken, the corn starch stuck to the pan in brown globs. I cleaned the pan, fried the vegetables, added back the chicken, and the sauce, which turned into more thick globs. The brown thick salty chewy globs taste good (think bacon) but I want them on the food, not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Please help save this recipe!
This was a great dish, even my picky kids loved it. I made exactly as is, except used boneless breasts instead since that is all I had on hand.
I just finished eating this meal and it was delicious! I was kind of in a hurry and forgot to add the suggested ingredients to make a rice pilaf to go with it, but it was still very tasty with plain white rice.