Chicken with Cashews
Submitted by ladysnowtiger
Chinese chicken with cashews stir-fried in a wok with green pepper, water chestnuts, and hoisin imperial sauce. Velveted chicken stays silky and tender.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minThis is the real-deal Chinese restaurant technique for chicken with cashews. The chicken pieces get a 30-minute marinade in sherry, egg, and cornstarch, then a quick pass through hot oil in the wok. This velveting technique coats each piece in a thin, silky layer that locks in moisture and gives the chicken a slippery, tender texture you can’t get from regular stir-frying.
After draining, the chicken goes back into the wok with an imperial sauce built on hoisin, which adds that sweet, fermented soybean richness that defines Chinese-American takeout. Green bell pepper and sliced water chestnuts bring crunch and freshness. Cashews go in at the very end so they stay toasty and whole.
The key is a screaming hot wok. If the oil isn’t nearly smoking when the chicken goes in, the velveting won’t work and you’ll end up with steamed chicken instead of silky, golden pieces.
Chef Tips
- Heat the wok until completely dry and hot before adding oil. A cold wok causes sticking
- Drain the chicken and vegetables well after the initial oil pass. Excess oil makes the final sauce greasy
- Reserve just 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil for the sauce step. The sauce should coat the food, not pool on the plate
- Add the cashews last and toss briefly. They burn quickly in a hot wok
Variations
- Add dried red chili peppers to the wok with the sauce for a kung pao-style heat
- Use peanuts instead of cashews for a more classic Chinese preparation
- Swap green pepper for snap peas and add sliced mushrooms for a different vegetable mix
Ingredients
Directions
Marinate chicken breasts 30 min. in salt, pepper, cornstarch, sherry and egg.
Heat wok hot and dry. Add oil.
When it’s just beginning to smoke, add chicken, green pepper and water chestnuts, stirring 1 to 2 min.
Drain through colander or sieve, reserving 2 to 3 tbs. oil. Return the reserved oil to wok and add Imperial Sauce. Cook 1 to 2 min. or until thickened slightly.
Add nuts, chicken and vegetables, stirring everything together until well coated w/ sauce.
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