Thai cashew chicken stir fry is an immensely aromatic dish which has the perfect balance of spiciness, tanginess, savoriness and sweetness! Cashews top it up with superb crunch making it an absolute win win dish!
If you haven’t tried making any Thai food at home, you are missing out a lot! You then must start with this recipe of Thai cashew chicken stir fry which is not only easy but is guaranteed to turn out delicious and a crowd-pleaser!
Thai food is our favorite which is why you will find ample Thai recipes in our blog. The usual suspects i.e. the Thai red curry, yellow curry & green curry are already shared with you all and have garnered immense love (Thank you!)!
So this time around I thought of making something different and also created a video too so that you guys can see for yourself how easy it is to make this Thai cashew chicken stir fry.
What is Thai Cashew Chicken stir fry?
Thai cashew chicken stir fry is a quick and easy chicken stir fry dish which has all the goodness of Thai food. It is spicy, tangy, mildly sweet and rounded up with a perfect amount of tartness.
What makes this extra special and different from any other chicken stir fry recipe is the addition of crunchy cashew nuts! The tender and saucy chicken pieces are best complemented with the toasted cashew giving a delicious pleasure to your taste buds!
This Thai cashew chicken stir fry is best served as an appetizer or snack and I can give in writing that it will vanish in seconds! If you are planning to feed a crowd, make plenty!
You can also serve this quick stir fry on the side with noodles. Keep the noodles simple by just tossing it in oil with garlic & green onions with a dash of chilli flakes. Such simplicity will be best paired with this gorgeous Thai cashew chicken stir fry!
Ingredients for Thai Cashew chicken
You will need the usual ingredients which are primarily used in any Oriental recipe but there is one star ingredient which is key to this Thai cashew chicken.
Chicken thigh: I recommend using boneless & skinless chicken thighs for such Oriental recipe because chicken will be fried at a high heat and if you use chicken breast, it may turn out a little tough. Chicken thighs turn out really juicy & tender thanks to its high fat content.
Raw cashew: Good quality cashew is a must to make a restaurant quality Thai cashew chicken. Do not use the broken one; use the whole cashews which may just be split into half lengthwise.
Thai basil leaves: This is the star ingredient for your Thai cashew chicken stir fry. You should get it in your supermarket in the Asian section. These Thai basil leaves are extremely aromatic and bring a whole new dimension to the entire dish. Try your best to get your hands on these!
Garlic: The must-have aromatic for any chicken recipe but you will need a generous amount of garlic for any Oriental recipe such as this one.
Onion: Onion adds sweetness to this somewhat salty & tangy dish and makes the base of the stir fry.
Bell peppers: To add the right amount of crunch, I have added bell peppers i.e. capsicum cut into 1-inch cubes. If you use bell peppers of assorted colors, your dish will look very vibrant.
Spring onion greens: These greens are another must-have ingredient. Since I have added a good amount of red onion, I didn’t use the white part of spring onions, but the green parts add immense flavor. Do not skip it!
Dry red chilli: Thai food is spicy! This Thai cashew chicken is also not an exception. Add as many or as few dry red chillies as you can handle. You may or may not remove the seeds; I left them as is because we do love spicy food!
Dark soy sauce: To make the base of the stir fry sauce, I have used dark soy sauce. But light soy would also work, you only need to add a little more of light soy to adjust the taste. Feel free to use a low sodium version of soy sauce.
Vinegar: To add the tanginess, you need vinegar. You can use rice wine vinegar but if you don’t have it handy, feel free to use usual white vinegar. Do not use apple cider vinegar here.
Sugar: Thai food is all about the right balance of savory, tang and sweetness, so sugar is a must to balance the sauce perfectly.
Cornflour/Cornstarch: You will need cornflour for two things – first to coat the chicken before frying as it will create a crispy outer coating on the chicken cubes. Secondly, you will need to make a cornflour slurry which will thicken the sauce and make it glossy & smooth.
Salt & black pepper: Use the right amount of seasoning to bring out the best flavor in your Thai cashew chicken stir fry.
Sunflower or canola oil: A flavorless oil is needed to fry your chicken and also to make the final stir fry dish. You can use sunflower or canola oil. Do not use olive oil for this.
How to make Thai cashew chicken stir fry?
This one is really easy to pull off! Let’s see the step by step recipe.
Step 1: If you have got thigh filets, then cut them into small bite sized pieces of about 1 inch length. Wash and drain out all excess water. Pat dry if needed.
Step 2: Take the chicken thigh pieces in a mixing bowl and start seasoning them. Add salt, black pepper and cornflour. Then using a spatula mix everything very well so that each chicken cube is coated well with seasoning and cornflour.
Step3: Chicken is ready to fry. Heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, drop the coated chicken cubes one by one in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. You may have to fry them in batches.
Step 4: Fry each batch of chicken cubes for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat by flipping them occasionally until they turn golden brown on both sides.
Step 5: Take them out using a slotted spoon to let excess oil drop off. Keep them on a plate covered with absorbent kitchen paper. Fry all the chicken cubes in batches and set them aside while you make the sauce.
Step 6: Now make the stir fry sauce by mixing dark soy sauce, white vinegar (or rice wine vinegar), sugar and ¼ cup of water. Mix everything very well. Set it aside.
Step 7: Before you start the final stir frying, prepare a cornflour slurry by thoroughly mixing the cornflour with ¼ cup of water. Set it aside.
Step 8: Now heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and fry for a few seconds on medium low heat. Make sure garlic doesn’t burn.
Step 9: Next add the sliced onion and fry them for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame until they turn translucent.
Step 10: Add the raw cashew nuts now and stir fry them on medium high for about 5 to 6 minutes until the cashews turn slightly golden.
Step 11: Next add the bell peppers and keep stir frying on medium high for a couple of minutes. Add dried red chillies and green parts of green onion and continue stir frying for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Step 12: Once all the veggies are sauteed well, add the fried chicken cubes along with the juice accumulated in the bowl. Give a quick mix.
Step 13: Now pour the prepared stir fry sauce into the wok and continue stir frying so that sauce is mixed well with all the ingredients, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 14: Next add the cornflour slurry and keep stirring. The sauce will start to thicken and cling to all the ingredients – chicken and veggies.
Step 15: At this point, do a taste test and then add any additional salt if only needed. Dark soy is already very salty, so checking the seasoning is a must before adding any extra salt.
Step 16: Finally drop the star ingredient of the recipe which is fresh Thai basil leaves. These leaves are so aromatic that it changes the entire flavor profile of your Thai cashew chicken stir fry. This is a must!
Step 17: Give a final stir. Thai basil leaves will be wilted once it comes in contact with heat and will release all its flavor.
Your Thai cashew chicken stir fry is ready to serve as a starter before main course or a quick party snack. Enjoy!
Other delicious Thai recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Chicken thigh - 500 gms, boneless & skinless, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- Raw cashew - 1 & ¼ cup
- Thai basil leaves - a handful
- Garlic - 10 to 12 cloves, finely chopped
- Onion - 2, medium, thinly sliced
- Bell peppers of assorted colors - ½ of each, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Spring onion greens - 1 cup, cut into 1-inch long strips
- Dry red chilli - 5 to 6
- Dark soy sauce - 2 tbsp
- White vinegar - 1 tbsp
- Sugar - 2 tbsp
- Cornflour - 6 tbsp
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Sunflower or canola oil for frying
- Take the chicken thigh pieces in a mixing bowl and start seasoning them. Add salt, black pepper and cornflour. Then using a spatula mix everything very well so that each chicken cube is coated well with seasoning and cornflour.
- Now heat about 4 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, drop the coated chicken cubes one by one in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry the chicken cubes for 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat until they turn golden brown on both sides. Take them out using a slotted spoon to let excess oil drop off. Keep them on a plate covered with absorbent kitchen paper. Fry all the chicken cubes in batches and set them aside while you make the sauce.
- Now make the stir fry sauce by mixing dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ¼ cup of water. Mix everything very well. Set it aside.
- Prepare a cornflour slurry by thoroughly mixing the cornflour with ¼ cup of water. Set it aside.
- Now heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and fry for a few seconds on medium low heat. Make sure garlic doesn't burn.
- Next add the sliced onion and fry them for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame until they turn translucent.
- Add the raw cashew nuts now and stir fry them on medium high for about 5 to 6 minutes until the cashews turn slightly golden.
- Next add the bell peppers and keep stir frying on medium high for a couple of minutes.
- Add dried red chillies and green parts of green onion and continue stir frying for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Once all the veggies are sauteed well, add the fried chicken cubes along with the juice accumulated in the bowl. Give a quick mix.
- Now pour the prepared stir fry sauce into the wok and continue stir frying so that sauce is mixed well with all the ingredients, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Next add the cornflour slurry and keep stirring. The sauce will start to thicken and cling to all the ingredients.
- At this point, do a taste test and then add any additional salt if only needed. Dark soy is already very salty, so checking the seasoning is a must before adding any extra salt.
- Finally drop the star ingredient of the recipe which is fresh Thai basil leaves. Give a final stir. Thai basil leaves will be wilted once it comes in contact with heat and will release all its flavor.
- Your Thai cashew chicken stir fry is ready to serve as a starter before main course or a quick party snack. Enjoy!
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