This Chinese-inspired sticky crispy honey chicken with cashew nuts is a sweet and delicious homemade takeout. Ready in 25 minutes and made with just a few ingredients, this chicken recipe is simple and quick, perfect for weekly dinners.
In This Post:
Honey Soy Chicken With Cashew Nuts
Crispy, sticky, sweet, savoury, and tender on the inside, this cashew nut chicken delivers both flavour and texture. What sells this recipe though is how quick and easy it is to put together.
Plus, it tastes better than your local Chinese takeout and you know exactly what’s in it; probably cheaper, too.
All you need to complete the dish is some fluffy rice (cauliflower rice for those watching those carbs), or noodles and maybe some greens or fresh cucumber.
👉 You might also like my easy ground chicken stir fry, pecan-crusted chicken with honey & garlic, baked honey soy chicken wings or chicken thighs with honey, lemon, garlic and pepper.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you need to make this lovely chicken cashew nut recipe:
- Chicken – chicken breast or thigh meat (no skin); I usually prefer chicken thighs as they have more flavour and stay more tender but in this recipe, chicken breasts worked perfectly.
- Coating – egg and cornflour or tapioca/cassava flour; if all-purpose flour is all you have, then use that, plus salt and pepper.
- Cashew nuts – roasted have more flavour but regular, raw cashews are just as good.
- For the sticky sauce – soy sauce or tamari (coconut aminos could also be used), minced garlic, honey and chili paste or Sriracha. I love using sambal oelek, an Indonesian chilli sauce or paste, typically made from a mixture of a variety of chilli peppers with secondary ingredients such as shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar, and lime juice. It’s super flavoursome.
- Cooking oil – look, I am a sucker for good olive oil but you can also use coconut oil or avocado oil (for the healthy kind) or plain ol’ vegetable oil if that’s all you have.
How To Make Cashew Chicken
I’ve included the full recipe card with nutrition info below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos.
- Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk. Add diced chicken and combine.
- Combine salt, pepper and cornstarch in another large bowl. Add chicken pieces coated in egg, shake off excess egg mixture, and toss through to coat.
- Heat a non-stick skillet with oil over medium-medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5-6 minutes, until golden on each side.
- Make the sticky sauce: In the meantime, add cornstarch in a bowl then slowly add soy sauce while whisking with a fork to dissolve. Now stir in garlic, honey and chili paste.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce and cashew nuts. Stir and bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce. It will take a few seconds.
- Remove, garnish with green onions and serve with rice.
Can I Use An Air Fryer?
Yes! You can air fry the chicken pieces (in batches to avoid overcrowding) for about 10 minutes on high heat, until golden and crispy. You may need to turn them over half way through. Remove and set aside on the plate. Then, add the chicken, cashew nuts and sauce to a hot skillet (you can add a small splash of oil or go without) and toss through, letting it simmer and thicken slightly.
What To Serve With Sticky Cashew Chicken
You can serve this delicious chicken dish with a variety of side:
- Rice: fluffy basmati, Jasmine or brown rice is a classic side dish.
- Noodles: rice or egg noodles could be stirred through, you can make a slightly larger batch of the sauce so it’s more saucy.
- Low-carb options: cauliflower rice, pan-fried broccoli, steamed or stir-fry bok choy, zucchini noodles, low-carb rice/noodle alternatives.
- Greens or veggies: A side of greens would go well here; it could be steamed or stir-fried broccoli, spinach, Chinese broccoli, Brussels sprouts or even cabbage. Bell peppers and carrots are also good.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
Full Recipe
Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.
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Ingredients
For Crispy Chicken
- 450 g chicken breast about 1 lb skinless, boneless, cut in bite-size pieces
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper
- ¼ cup cornstarch 1.4 oz | 40 g
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup cashew nuts 1.5 oz | 45 g
For Sticky Sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon chili paste or Sriracha
Garnish
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk. Add diced chicken and combine.
- Combine salt, pepper and cornstarch in another large bowl. Add chicken pieces coated in egg, shake off excess egg mixture, and toss through to coat.
- Heat a non-stick skillet with oil over medium-medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5-6 minutes, until golden on each side.
- Make the sticky sauce: In the meantime, add cornstarch in a bowl then slowly add soy sauce while whisking with a fork to dissolve. Now stir in garlic, honey and chili paste.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce and cashew nuts. Stir and bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce. It will take a few seconds.
- Remove, garnish with green onions and serve with rice.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Can be frozen, although the texture of the chicken doesn’t hold up and the crispiness will be more like sogginess when defrosted.
- See more notes on ingredients at the top of the post.
Just had this for dinner, the whole family loved it. I will be making this again.
Thank you, Sacha. Glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
My husband cooked this for dinner the other night. So tasty. Definitely a favourite.
This sounds wonderful and easy to make, too! I’ve added it to my menu for this week. I know we’ll love it! Great that you can make fab dishes like this at home and not rely so much on takeout!
I first tasted cashew chicken over forty years ago in Singapore. I was hooked straight away, and love to make cashew chicken at home ever since. I love the sweetness of this tasty recipe.
The combination of the sweet honey glaze, the crunchy cashews, and the tender chicken is a match made in heaven. I could eat this dish every day!
This is such an easy ,quick and delicious recipe. Perfect starter recipe for a party. I love the sticky sauce combination of sweet and spicy flavors.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit!! Tasted even better than takeout and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make!