Hands-Free Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken was never easier than this take-out fake-out. It’s hands free in the preparation, making it a great weeknight quick fix.

We used to go to Panda Express almost on a weekly basis. It’s not far from home, and if we ordered the “Panda Feast” and a couple small entrees, we really could let the kids “feast”. But, now that my daughter clearly has severe allergies to peanuts and walnuts, we don’t take a chance. It would be too easy for a stray nut to fall into a dish.

So, despite the kids’ initial grumblings over my experimenting in Asian cuisine, I persevered and I won! This easy to make Cashew Chicken pleases even my pickiest eaters.

And no, my daughter isn’t allergic to cashews, but I make a pan without cashews just in case there’s cross contamination. 😉 You can leave out the cashews or add them at the end if you’re accommodating an allergy. You just can’t call it Cashew Chicken. Ahem.

Since I’ve been trying to eat gluten-free for some health issues, I recently tested this with gluten-free soy sauce. Kikkoman makes it; I found it at Ralphs for $3.59. Since I only use a few tablespoons in recipes, I figured it was worth a shot. Success!

(If you’re making this gluten-free, be sure to read the labels on all the ingredients to assure your safety.)

I love this so much; I get dibs on any leftovers so I can eat it for breakfast. Don’t you do that?

If you want to make a double batch, use two pans. It would cook as quickly if you cook it all in one pan. Trust me. I know this.

Next time you crave Chinese food, this is the dish to make! Serve it with lots of hot cooked rice to soak up the yummy sauce.

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5 from 4 votes

Hands-Free Cashew Chicken

Cashew Chicken was never easier than this take-out fake-out. It's hands free in the preparation, making it a great weeknight quick fix.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: 4

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb chicken tenders
• ▢ 1 9-ounce package snow peas
• ▢ 1/2 cup roasted and unsalted cashews
• ▢ 4 green onion chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup chicken stock
• ▢ 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tbsp dry sherry
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ▢ 1 tbsp honey
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• ▢ toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Lay the chicken tenders in the prepared pan. Add the snow peas, cashews, and scallions to the pan.
• In a small dish whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, honey, garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Pour this over the chicken and vegetables in the pan.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and bubbles, about 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like.

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 1/4 of the recipe. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 750mg | Potassium: 729mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 866IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

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