Description
A flavorful and crispy Thai Cashew Chicken dish featuring golden fried chicken thigh pieces tossed with crunchy cashews, peppers, onions, and a glossy savory sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner served over steamed rice.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 600g / 1.3lbs boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
- 50g / 1/3 cup Plain Flour
For Frying
- 120ml / 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 200g / 7oz Unsalted Cashew Nuts
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 medium White Onions, halved then diced into quarters (pull layers apart)
- 2 medium Peppers (1 red, 1 green), diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, finely diced
- 2 Red Chillies, deseeded if preferred less spice
- 3 Spring Onions, separated into firm white and green parts, cut into 2.5cm/1" pieces
Sauce and Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- Cooked Rice, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: In a large mixing bowl, combine diced chicken with white pepper and 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce. Mix in the plain flour thoroughly until the chicken pieces are fully coated for a crisp crust.
- Fry Cashews: Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add cashews and fry until deep golden in color, watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove cashews with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving oil in the pan.
- Fry Chicken: In two batches, shake off excess flour from the chicken and fry in the hot oil until golden and crisp on the outside and cooked through (about 5 minutes per batch). Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all oil except roughly 2 tablespoons remaining in the pan.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add diced peppers, onions, and garlic to the retained oil in the wok. Fry for a couple of minutes until softened, then add the red chillies and firm white parts of the spring onions. Fry for an additional minute.
- Combine and Finish: Return the fried chicken to the wok and stir well. Add granulated sugar, oyster sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. Toss in the fried cashews and green parts of the spring onions. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has a glossy sheen coating the ingredients evenly.
- Serve: Serve hot with steamed cooked rice and enjoy this classic Thai meal with a balanced combination of crunchy, savory, and mildly sweet flavors.
Notes
- Chicken: Thigh meat is recommended to retain moisture and develop a golden crust. Breast can be used but cooks faster and can dry out.
- Flour Coating: Essential for creating the crisp crust that adheres to the sauce.
- Chillies: Traditionally dried red chillies are used, but fresh large red chillies from supermarkets work well and are easier to find.
- Cookbook: This recipe is featured in the cookbook ‘Comfy’.
- Calories: Nutritional info is estimated assuming half the frying oil is absorbed and consumed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/4 recipe)
- Calories: 540 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
