Thai Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Thai cashew chicken stir fry, a glorious 20-minute recipe that rocks the whole hot, sweet, sour & salty vibe often typical of Thai food.

We get hot from Thai Chillies and sweet from brown sugar, the sour comes courtesy of lime juice & lemongrass, and finally, wonderfully salty fish sauce!

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry with Cashew Nuts

I adore Thai and Southeast Asian flavours, my site is littered with recipes playing with Thai ideas in my own way.

Everything from Thai duck curry and Prawn Massaman curry through to more "trad" recipes like a Thai beef salad and Thai minced pork.

I'm not entirely sure it is a Thai dish, but my version is loaded with Thai flavours.

Fish sauce, bird's eye chilli, lime, garlic, sugar, lemongrass and lime leaves all feature in this super quick recipe.

It joins a Thai-influenced prawn stir fry with noodles and Thai beef and basil stir fry that share the same "ethos"!

And when I say quick, I mean 10 minutes of cooking time at the most. Prep probably takes another 10 if you are organised.

The main vibe of this dish is hot and sour, which helps keep it nice and light. Fish sauce gives just the perfect amount of salt.

You can then add as much or as little chilli as you like.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Can I use fresh lemongrass?

Yes, of course. It is hard to find for me, and I always keep lemongrass paste in the fridge for quick Thai meals.

Use one or two sticks of lemongrass, strip the tough outer leaves and then bash them with the blunt end of the knife to bruise them.

Then slice it as finely as you can! Add this to the stir fry at the same time as the chilli.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes, slice it so that it is around 4-5cm long and 4-5mm thick and continue with the recipe as instructed. Chicken breast does not have as much flavour, but it does yield more uniformly shaped chicken.

How hot should my wok be to stir-fry?

It needs to be fiercely hot! You should be able to see the air in the base shimmer before you add the oil, and it needs to stay this hot.

For this reason, keep working and use a metal or wooden spoon to toss the ingredients. You can see the technique in the videos on my Szechuan chicken and chicken with black bean sauce recipes.

Any final hints?

Yes. The most important thing with this Thai cashew chicken recipe, in fact, any stir fry dish, is to do your prep!

Get everything in bowls, get everything mixed and chopped. I even arrange the bowls in the order they get thrown into the wok.

Then go and don't stop until it is ready to go on the plate!

Serving Suggestions.

The obvious side for this dish is some simply cooked white rice, jasmine, or basmati will be just about peachy.

It is the perfect vehicle for the hot and sour sauce that coats this Thai cashew chicken.

If you want to go that extra step, then it is also particularly good with egg-fried rice or even coconut rice.

It also works well with a nice noodle salad.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• Wok.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.