Chinese Restaurant-Style Cashew Chicken Recipe
Tender chicken stir-fried with crisp vegetables, all coated in a savory sauce and topped with crunchy cashews, creating a perfect balance of textures and flavors in this Chinese restaurant classic.
Make our Chinese Restaurant-Style Cashew Chicken Recipe at home. This favorite Chicken Dish can be found on the menus of many Chinese Restaurants and Take Outs – and is just as delicious made at home.
Photo by SewPixie
Chinese Restaurant-Style Cashew Chicken
A Chinese Restaurant-Style Copycat Recipe
Although this Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes Original Recipe does not come from a specific restaurant, it is a Traditional Chinese Favorite and will be instantly familiar to you from dishes you have enjoyed at your local favorite Chinese Restaurant or Take Out.
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Cashew Chicken – America’s Nuttiest Stir-Fry with Chinese Roots
Cashew Chicken may seem like a Chinese classic—and in many ways, it is—but its most iconic version was born right in the heartland of America: Springfield, Missouri. That’s where Chinese chef David Leong, in the 1960s, crafted a fried version of this dish that would go on to become a local legend and national menu staple.
The original Cashew Chicken, as served in Springfield, involved battered and deep-fried chicken pieces smothered in brown sauce and sprinkled with roasted cashews. But in Chinese-American restaurants elsewhere, the dish evolved into a stir-fried version more aligned with traditional Cantonese methods—featuring sautéed chicken, toasted nuts, and fresh vegetables, all in a fragrant soy-based sauce.
The appeal lies in its trifecta of textures: juicy chicken, crisp vegetables, and that unmistakable crunch of roasted cashews. It’s also versatile—often served over steamed rice, and easily adaptable to include broccoli, celery, or even mushrooms.
The sauce is typically built on soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a splash of broth, enriched with garlic and a hint of sweetness. The dish has remained a favorite for decades thanks to its accessibility, mild flavors, and comforting familiarity.
Today, Chinese Cashew Chicken still holds a proud place in American takeout culture—and for good reason. Whether you favor the Springfield fried version or the wok-tossed stir-fry, it’s a delicious bridge between East and West, and always a welcome guest at the dinner table.
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Chinese Restaurant-Style Cashew Chicken Recipe
Ah, Chinese Cashew Chicken—the perfect harmony of tender chicken, toasted cashews, and vibrant vegetables all married by a savory-sweet glaze. A staple of Chinese-American restaurants since the mid-20th century, it’s beloved for its balance of textures, bold flavor, and undeniable weeknight appeal. Make our Chinese Restaurant-Style Cashew Chicken Recipe at home. This favorite dish can be found on the menus of many Chinese Restaurants and Take Outs - and is just as delicious made at home. Crispy chicken, crunchy cashews and colorful veggies tossed in a glossy garlic-soy glaze make this stir-fry a nutty, irresistible classic.
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine or Dry Sherry
- 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil divided
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Roasted Cashews
- 1 Red Bell Pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 Onion sliced
- 2 Green Onions chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth or Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and white pepper. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a wok or large skillet. Place over medium-high heat.
- When oil is hot and shimmering, add chicken. Stir-fry until golden and cooked through, about 4 - 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add remaining oil. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper. Stir-fry until slightly softened, 2 - 3 minutes.
- Return chicken to pan.
- Add cashews, green onions, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and chicken broth. Stir to coat everything in the sauce.
- Drizzle with sesame oil. Toss briefly, and serve hot.
Chinese Restaurant-Style Cashew Chicken
A Chinese Restaurant-Style Copycat Recipe
Although this Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes Original Recipe does not come from a specific restaurant, it is a Traditional Chinese Favorite and will be instantly familiar to you from dishes you have enjoyed at your local favorite Chinese Restaurant or Take Out. To See ALL of Our Chinese Restaurant Copycat Recipes - Click HERE To See ALL of Our Chicken Copycat Recipes - Click HERE To See ALL of Our Asian Restaurant Copycat Recipes - Click HERE To See ALL of Our Main Course Copycat Recipes - Click HEREFollow Us to Get ALL of Our Latest Recipes
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Photo of “Cashew Chicken” is by SewPixie and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.enlegalcode.en. Thank you, SewPixie. Great Picture. Photos may be “representative” of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page.
Recipe is original to Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes – based on widely known traditional recipes. Recipe created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes based on information from traditional recipes, restaurant recipes and/or other sources on the internet – many courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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