Caramelized Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Cashew Stir Fry with the best sweet and spicy ginger sauce you ever tasted! This Chicken Cashew Stir Fry is loaded with incredibly tender chicken, stir fried with bell peppers, carrots and snow peas garnished with the sweet crunch of caramelized cashews enveloped in intoxicating sweet, spicy, tangy, ginger sauce AKA the BEST Chicken Cashew Stir Fry you ever tasted!
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts pounded thin, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips then chopped in half
- 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 heaping cup Snow peas, ends trimmed
Marinade (optional for more tender/flavorful chicken)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- Juice from 1 orange (approx. 2 tablespoons)
Sweet and Tangy Ginger Sauce
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1-3 teaspoons Sriracha/Asian hot red chili sauce
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Light Breading
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish
- 1 cup Recipe 5 Minute Caramelized Nuts using 1 cup roasted, salted cashews
- orange zest from 1-2 oranges
- chopped green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Optional: Combine marinade ingredients and chicken in a large freezer bag. Marinate 30 minutes up to 4 hours.
- Prepare 5 Minute Caramelized Cashews according to directions. This can be done days in advance and kept in an airtight container/plastic bag.
- Whisk together sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add breading ingredients to a separate freezer bag and mix to combine. Add chicken and toss until evenly coated. Heat 1 tablespoon olive/coconut oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and saute for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned (chicken does not need to be cooked through). Remove to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to the now empty skillet and heat over medium heat. Add onions and carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Add red bell peppers, ginger and garlic and saute 30 seconds. Stir sauce (to make sure cornstarch has not separated) and add to skillet along with chicken and snow peas; stir to combine. Simmer until sauce is thickened, vegetables are crisp tender, and chicken is cooked through, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Taste and add additional salt, pepper, sriracha, if desired. Add more sugar if you would like it sweeter, more red wine vinegar for more "sour/tang" to taste.
- Garnish individual servings with orange zest, cashews and green onions.
Notes
*3 teaspoons is quite a strong ginger kick, how we like it :) Use less if you don't love ginger. **If you aren't sure how much to use, start with less then add more to taste at the end of cooking.