Dragon Chicken Cashew Stir Fry (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Marinade
01 -
450 grams chicken thighs, sliced into 1.25 cm strips
02 -
0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
03 -
0.5 teaspoon paprika
04 -
0.5 teaspoon onion powder
05 -
0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
06 -
0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
07 -
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
08 -
1 large egg
→ Chicken Breading
09 -
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
10 -
0.5 tablespoon chili powder
11 -
30 grams cornstarch
12 -
65 grams plain flour
→ Sauce
13 -
7.5 grams cornstarch
14 -
15 ml toasted sesame oil
15 -
15 ml Chinkiang vinegar or a 50/50 mix of balsamic and rice vinegar
16 -
22–30 ml Asian chili sauce (like Sambal Oelek)
17 -
30 ml oyster sauce
18 -
45 ml honey
19 -
60 grams ketchup
20 -
60 ml reduced sodium soy sauce
→ Stir Fry
21 -
6 garlic cloves, minced
22 -
15 grams freshly grated ginger
23 -
1 red bell pepper, thin strips
24 -
0.5 white onion, thin slices
25 -
15 ml vegetable or peanut oil
26 -
130 grams unsalted cashews
→ Garnish
27 -
Sliced green onions
28 -
Toasted sesame seeds
# Instructions:
01 -
Toss the crispy chicken and toasted cashews right into the skillet. Get everything coated with that awesome sauce. Hit it with green onions and a handful of sesame seeds before you dig in.
02 -
Quickly whisk the sauce again then pour it into the pan over the veggies. Stir as it cooks until it thickens up a little, about a minute.
03 -
Add a bit of oil into the skillet and turn up the heat. Cook the onion and bell pepper strips for a couple minutes. Drop in the ginger and garlic, give it a quick stir until it smells great.
04 -
Toss cashews in a dry cast iron skillet over medium. Move them around until they get a golden color. Take them off the heat and put aside.
05 -
Pour 60 ml of oil into a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Chuck the coated chicken in flat, but only a few at a time. Cook for four minutes, flip, and let the other side get golden and cooked through. Move to paper towels. Add oil if you need to, and keep going with the rest.
06 -
Mix plain flour, cornstarch, and chili powder in a big plastic bag or bowl. Lift chicken out of its marinade, shake off the dripping bits, then drop into the flour mix. Toss or shake until even.
07 -
Pop all the sauce bits (soy, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and cornstarch) into a medium bowl. Whisk until it's totally smooth with no lumps. Leave to the side.
08 -
Grab a big bowl and whip the egg, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne together. Slide in the chicken strips, making sure they're all covered. Let them chill for 30 minutes at room temp or in the fridge overnight. If they were in the fridge, let them warm up before coating.
# Notes:
01 -
Do a little prep in advance to make weeknight cooking breezy.
02 -
For a killer crunch, only sauce the chicken right before you eat.
03 -
Swap in more or less chili sauce to make it as hot—or not—as you like.