This cashew chicken takes about 15 minutes to cook and it is super delicious. Once you learned, you don’t need to order it from take out anymore.

INGREDIENTS

To marinate the chicken

• 1 lb (454 grams) of chicken breast
• 1/3 tsp of salt
• 1/3 tsp of baking soda
• White pepper to taste
• 2.5 tsp of cornstarch
• 1.5 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine

For the sauce

• 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp of ketchup
• 2 tbsp of water

To stir fry

• 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
• 1/2 inch of ginger, sliced thinly
• 1/2 of a bell pepper, cut into bite size
• 2 stalks of celery, cut into bite size
• 1/2 cup of cashew, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut 1 lb of chicken breast into bite size pieces. You can also use chicken thigh if you want.

Marinate it with 1/3 tsp of salt and 1/3 tsp of baking soda, some white pepper to taste, 2.5 tsp of cornstarch, and 1.5 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine. Gently rub for a few minutes or until the chicken feels velvety. The cornstarch will create a starchy layer that will preserve the moisture of the meat while cooking so your chicken will come out nice and juicy.

Set it aside and we will quickly make a sauce. In a bowl, combine the following ingredients: 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1 tbsp of hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp of ketchup, 2 tbsp of water. Mix thoroughly and set it aside.

Besides that, I also prepared 1/2 of a bell pepper, 2 stalks of celery. I cut them into bite-size. 2 tbsp of the diced white part of the scallion. 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced, 1 inch of ginger, thinly sliced.

Turn the heat to high and heat the wok until it is smoking hot. Add some oil and toss it around to create a nonstick layer. Add the chicken. Give it  8-10 seconds for the starch to set before you start stirring. If you stir too soon, the starchy coating will come off and stick to the wok badly. It will take about 2-3 minutes for the chicken to change color. It is not completely cooked through yet. Inside is still a bit raw, which is perfect because we will cook it furthermore. If the chicken is fully cooked at this moment, it will be overcooked when we mix it with the sauce. Turn off the heat and take the chicken out. Make sure you tilt the wok to leave the oil behind.

Turn the heat back on medium, toss in the the garlic, ginger, scallion, and the celery. Stir this over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Pour in the sauce along with the chicken back into the wok. Keep mixing until the chicken is cooked through; this will take another 2-3 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper and the roasted cashews. Give it a final toss. That’s it, you are done.