This is one of those dinners I make when I come home late and have zero energy to spend hours in the kitchen. A quick Thai chicken stir-fry with cashews is just so incredibly satisfying – loads of flavor, crunchy nuts, juicy chicken, and colorful vegetables, all in under half an hour. It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want something better than takeout, but just as quick.
What I love most about this dish is the balance between sweet, salty, and sour, with the crunchy texture from the cashews that elevates the whole thing. And if you’ve already made a batch of Thai pork stir-fry with bell peppers, you know these stir-fry dishes are incredibly versatile – feel free to swap the chicken for tofu or shrimp if you want to mix it up.
The trick to getting a really good Thai stir-fry is having all your ingredients ready before you start cooking. Things move very quickly once the heat is on, and you don’t want to be searching for oyster sauce while your chicken is burning. If you have a wok, it’s perfect, but a large frying pan works just fine too.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast fillets, cut into pieces
- 200 g cashews
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 red chili, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 dl water
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- rice for serving
Instructions
Start by getting all your ingredients ready – things move fast once the cooking begins! Cut the chicken into roughly 2 cm pieces and have your bell peppers prepped. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water. Mix the cornstarch with a little extra water to create a thin slurry.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat with half the oil. When it's really hot, fry the cashews for about 2 minutes until they get some color. Remove them and set aside. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and fry the chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned. Remove and set aside with the cashews.
Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger, and chili. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds – this is where the aroma comes! Add the bell peppers and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften but still have a bit of crunch.
Pour in the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly. Return the chicken and cashews to the pan and toss everything together well. Let it heat through for 1-2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze over the lime juice. Taste and adjust with more soy sauce or sugar if needed. Serve immediately over steamed rice and top with spring onions and cilantro.
Notes
If you want more vegetables, feel free to add sugar snap peas, baby corn, or broccoli. The vegetables should stay crisp, so don't overcook them. If you don't have oyster sauce, you can substitute it with extra soy sauce, but oyster sauce gives that authentic Thai stir-fry flavor.