This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
You can put together this delicious Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Cashew Chicken in 30 minutes with just a few simple ingredients and it tastes much better than takeout!
Several years ago, when we lived in Raleigh, there was a tiny Asian restaurant, just blocks from us, that specialized in fabulous Thai, Malaysian and Chinese cuisine. Often, after a busy day, Scott and I would have the same idea; "Let's get takeout!" We'd call the order in and dinner would be on the table in less than 30 minutes. Not so easy anymore. We live fairly remote these days, in the mountains of North Carolina outside of Asheville. Running to get takeout is no longer an easy or quick option. But having recipes like this delicious Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Cashew Chicken in my back pocket makes dinner almost as simple as in the old days - and just as delicious!
What is hoisin?
With a name like Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Cashew Chicken, you're right if you surmised that there's hoisin sauce in the ingredient list for this recipe. If you're not familiar with hoisin sauce it's a thick, sweet, salty, readily available Asian condiment sauce that has a delicious, warm, complex flavor. Hoisin sauce is often used for glazing meat, as an addition to stir-fries and as dipping and/or drizzling sauce. It's a magical condiment to have in your pantry as it can give easy pizzazz to everyday dishes.
Less than 30 minutes, start to finish
I wasn't kidding when I said that you can have this on the table as quick as you can order and pick up takeout. This is how the simple steps work:
- Heat a splash of both sesame and olive oil in a medium-large saute pan. Add some minced garlic and grated ginger (or ginger paste, see Café Tips below) and stir until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce and a spoonful of chili garlic sauce. Bring all this to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes until thickened. (While the sauce is simmering, thinly slice a couple of chicken breasts into bite-size pieces.) Finish the sauce off with a bit of butter, stirring until well incorporated.
- Add the sliced chicken and cashews to the simmering sauce, cover and turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes... and voila, dinner is served! See what I mean, so easy so quick!
How to serve this Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Cashew Chicken
I like to serve this cashew chicken over steamed jasmine rice but it would also be delicious would Asian noodles. Since there are no veggies in this dish, I often serve it with roasted broccoli or green beans. Steamed or stir-fried snow peas or sugar snap peas are also a nice pairing with this cashew chicken. Lots of fresh herbs are a must!
If it's summer and your herb garden is overflowing, by all means, garnish this cashew chicken with basil, mint and cilantro leaves but otherwise just pick your favorite or what's readily available and use that to add lots of fresh, vibrant flavor.
(On a side note, you may have noticed that I use fresh basil quite lavishly, even off-season. I grow it in my sunny dining room window all fall and winter long. I purchase plants (potted in soil) in the produce section at the grocery store and keep them regularly watered and fertilized. They thrive and get lots of new leaves and sprouts. Sometimes though, we go out of town or I forget to water and they quickly let me know by drooping and wilting. If they don't revive with watering, I just purchase another plant next time I'm shopping and try to be a better nurturer.)
Makes great leftovers!
Because there are no veggies to wilt or get soft, this Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Cashew Chicken reheats well and makes great leftovers. It would be a treat to take for work or school lunches although you may have some jealous co-workers (or fellow students) when the delicious aroma fills the lunchroom as your meal is heating.
Although the ingredient list for this recipe is short and simple, the combination of these flavor bombs creates a delicious dinner entree. If you're missing any of the pantry-friendly ingredients for this delightful cashew chicken, put them on your shopping list along with cashews and boneless skinless chicken breasts. Plan to make it soon and I think you'll also be wondering, "who needs takeout?" when you can have a meal like this on your table just as quickly!
Cafe Tips for this Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Cashew Chicken
- It's important to use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe because as the sauce simmers down and thickens, regular soy sauce will make it too salty. I use low sodium soy sauce almost exclusively as I can use more of it, imparting more flavor and deep rich color without a sodium overload. You'll find low sodium soy sauce right next to the regular soy sauce at the grocery store. It usually has a green cap and label.
- If you're not familiar with hoisin sauce, it's a fairly common Asian staple that you can find in most larger grocery stores in the international aisle near the soy sauce, rice vinegar, etc. My favorite brand is Lee Kum Kee. You can also find it online.
- Another Asian ingredient called for in this recipe is chili garlic sauce. This delicious, inexpensive spicy sauce also is stocked by most larger grocers in the Asian area. I like Huy Fong brand which is probably the most widely available option.
- Chili garlic sauce packs a lot of heat in a small amount. I recommend starting with a half teaspoon. You can always add more but can't take the heat away. We like things mediumly spicy and a half teaspoon is perfect for us.
- This cashew chicken recipe calls for finely grated fresh ginger. I almost always have a tube of ginger paste in my refrigerator or freezer. Ginger paste is simply fresh ginger that's been finely pureed. It works well in any recipe that calls for fresh ginger and is easy to store. If you don't use fresh ginger frequently, just keep it in the freezer. When you need a tablespoon or two, remove the tube from the freezer, let it thaw for 1o minutes and you'll be able to squeeze out what you need and pop the tube back in the freezer for next time. I've used this ginger paste for years and hate to be without it. (This isn't a sponsored post, I just really like it.
- You can find this ginger paste at many larger grocery stores in the produce department, usually near the fresh herbs. Super Walmart and Super Target stores both carry it. It comes in a tube that looks like this.
- Let the sauce simmer until it's nice and thick. Adding the chicken will thin out the sauce a bit but the cornstarch/soy sauce combo will bring it back to a nice consistency.
- A pat of butter added at the end in 4 small additions may seem strange for an Asian dish. It's an old chef's trick to add another layer of fine flavor and a silky smooth texture. Wait until each piece is melted before adding the next.
- If you're serving this cashew chicken to guests, it's easy to prep ahead. Make the sauce and simmer it as directed then cover and set aside. Slice the chicken and refrigerate. Right before serving time, bring the sauce back to a boil, add the chicken, cashews, etc., cover and wait as directed. Your dinner will be fresh and perfectly done as you seat your guests around the table.
- If you're planning to enjoy this as leftovers, wait until just before each serving to add the cashews so they stay nice and crunchy.
If you enjoy Asian-inspired, easy chicken recipes, you will also love this Chicken and Coconut Curry Noodle Salad!
Thought for the day:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:13
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 medium garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ⅔ cup hoisin sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce divided
- ½-1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 1½ teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon cold butter divided into 4 pieces
- 1-1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup salted roasted cashews
-
Heat the sesame and olive oil in a medium-large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and lower the heat slightly. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
-
Add the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, honey, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the chili garlic sauce to the pan. Combine the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce and the cornstarch in a separate bowl and set aside.
-
Bring the broth mixture in the pan to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, maintaining a steady boil, until the sauce has thickened nicely and coats the back of a spoon.
-
While the sauce is simmering prep the chicken. Slice each breast thinly into bite-size pieces. If your chicken breasts are large and thick, cut them in half horizontally by placing your non-dominant hand on top of the breast and slicing it into two fairly equal thinner portions then slice each half thinly into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
-
When the sauce is thickened, add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring until each piece is melted before adding the next. Add the chicken, cashews and cornstarch mixture and stir to evenly distribute the chicken. Return to a simmer then cover and turn off the heat. Allow the pan to sit (covered) for 5 minutes. (The thin slices of chicken will cook nicely in the residual heat.)
-
Serve with jasmine rice and fresh basil, mint and/or cilantro leaves.
See Café Tips above in the post for further instructions and more detailed tips.

Bernadette says
I’ve made a variation of this recipe and it’s very good. But about the basil: Ordinary basil is fine and easy to find, but the basil from the Thai vendor at my local farmer’s market knocked my socks off. It’s called Thai “holy basil” and the flavor is much more intense. It’s a staple in Thai cooking and it’s worth seeking out.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Bernadette! Yes, if you can find Thai basil, it is wonderful in dishes like this.
KD says
Like another reviewer, I ended up with 2-3 times more sauce than expected - DESPITE boiling the sauce for over 20 mins. My thoughts are that I could double or triple the amount of chicken .. if using this for a large gathering/as opposed to the 2 of us. I liked someone's idea of adding some sautéed button mushrooms. We served it with a brown rice mix & broccoli on the side. This is a lovely dish, with very tender, moist chicken breast meat, & delicious sauce. Cool technique. Oh - I might use a little less honey next time.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your resutls, KD.
Tammy says
Omg! Honestly, I was truly hesitant about putting uncooked chicken in a sauce to cook. I almost sautéed it first, but I knew Chris would not steer me wrong. It was delish and cooked in 8 minutes, as I used 1.5 pounds of cut up tenders. This is a keeper! My sauce did not thicken as much as I liked, but I’ll add more cornstarch next time. Easy, delicious and chicken was as tender as velvet. Thanks again for making my fam happy!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know, Tammy!
Carolyn says
Made this for dinner tonight--it's a keeper! Delish, thanks for sharing. Great tip about the ginger paste. It's the one ingredient I never seem to have on hand. I will never be without again!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Carolyn!
Diane says
I didn’t have chili garlic sauce but I did have chili oil which had garlic in it. Is the actual sauce different? It was delicious! I was a bit worried about whether the chicken would actually be cooked using this method. I sliced it very thin and it cooked perfectly. So tender. My husband rated this nine out of ten.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Diane, chili garlic sauce is more of. a paste than oil. I'm so glad to hear you had great results! Thanks so much for letting us know!
Susan Wolfe says
Made a run to the store for ginger paste and hoisin sauce. So glad I did. This was quick and delicious and so easy to make. This recipe goes into my 'keeper' box - we'll certainly have it again.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Susan! Thanks for letting us know!
Heather says
Delicious! I love this technique for cooking the chicken. Stir fry without the oil splatters. I'll be making this often!
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, exactly! Thanks, Heather!
Karen says
Hi, I didn't have cashews today and so browned some button mushrooms first. Really lovely dish. Thanks from Australia.
Chris Scheuer says
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your results, Karen!
Louise McIntosh says
My husband and I loved the taste of this chicken recipe. The only problem was that it made for too much sauce. Normally you want a lot of sauce, but this sauce was too thin and wasn’t in proportion to the amount of chicken and cashews. Nevertheless, the taste was fantastic and I strained the excess liquid to use in another recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for your review, Louise.
Regarding the sauce, you just need to simmer it a little longer (and perhaps use a higher flame) to thicken it. The sauce should be just enough to coat the chicken nicely.
Gayann says
I prepped this dish this morning, and will serve it for lunch with my husband and two college students home for break!
I prefer savory to sweet, so 1/3 cup honey was going to be too sweet for me. I added several tablespoons to taste, and added more of the chili sauce. I was not able to find roasted cashews, so put them in a dry pan, and toasted them up. I did not see sesame seeds in the recipe, but looked at the pic, and thought I saw them...was already home from the store, and my family wont know the difference! Topping the dish with fresh basil.. Also added sliced colorful mini peppers!
Thanks for a great recipe...my husband got a taste of the sauce, with a cashew, and smacked his lips!
Serving it with the jasmine rice, and crusty rolls!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Gayann! Hope you enjoy it for lunch!
The sesame seeds are totally optional, just for garnish.
Miss Tere says
The flavor is deep and balanced. Because we eat veggies instead of rice, I steamed a head of cauliflower and mixed it into the finished chicken. Lovely
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Miss Tere!
Elsie says
This was delicious, thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! thanks so much for sharing your results, Elsie! You're speedy! 🥰
Kathy Comstock says
Could you substitute boneless chicken thighs for the boneless chicken breasts? Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kathy, not an exact sub, but as I mentioned to Barb, just let them simmer in the sauce for awhile to make sure they get cooked through.
Barb Bowen says
It looks wonderful! Do you thinkI could use thighs??
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Barb, you could use thighs but they will require more cooking time. If I were using thighs, I would let them simmer in the sauce after it's thickened rather than just letting the residual heat cook the chicken like you can do with chicken breasts.