Mix and Bake Cashew Chicken
This Baked Cashew Chicken is a cozy one-dish dinner packed with juicy chicken, crisp veggies, buttery cashews, and a takeout-style garlic soy sauce — all baked in the oven for a saucy, no-fuss finish.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 430kcal
Ingredients
Chicken and vegetables:
- 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 green onions chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 medium red bell peppers diced (about 1½–2 cups)
- 1 small head broccoli cut into bite-sized florets (about 2–3 cups)
- ½-1 cup roasted cashews see note 1
Sauce:
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons minced garlic about 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger or 1½ teaspoons fresh grated ginger
Optional for serving:
- cooked rice, sesame seeds, green onions, sriracha or chili flakes
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 2–3 quart baking dish.
- Add chicken to the baking dish. Sprinkle with cornstarch, season lightly with salt and pepper (note 2), and toss to coat.1½ lbs boneless, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, Salt and pepper
- Stir in chopped bell peppers, broccoli, green onions, and cashews.3-4 green onions, 2 medium red bell peppers, 1 small head broccoli, ½-1 cup roasted cashews
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour over the chicken and vegetables, and stir to combine.½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame or vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1½ teaspoons minced garlic, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir gently and return to oven for 5–10 more minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked, veggies are tender, and sauce is thickened.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the sauce settle and the chicken rest. Serve over hot cooked rice with any garnishes you like.
Notes
- (Note 1) I prefer unsalted roasted cashews. If using salted, consider swapping some broth for water to keep the sauce from getting too salty.
- (Note 2) The sauce already has soy and hoisin — go light on the salt when seasoning the chicken.
- (Note 3) A smaller baking dish (2–3 qt) keeps things saucy, not dry. Sheet pans cook faster but don't give you that classic cashew chicken texture.
- Don’t overbake the chicken — it cooks fast!
- Stir halfway through so the sauce thickens evenly.
- Let it sit 5 minutes before serving for the perfect texture.
- Serve over rice to soak up all that saucy goodness.
- Leftovers? Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat gently until steaming hot all the way through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 21g