Anna Louise Chicken and cashew nuts is one of those Chinese-inspired dishes that I make regularly because it requires very little effort and produces something genuinely satisfying.
The cashews are the detail that makes the difference — toasted until deeply golden and fragrant, they give a warm, buttery crunch to every bite that contrasts beautifully with the tender chicken and the glossy, savoury sauce.
The sauce here is properly made — soy, oyster sauce, hoisin, a little sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and a splash of stock — rather than a jar of sauce poured over the pan.
The difference is immediately apparent. A proper sauce built from individual components gives depth and balance in a way that a pre-made sauce rarely achieves.
This is the weeknight dinner that I have made so many times I can make it entirely from memory. Once you have made it twice, you will be the same.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Chicken and Cashew Nuts
For the Stir Fry
- 600g boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 2cm pieces
- 150g cashew nuts, raw and unsalted
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 large onion, cut into 2cm chunks
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2cm fresh ginger, finely grated
- 4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
- 1 tbsp cornflour — tossed with the chicken before cooking
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 100ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water — to thicken
To Serve
- Steamed jasmine rice or egg fried rice
- Extra sliced spring onions
- Toasted sesame seeds
How to Make Mary Berry Chicken and Cashew Nuts
Step 1 — Toast the Cashews
Place the cashew nuts in a large, dry wok or frying pan over a medium heat. Stir frequently for three to four minutes until the nuts are deeply golden and smell fragrant and toasted. Remove immediately — they continue to colour after leaving the pan and go from perfect to burnt remarkably quickly. Set aside.
Step 2 — Mix the Sauce
Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, caster sugar, and chicken stock in a small bowl or jug. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Have the cornflour slurry ready separately. Set both aside.
Step 3 — Coat and Cook the Chicken
Toss the chicken pieces with the tablespoon of cornflour until evenly coated — this gives a slightly better colour and helps the sauce cling to the chicken.
Heat one tablespoon of the oil in the wok over a very high heat until smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer — in two batches if needed. Cook for three to four minutes per batch without stirring until golden on the outside and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Step 4 — Stir Fry the Vegetables
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same wok over a high heat. Add the onion and peppers — stir fry vigorously for two to three minutes until beginning to soften but still with crunch. Add the garlic and ginger — stir for thirty seconds.
Step 5 — Add the Sauce and Combine
Pour in the sauce mixture. Let it bubble for one minute. Add the cornflour slurry and stir continuously until the sauce thickens and turns glossy — about one to two minutes.
Return the cooked chicken and the toasted cashews to the wok. Add the spring onions. Toss everything together for one minute until the chicken and cashews are coated in the glossy sauce.
Step 6 — Serve
Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice. Scatter extra spring onions and sesame seeds over each portion.
My Top Tips For Best Chicken and Cashew Nuts
Toast the cashews before anything else. Toasting transforms raw cashews from pleasant but mild to deeply fragrant, golden, and genuinely wonderful. It takes four minutes and is the single detail that makes this dish noticeably better than versions that use untoasted nuts. Watch them every second — they burn very quickly.
Have everything prepared before the wok goes on. A stir fry moves at speed and waits for nobody. Every vegetable should be cut, every sauce ingredient should be mixed, the cornflour slurry should be ready, and the cashews should be toasted before the heat goes on. Ten minutes of preparation at the beginning means the cooking itself takes less than ten minutes and nothing burns while you search for a bottle.
A very hot wok is not optional. The wok must be smoking hot before the chicken goes in. A hot wok sears the chicken, giving it colour and flavour. A moderate wok steams it, giving pale, slightly wet chicken with no colour and considerably less flavour.
Cook the chicken in batches if needed. Crowding the wok drops the temperature and gives steamed, pale chicken. Two batches at high heat give proper golden colour. This is worth the extra two minutes.
The cornflour on the chicken and in the sauce both matter. Cornflour on the chicken before cooking gives better colour and helps the sauce adhere. The cornflour slurry in the sauce gives the glossy, coating consistency that defines a great stir fry sauce. Both are essential for the right result.
Serving Suggestions
Over steamed jasmine rice — the most natural pairing. With egg fried rice for something more substantial. As part of a homemade Chinese spread alongside spring rolls or dumplings.
How to Store Chicken and Cashew Nuts
In the fridge: Store for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot wok with a splash of stock. The cashews will lose some crunch on storing.
Freezing is not recommended — the texture of the chicken and cashews deteriorates on freezing and defrosting.
Mary Berry Chicken and Cashew Nuts Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Toast cashews in a dry wok over medium heat 3–4 minutes until deeply golden. Remove immediately.
- Mix all sauce ingredients. Have cornflour slurry ready separately.
- Toss chicken in cornflour. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok until smoking — cook chicken in batches, 3–4 minutes per batch until golden. Remove.
- Add remaining oil. Stir fry onion and peppers over high heat 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger — 30 seconds.
- Pour in sauce — bubble 1 minute. Add cornflour slurry — stir until glossy. Return chicken and cashews. Add spring onions — toss 1 minute.
- Serve immediately over rice. Scatter spring onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use peanuts instead of cashews?
Yes — roasted, unsalted peanuts give a slightly more assertive, slightly more peanutty result. Toasted cashews give the more elegant, more traditionally Chinese character.
Can I add baby corn or mangetout?
Yes — both are excellent additions. Add them with the peppers and stir fry for the same time.
Can I make this without oyster sauce?
Replace with an extra tablespoon of soy sauce and half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. The result is slightly less complex but still very good.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast?
Yes — thighs give a richer, more forgiving result. Cut them into 2cm pieces and cook for the same time.
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