Are you craving a big, satisfying bowl of those irresistible, savory, sweet, and spicy flavors from your favorite Asian restaurant? This incredible, from-scratch Spicy Cashew Chicken Noodle Bowl is your new weeknight hero! We’re talking tender, juicy chicken, a colorful medley of crisp vegetables, and crunchy roasted cashews, all tossed with chewy rice noodles in the most luscious, glossy, and perfectly balanced homemade sauce you’ve ever had.
This isn’t just another stir-fry recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a “better than takeout” classic that is secretly simple to make. We’ll show you the crucial secrets to a flawless, non-lumpy stir-fry sauce and the art of a perfect stir-fry where every vegetable is perfectly crisp-tender. This is a satisfying, crowd-pleasing meal that is perfect for a busy night and is guaranteed to become a new family favorite.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate ‘Better Than Takeout’ Noodle Bowl
What makes this Spicy Cashew Chicken so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, authentic-tasting sauce and its wonderfully simple preparation. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, Asian-inspired flavors. The dish features tender, savory, from-scratch beef meatballs (oops, that’s from a previous recipe, I will correct that to chicken). The dish features tender, savory, bite-sized pieces of chicken breast, which are quickly seared to juicy perfection. The true star of the show, however, is the homemade sweet and spicy stir-fry sauce. It’s a perfect, harmonious balance of flavors: the “sweet” comes from honey, the “sour” comes from tangy rice vinegar, the “salty” comes from savory tamari, and the “spicy” comes from a kick of ginger and red pepper flakes. This beautiful, glossy sauce is tossed with the chicken, a colorful stir-fry of bell peppers and zucchini, and finished with the rich, buttery crunch of roasted cashews.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Takeout Classic
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality pantry staples and fresh ingredients to create its signature vibrant and savory flavor.
- The Perfect Stir-Fry Sauce:
- The Flavor Balance: A great stir-fry sauce is all about harmony. This recipe achieves that with a classic combination of tamari (or soy sauce) for the salty umami, honey for the sweet, rice vinegar for the tangy sour, and a fragrant kick from fresh ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- The Starch Slurry: This is the most important secret to a perfect sauce! It is absolutely crucial to whisk your tapioca starch (or cornstarch) into your cold sauce ingredients before you add the mixture to the hot pan. This is the non-negotiable key that prevents the starch from clumping and guarantees a perfectly smooth, glossy, and beautifully thickened sauce every single time.
- The Stir-Fry Components:
- The Chicken: For the best, most tender result that cooks quickly and evenly, it is a great idea to cut your chicken breasts into uniform, 1-inch, bite-sized pieces.
- The Veggies & Cashews: A classic, colorful, and crunchy combination of fresh onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper, plus the rich, buttery crunch of whole, roasted cashews.
Step-by-Step to the Best Spicy Cashew Chicken
This delicious, one-pan (mostly!) meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Cook the Noodles and Prepare the Sauce
Step 1: First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your 8 ounces of rice noodles according to the package instructions.
Step 2: While the noodles are cooking, prepare your sauce. In a small bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce: the 1/2 cup of chicken broth, the 3 tablespoons of tamari, the 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, the 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, the 1 teaspoon of black pepper, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey, the 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and the crucial 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch. Set this aside.
Part 2: Build the Stir-Fry
Step 1: Cut your 1 pound of chicken breast into 1-inch cubes.
Step 2: In a large skillet or a wok, heat the 2-3 tablespoons of avocado oil over a medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add your 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and the 1/4 cup of the white parts of your green onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes until they are fragrant.
Step 3: Add in the chicken and cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is lightly browned but not totally cooked through.
Step 4: Add in your diced bell peppers and your chopped zucchini. Continue to sauté for an additional 5 to 6 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Part 3: Combine and Thicken
Step 1: Give your prepared sauce mixture one final whisk, and then pour it into the skillet over the chicken and vegetables. Step 2: Let the sauce come to a gentle simmer and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce has thickened beautifully and is glossy. Step 3: Stir in your 2/3 cup of roasted cashews and the remaining green bits from your chopped green onion.
Serve the hot spicy cashew chicken immediately over a bed of your cooked rice noodles.
Cashew Chicken (A 30-Minute Noodle Bowl!)
A quick and easy recipe for spicy cashew chicken noodle bowls. This one-pan (mostly) stir-fry features bite-sized pieces of chicken cooked in a skillet with a colorful medley of fresh vegetables, including bell peppers and zucchini. A savory, spicy, and slightly sweet sauce is made with chicken broth, tamari, grated ginger, and honey, then thickened with tapioca starch. The stir-fry is finished with roasted cashews for crunch and served over a bed of tender rice noodles.
Ingredients
- For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- For the Stir Fry:
- 8 ounces rice noodles
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2-3 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup green onion, white parts only
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2/3 cup roasted cashews
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.
- While the noodles cook, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the white parts of the green onions and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cubed chicken and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add the chopped bell peppers and zucchini to the skillet. Sauté for an additional 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with the chicken and vegetables. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.
- Stir in the roasted cashews and the green parts of the onions.
- Drain the cooked rice noodles and serve the stir-fry over the noodles.
Notes
- This is a quick and healthy one-pan meal (for the stir-fry) that comes together in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy weeknight.
- The sauce is thickened with tapioca starch, which makes the dish naturally gluten-free when paired with rice noodles and tamari.
- The cashews are added at the very end of the cooking process to ensure they remain crunchy.
- The spice level can be easily adjusted by reducing the amount of black pepper and red pepper flakes.
What to Serve With Your Cashew Chicken
This beautiful and rich dish is a fantastic, all-in-one meal. It pairs wonderfully with classic, simple side dishes.
- Fluffy Rice: Instead of noodles, a bed of simple, steamed white or brown rice is the perfect, classic partner for this dish, ideal for sopping up every last drop of that incredible, savory-sweet sauce.
- Steamed Vegetables: A side of simple, steamed broccoli or some crispy snow peas is another fantastic and healthy choice.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Spicy Cashew Chicken is a fantastic make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire dish a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator. The flavors will actually be even more delicious on the second day!
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: The finished stir-fry freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a perfectly smooth and glossy, not lumpy, stir-fry sauce?
The secret is to create a starch slurry by whisking your thickener (the tapioca starch or cornstarch in this recipe) into your cold liquid ingredients before you add them to the hot pan. Starch granules need to be fully dispersed in a cold liquid first. If you add dry starch directly to a hot liquid, it will seize up and create lumps immediately.
Q2: Can I make this stir-fry ahead of time for meal prep?
Yes, this is a fantastic meal-prep recipe! You can prepare the entire dish and portion it with the noodles or rice into airtight containers. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, making for a delicious and satisfying lunch.
Q3: What is the best way to keep my stir-fry vegetables crisp-tender and not soggy?
The secret is to use a hot pan and to not overcrowd it. A hot skillet or a wok will allow the vegetables to sear and cook quickly, which is the key that keeps them crisp. If you add too many vegetables to the pan at once, you will lower the temperature, and the vegetables will steam in their own liquid and become soft and soggy.
Q4: Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Yes! As written, this recipe is completely gluten-free. The use of tamari (which is a gluten-free soy sauce), rice noodles, and tapioca starch (a naturally gluten-free thickener) makes it a perfect choice for those with a gluten sensitivity.
Q5: Can I make this recipe with a different protein?
Yes! This recipe is wonderfully versatile. It would also be delicious with an equal amount of shrimp, thinly sliced steak, or some crispy, pan-fried tofu for a fantastic vegetarian version.