Weeknights are hard, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on flavor just to get dinner on the table fast. This chicken recipe uses the power of cashews to make an ultra-creamy sauce so silky and luscious you won’t believe there is no actual dairy cream in it. Simply soak raw cashews in hot water until they soften, blend with aromatics, and you have a flavorful sauce ready in no time at all. Here chunks of chicken are marinated in a ginger-garlic paste before getting a quick sauté. Feel free to substitute the chicken with a meaty fish, or paneer or tofu to make it vegetarian.
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What you’ll need
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Large Skillet
$74 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
⅔
5
1
1½
2
1
2
1
½
1
Preparation
Step 1
Place ⅔ cup raw cashews in a small bowl and pour in hot water to cover. Let sit until softened (you should be able to crush a nut easily between 2 fingers), 15–20 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, finely grate 2 garlic cloves and half of one 2" piece ginger, peeled, into a medium bowl. Add 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2" pieces, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and toss to combine. Let chicken sit while you make the sauce.
Step 3
Drain cashews and transfer to a blender. Coarsely chop remaining 1" piece ginger, peeled. Add ginger, 1 small jalapeño, halved, 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, ½ tsp. ground turmeric, remaining 3 garlic cloves, remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1½ cups water to blender and blend until smooth. Set cashew sauce aside.
Step 4
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken, tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add reserved cashew sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Step 5
Divide steamed rice among shallow bowls and spoon cashew chicken over; top with cilantro sprigs. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Leave a Review
Reviews (14)
Back to TopI made this recipe more than 20 times, thank you for your amazing recipe.
Sarv b
Los Angeles
5/17/2024
simple and easy. I added extra seasoning for my preference and it turned out great. quick to make and would make it again. cashews add extra protein and non-dairy creaminess. would be good with spinach.
Angela
Florida
3/13/2023
Love this recipe... it definitely helps if you have a strong blender like a vitamix for an extra creamy sauce. I definitely add leftover cashew water as needed rather than the amount in the recipe. I have been riffing on this recipe quite a bit, and have used fried curry paste instead of all the other additional ingredients in the cashew mixture. It's been bomb.
Anonymous
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2023
This was an absolute banger in our house! I’ve made it 3 times and every time my family can’t believe how fresh, healthy and delicious the sauce is. Tonight I stirred in lightly sautéed zucchini. Will make and share!!
DeFanily Chef
2/6/2023
Made this tonight - I went too fast. I soaked the cashews for 20+ minutes in hot water but they were still grainy in the sauce. I seeded the jalapeño, should have just halved like the recipe said to do (I didn’t read the recipe closely enough!) The sauce would also be good on tofu or chickpeas.
Jennifer L
NYC
1/14/2023
I got to use my brand new vitamix to blend the sauce and it was so creamy! My kids really liked this one!
Carrie
Tacoma, WA
1/13/2023
I made this for the first time tonight and loved it. I followed the recipe exactly, and while the cashews did not seem all that soft, they emulsified perfectly. It was hard to believe how rich and creamy the sauce was. My husband and I try to eat a healthy diet, and to have a healthy meal taste so lush was a terrific surprise. On top of that it was quick and easy to make. We will definitely be making this again.
Carole H
Syracuse NY
1/11/2023