Thai Cashew Chicken
Thai Cashew Chicken (Gai Pad Med Mamuang Himaphan) is a savory, spicy dish that combines crispy cashews, tender chicken, and vibrant bell peppers in a rich, glossy sauce. With a perfect balance of heat from dried chilies and umami from black soy and oyster sauces, this flavorful stir-fry makes for an irresistible meal.
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups 480 ml canola or other high-temperature cooking oil
- ½ cup 65 g raw cashews
- 6 to 8 dried Thai chilies
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oz 340 g chicken breast or boneless thigh, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pinch white pepper
- ½ onion halved, then sliced with the grain (Lyonnaise)
- ½ red bell pepper cut into batonnet
- ½ green bell pepper cut into batonnet
- 2 tbsp 30 g chili paste in soybean oil
- 2 tbsp 30 ml oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp 15 ml Thai black soy sauce
- Cooked jasmine rice for serving
Instructions
- Add the cooking oil to a medium pan and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Carefully drop the cashews and chilies into the oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes,until fragrant. The chilies will turn bright red and the cashews should be golden brown. Drain them well and set aside. Discard all but about2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil from the pan.
- To the same pan, add the garlic and cook until light brown and fragrant,about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken and stir-fry for about 1 minute,until the outside is seared and it is cooked to about medium, but not yet fully cooked.
- Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, stir the onion and bell peppers into the pan and cook until the onion and peppers are light brown and soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chilies and cashews and stir-fry for about 1 more minute until all ingredients are combined and hot.
- Pour in the chili paste in soybean oil, oyster sauce and black soy sauce and stir-fry until all the flavors combine and the sauce reduces to aglaze, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust any of the seasonings if you'd like, then serve over a bed of hot rice.
Notes
Pro Tip: To cut the peppers into batonnet, this is simply a shape like a French fry, about ¼ inch thick x 4 inches (0.6 x 10 cm) long.
Nutrition
Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1204IU | Vitamin C: 67mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 4mg