Name: Kung Pao Cashew Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 500 g Chicken Thighs; 100 g Cashews; 3 tbsp Peanut Oil; 6 Red Chili; 1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns; 2 tbsp Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar; 1 tbsp Honey; 1 tbsp Cornstarch; 3 cloves Garlic; 3 Scallions; 2 portions White Rice

Chinese · Dinner · All year

Kung Pao Cashew Chicken

4.6 · community

20m

Prep

10m

Cook

Easy

Level

560

Energy

The takeout thunderclap: chicken and cashews in a glossy black-vinegar sauce with chilies and Sichuan pepper's electric hum — peanut oil running the wok.

What you need

Ingredients

Servings

Before you start

Mise en place

Equipment

Large skillet

Chef's knife

Cutting board

Prep checklist

Chicken Thighs — diced

Cashews — roasted

Red Chili — dried, snipped

Scallions — in batons

3 steps

Method

Velvet the chicken: toss with half the soy and the cornstarch, 10 minutes. Stir sauce: remaining soy, black vinegar, honey, 2 tbsp water.

10 min — timer available in cooking mode

Peanut oil ripping hot: chilies and Sichuan peppercorns 15 seconds (fragrant, not black), then chicken seared in a single layer, 4 minutes.

5 min — timer available in cooking mode

Why this works

Peanut oil's high smoke point and faint nuttiness is the traditional wok choice — it tastes like takeout because takeout tastes like it.

Garlic 20 seconds; sauce in to bubble thick, 1 minute; cashews and scallions tossed through. Rice underneath, numb-and-spicy hum throughout.

2 min — timer available in cooking mode

From the pass

Chef's notes

Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.

Afterwards

Keep, reheat & pair

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.

Freezing

Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.

Make ahead

Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.

Wine pairing

Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.

Beer pairing

Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.

On the plate

Serve it with

Sides

Crusty bread or buttered rice

A sharp green salad

Roasted seasonal vegetables

Garnish

Fresh herbs added off the heat

A squeeze of lemon

Flaky salt

Taste map

Flavour profile

Sweet

Salty

Sour

Bitter

Umami

Heat

Per serving

Nutrition

560

kcal

38g

protein

34g

carbs

29g

fat

fiber

520mg

sodium

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Your notes

Understand it

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