Who doesn’t love a meal that is healthy and ready in 20 minutes?
Stir-fries are fast and hit every food group from veggies to lean protein. Start to finish, this simple dish can be ready in 20 minutes. This particular recipe is lighter and healthier than a traditional stir-fry recipe. It’s packed with veggies, sweetened with honey, and served over whole-grain brown rice or quinoa.
Today’s recipe is Thai Cashew Chicken:
Ingredients:
Cashew Chicken:
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or substitute arrowroot powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 bunch green onions (about 6 medium), thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup dry roasted, unsalted cashews
- Cooked brown rice or quinoa, for serving
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey, plus additional to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus additional to taste
Directions:
- In a small bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high. Once the oil is hot and shiny, add the chicken mixture and sauté for 4 minutes, just until lightly browned. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, and green onions. Continue sautéing until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 additional minutes. Stir in the cashews and cook for 30 additional seconds.
- While the chicken and vegetables are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, ginger, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Taste and add additional honey and/or red pepper flakes as desired (I added an additional 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes). Pour the sauce over the skillet and toss to coat. Enjoy immediately with brown rice.