Description
Enjoy Cheesecake Factory’s famous Spicy Cashew Chicken, featuring tender bite-sized chicken pieces fried to golden perfection, tossed in a spicy, tangy soy-sherry sauce with crunchy cashews and fresh green onions. This dish is a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and nuttiness for a delightful Asian-inspired entree.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 8 oz cashews
- 6 green onions, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil (for frying)
Seasoned Rice Flour:
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
Rice Flour Batter:
- 1 ½ cups rice flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups ice water
Spicy Soy-Sherry Sauce:
- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or white grape juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 oz fresh garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp crushed red chili flakes
Instructions
- Make the Seasoned Rice Flour: In a bowl, mix together rice flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, and baking powder to create the seasoned rice flour coating for the chicken.
- Make the Rice Flour Batter: In a separate bowl, combine rice flour, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and ice water. Stir well to make a smooth batter and keep it cold until ready to use to ensure a crispy texture.
- Prepare the Spicy Soy-Sherry Sauce: In another bowl, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar or white grape juice, rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, granulated sugar, minced garlic, and crushed red chili flakes. Stir thoroughly to blend all the flavors into a spicy, tangy sauce.
- Cook the Chicken: Toss the chicken bite-sized pieces in the seasoned rice flour to coat them evenly. Dip the floured chicken pieces into the cold rice flour batter, then fry them in preheated canola oil for about 3 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy.
- Add Sauce and Cashews: Once the chicken is cooked, add the spicy soy-sherry sauce, cashews, and green onions directly into the pan. Toss everything together and cook for about one minute, allowing the sauce to thicken and evenly coat the chicken and cashews.
- Serve: Optionally garnish with sesame seeds and parsley for color and extra flavor. Serve the spicy cashew chicken immediately while hot and crispy.
Notes
- Keep the batter cold to ensure a crispy coating.
- You can substitute apple cider vinegar with white grape juice as per availability.
- For a milder version, reduce or omit the sriracha and crushed red chili flakes.
- Use fresh garlic for best flavor in the sauce.
- Serve this dish with steamed rice or stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.
