Maple Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (30 Minutes)

Name: Maple Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (30 Minutes)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts ((cut into 1 inch cubes)); 1 medium onion ((diced)); 3 cloves garlic ((minced)); 2 tablespoons ginger ((finely grated)); 1 bell pepper ((sliced)); 1 head broccoli ((small head, cut into 1 inch florets)); 1/3 cup cashews; 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce ((swap for tamari for gluten-free)); 5 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes ((optional)); 1 tablespoon corn starch ((or 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot starch)); Rice

January 5, 2020 42 Comments

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A simple cashew chicken stir fry packed with veggies, sprinkled with cashews, and tossed in a sticky maple ginger stir fry sauce. Works great for an easy weeknight dinner or for meal prep.

In search of a simple, tasty, stir fry recipe to mix up your routine? This maple ginger cashew chicken stir fry is the one, friend.

This post was originally published in 2015. It has been republished in 2020 with fresh photos and a new video. Same great recipe!

With a sweet, sticky stir fry sauce, and crunchy cashews, what’s not to love?!

This reader favorite cashew chicken stir fry makes a delicious and easy weeknight dinner, but also works amazingly well for meal prep. It was actually a recipe in one our Meal Prep Challenges!

Not only is it easy to prepare, but extremely flexible. You could make it vegetarian, or swap for what you have in your fridge. Let’s discuss!

Reasons you’ll ♡ this maple ginger cashew chicken stir fry

it’s simple to prepare and can be ready in under 30 minutes
you can swap the veggies for what you have in the fridge
it works great for meal prep

Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Let’s talk ingredients

For this chicken cashew stir fry, you’ll need the usual suspects, plus some simple ingredients for the maple ginger stir fry sauce.

chicken– I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but thighs would work as well. For a tasty vegetarian option, press and sautee some cubed tofu. Follow the method in this post!
cashews– I used salted, roasted cashews. If you have raw cashews, you might want to take some time to toast them first.
aromatics– onion, garlic and ginger build the flavors up in this stir fry!
veggies– I used a mixture of broccoli and red pepper. You can use pretty much any veggie in this stir fry- bagged stir fry mix is a great shortcut!
maple ginger sauce– maple syrup, reduced sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and a bit of cornstarch to thicken. So simple!

Can I meal prep this chicken with cashew nuts? Yes, you most certainly can! There are two ways you can meal prep this recipe:

prep ahead but don’t cook– (3-5 days ahead; depends on the dates on your chicken) chop your veggies and chicken, shake up your sauce. This will save valuable time when you go to cook up your dinner.
cook ahead– cook your stir fry, portion out with rice and store in the fridge (up to 4 days) or the freezer (up to 3 months). Note that your cashews won’t stay crispy unless you keep them separate.

Wondering what to serve with this chicken with cashew nuts?

rice– see how to cook perfect, fluffy rice
brown rice– see how to cook perfect, fluffy brown rice
cauliflower rice– see how to make cauliflower rice
zucchini noodles– see how to cook zucchini noodles

Want to switch your sauce up? Check out this post with 7 Stir Fry Sauce Recipes!

Equipment for chicken cashew stir fry

You don’t need to get fancy for this stir fry recipe, but here are a few tools that will make your prep even easier:

this garlic press is absolutely amazing and has been a workhorse in my kitchen for the past 3 years
this box grater will make shredding your ginger a total breeze (I don’t even bother peeling mine!)
I am obsessed with my chef’s knife. It was an investment but I use it every day!
a salad dressing shaker or 1/2 pint jar to shake up your stir fry sauce
I love my 8 cup rice cooker because my rice comes out perfectly fluffy each and every time.
a nonstick pan like this ceramic non-stick greenpan to cook your stir fry

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this chicken cashew stir fry. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook

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