Cashew Chicken For One, easy to make and so much better than takeout! Tender cooked chicken and cashews in a sweet garlic sauce. This single serving version of cashew chicken is full of flavor, healthy, and ready in minutes!
One of my favorite takeout meals is cashew chicken. I love the tender bits of chicken alongside crisp broccoli florets and buttery cashews in a sweet, slightly tangy sauce.
My version of cashew chicken is a lighter version that comes together quickly. It's better than any healthy takeout meal and it's a dish that I think you'll want to make over and over again.
Why This Recipe Works
- Our version of cashew chicken features crunchy buttery cashews and juicy pieces of tender chicken. The broccoli cooks quickly so it still has a nice crisp-tender bite and the sauce is incredibly delicious.
- This recipe yields the perfect amount to serve one or two people.
- It's so easy to make!
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Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Soy sauce: I like to use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Honey: A touch of honey adds the perfect amount of sweetness. You may use sugar or a sugar substitute instead, if preferred.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this cashew chicken recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Ginger: Use ¼ teaspoon grated ginger or ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger.
- Water: A small amount of water is added to the sauce.
- Chicken: Use 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh.
- Salt and black pepper: For flavor.
- Vegetables: Onions, garlic, and broccoli.
- Cashews: If you want to make a nut-free version, leave out the cashews.
How To Make This Recipe
- Begin by making the sauce: Mix together soy sauce, honey, olive oil, ginger, and water in a small bowl.
- Cut one chicken breast into small cubes, add a pinch of salt and pepper to the chicken and cook in a medium-sized skillet until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add chopped onions, broccoli florets, and garlic to the pan and cook for a few minutes longer.
- Add in the cashews and pour the sauce into the pan. Stir well, reduce heat to low and simmer.
Serve the chicken with cashew nuts over white or brown rice. I usually bake brown rice as my chicken is cooking. The rice cooks perfectly every time.
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Expert Tips
- Cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so that the chicken cooks at the same rate.
- I use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe. If you use regular soy sauce, don't add salt to the chicken because you might find the dish to be too salty. I would suggest tasting it and adding salt if you feel it is necessary.
- If you like your cashew chicken to be a little more on the spicier side, add in a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes. A little goes a long way.
- I use a 10-inch skillet when I make Cashew Chicken For One. For best results, use a dish of similar size.
- For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredient left over from this cashew chicken recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Soy sauce: Fried Rice, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken
- Honey: Honey Lemon Custard, Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Tomato Sauce
- Olive oil: Baba Ganoush, Spinach and Orzo Salad, Roasted Carrots
- Ginger: Healing Turmeric Tea, Soft Ginger Cookies, Thai Shrimp Soup
- Chicken: Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Caprese, Chicken Margherita, Enchiladas Verde
- Onions: French Onion Soup, Rice Pilaf,
- Broccoli: Broccoli Cheese Soup, Italian Pasta Salad, Broccolini with Sausage
- Nuts: Chocolate Candies, Butter Pecan Granola, Brownies
Frequently Asked Questions
In this single serving cashew chicken recipe, I've lightened up the dish a bit. In a lot of Asian recipes, or recipes where there is a sauce involved, the sauce is thickened with flour or cornstarch. I wanted to lighten up this recipe by skipping the thickeners and letting the sauce thicken naturally by reduction.
Thickening a sauce by reduction is important to know how to do especially if you're on a low carb diet. The process is quite simple. You reduce the moisture content of the sauce by simmering over a low heat and letting evaporation take over. As the water leaves, the flavors stay and will become richer.
When making this single serving recipe, I use a 10-inch skillet. For best results, use a pan of a similar size. For more information on the baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this cashew chicken or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Cashew Chicken For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
- 10-inch skillet
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon grated ginger (or use ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 tablespoon water
FOR THE CASHEW CHICKEN
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 6 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast , cut into small cubes. (you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- pinch salt
- pinch coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped onions , thick chop
- ½ cup broccoli florets
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- ¼ cup unsalted cashews
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SAUCE
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, olive oil, ginger, and water. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE CASHEW CHICKEN
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet (10-inch or similar size is recommended) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through, 4-5 minutes.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped onions, broccoli, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for one minute, keeping them crisp-tender.
- Add the cashews to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Cook until the mixture comes to a light boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Serve with rice (optional).
Notes
- Cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so that the chicken cooks at the same rate.
- I use low sodium soy sauce in this recipe. If you use regular soy sauce, don't add salt to the chicken because you might find the dish to be too salty. I would suggest tasting it and adding salt if you feel it is necessary.
- If you like your cashew chicken to be a little more on the spicier side, add in a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes. A little goes a long way.
- I use a 10-inch skillet when I make Cashew Chicken For One. For best results, use a dish of similar size.
- For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Liz M. says
Love this stir fry!! I used unsalted peanuts Instead of the cashews and it turned out fabulous!! Made Minute Rice with it, and everything reheated very well too. Easy to double the recipe.
Dena says
Don't anyone clutch their pearls BUT I don't like brocolli so I used celery instead. I'm going to buy low sodium soy sauce for the next batch .. yep .. there will definitely be a next batch!
Sue says
I’m allergic to cashews, but this sauce sounds delicious. Is the recipe ok without the nuts or could I substitute a veg like celery to give it some crunch? Or maybe almonds which I can eat?
Joanie Zisk says
Almonds are a good substitute and although I've never used celery as a substitute here, I love the idea.