Sesame Chicken With Cashews and Dates Recipe (2024)

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Virpilosus

Hey I just have to ask, is it even remotely possible that garlic put into a very hot oil will only turn slightly Brown at the edges after two to three minutes, as described in Direction number one of the recipe?? I think the garlic would be absolutely burnt to a crisp and therefore ruin the entire Dish as it would be just a bitter mess. Any comments on this by anyone?

Jesse

Tried this again because it was so promising. made modifications based on my first attempt and suggestions here. 1. I used 1.5 lbs of chicken. It was more appropriate for the amount of sauce. 2. I minced the ginger. The coins were a bit too strong 3. I doubled the amount of dates to increase the sweetness which was lacking in the last iteration4. Smoked Sesame oil has a very low smoke point. Use another oil in the pan and add half sesame oil when you add the chicken. Turned out great!

Laurie

Usually toasted sesame oil is used as a seasoning and regular sesame oil is used for sautéing. Here toasted is used for stir frying. Is this intentional?

Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor

Crazy good and surprisingly doable for a weeknight. My husband and 3yo LOVED IT. The dates might seem weird, but they dissolve into an earthy, sticky sweetness that's so much better than the sugar-laden versions of sesame chicken you get from your local take-out joint. I'm gonna make this again. And again.

FDionne

Even on my bottle of toasted sesame oil, it is suggested to use it as a seasoning and not as a stir-fry oil because it has a very low smoke point. I used safflower oil in smaller quantities, and then added a tablespoon of sesame oil with the wine and soy sauce. The dish was absolutely delicious, served with basmati rice and broccolini.

Terry J

Very easy, fast and tasty. It's a keeper for a fast weeknight meal. Per my personal tastes I added additional garlic, ginger and chilis. Perfect. Also, to have more vegetables in the meal I tossed in some parboiled green beans toward the end and it it worked well. Next time also some cut up red bell pepper for color and taste. I was skeptical of the toasted sesame oil for sautéing but it worked great.

Randy

Note that the basil is not described as "packed" so 3 cups would be 2 ounces, if that.Note also that Melissa suggests cilantro as an option or a combination of herbs. The point is to add a fresh green herbal note to lighten the sweetness of the dish. Add what you like and as much or as little as you like.I use scallion greens, cilantro, flat leaf parsley and mint in a random combination totaling about 2 cups for a full recipe.

Emma S

Used peanuts instead of cashews (broke college student on a budget- nuts are so expensive!) and thought it tasted great! Love the taste of the fresh basil with the sauce.

Emily L

I think you're right. I would put garlic after scallions & ginger are almost done. Garlic gets bitter if it gets too brown.

Karen L Davis

Delicious! But it was not finished in 20 min. It took that long to slice the dates; clean and cut up the chicken, scallions and additional vegetable (asparagus); peel and slice the ginger, etc. Great flavor imparted by cooking in toasted sesame oil. Minced rather than simply smashing the garlic. Wish I'd been equally prescient about chopping up the ginger, because biting into a "coin" can be startling. Asparagus worked. Could also imagine adding broccoli or cut up spinach or kale.

Danielle

This is on regular rotation in my household. We usually add broccoli, green beans, and/or carrots but otherwise make this as written. We make enough to have leftovers the next day or two - it's easy to reheat.

wendy

3 CUPS of fresh basil? Really? Seems like a huge amount of herbs for a dish that serves 4 people.

David Griffin

add toasted sesame seeds

Jules

aside from seasoning the chicken a bit, i would also double the sauce next time. it's very tasty, but there is definitely not enough of it!

Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor

You should, Jules. Thanks for noting. I've edited the recipe to include that.

KathyT

The flavours here are really good,and the dates add a nice syrupy texture. I added green beans and sweet red pepper to the mix. As suggested by another cook here, I stir fried the chicken first, took it out, then did the veggies, adding garlic near the end, before putting the chicken back and adding soy sauce etc. Worked beautifully. Can’t wait for the leftovers!

ak

Double the sauce Add lots of herbs

traceys

Definitely need to double the sauce and use more dates. I used breasts and tossed it in arrowroot before stir frying. Made an awesome textural difference!

Jonelle

This was wonderful and is going into the rotation. I pretty much followed the recipe, but used sake since I didn't have rice wine, and added some micro greens to cilantro as the cilantro was getting tired. And I toasted the cashews and added them with the greens.Since I'm not usually a fan of sweetness with savory, I went easy on the dates, but next time I won't hold back. And I might add more wine to get more sauce. Hubby was tilting the pan to get it.

Glory

I just used this as inspiration twice in the last week and am obsessed. Even used the sauce for stir-frying veggies. I'm not a thigh gal so used breasts and did different ways and used avocado oil for cooking and sesame for finishing but the combo of all of these flavors is amazing. Had to do it without the nuts today for nut free people and also amazing. Added some toasted almonds for myself today because I didn't have cashews this time also great. I just love it!!!

Kotah

This was delicious and will absolutely be going into the rotations! I didn't have rice wine so I used mirin instead and the sauce was super tasty. You don't get much sauce with the listed amount (not enough to coat the broccoli I added) so I'd either double or add a little extra next time. The crushed garlic ended up being lovely and I used those ginger cubes you keep in the freezer which exploded on me a bit so lesson for the future. I also halved the cashews, that was too much for my liking!

Kristen

I added green beans and red bell pepper, but it would also be really good with shish*to peppers.

Erin H.

This is a perfect recipe for Sam's no recipe recipes as it is so easily modified for what you may have on hand. I used Momof*cku packaged noodles (no sauce packet) instead of rice. The sauce sticks to the noodles but isn't absorbed away as it tends to do with rice. Added broccoli florets and a some very thinly sliced carrots for color. No rice wine, used dry sherry and mirin. Double the sauce. Used a bit of chili crisp instead of flakes or whole chilis because that's what I had. So good!

Nancy

Made it as written. We loved it!

AK

Fantastic! Quick, easy....allergic to cashews so skipped nuts, and used skinless thighs. Added fresh sliced scallions and a squeeze of lime juice to serve, and it was delicious. This will be a regular addition to the rotation.

Bok Choi!

Added some baby bok Choi in the first step and it went great! Love the dates instead of sugar: brilliant.

Cordelia

I tried to follow the recipe exactly. I found it incredibly salty and way too few dates to get any sweetness. Going to try again and adjust the amounts.

Rani

Delicious, easy and quick, once you do all the prepping. I toasted the cashews in the frying pan while it was heating up and removed them before adding the oil. I quartered two baby Bok choys and added the chopped leaves to the scallion mixture, adding the quarters to the pan after stir frying the chicken. Served over jasmine rice with some extra lime and chilis. A keeper!!

nick

Do you think this would work with peanuts instead of cashews?

Jan

Excellent and I did brown with the smoked sesame oil. The garlic was soft and sweet and the dinner was a hit--even with a 5-year old. The ginger coins were a bit strong for some. Are they supposed to be eaten or just there to flavor the sauce? My dates did not completely melt into the sauce but were very good. I did 1-1/2 x the recipe for a larger group. I will try again with recipe as written and there was too much chicken to brown properly.

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Sesame Chicken With Cashews and Dates Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese cashew chicken made of? ›

Cashew chicken
A plate of stir-fried cashew chicken (traditional)
CourseMain course
Place of originUnited States
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsChicken, cashews, chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vegetables
2 more rows

What is cashew chicken Kew? ›

This cashew chicken, or stir-fried chicken with roasted cashews in garlic sauce, tastes just like take-out from your favorite Chinese restaurant. It's easy to make at home. You don't need a wok — just a large nonstick skillet — and, aside from the chicken, the only chopping involves garlic and scallions.

What is the history of chicken cashew nut? ›

Although Chicken with Cashew Nut is eaten frequently within Thailand, it did not originate there. It was invented in America by the chef David Leong, shortly after his move to the USA from China. It was first served in Springfield, at the Grove Supper Club, and was soon being prepared all over America.

What does chicken cashew taste like? ›

Cashew chicken is simply a stir fry of chicken and cashews with a sauce that's got a salty-sweet flavour profile.

What is a good substitute for hoisin sauce? ›

Thai chili sauce and oyster sauce together are a particularly good substitute for hoisin sauce, especially when you add a little garlic powder and Chinese five spice to the mix.

What is hoisin sauce made of? ›

Ingredients. The key ingredient of hoisin sauce is fermented soybean paste. Some hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as sweet potato, wheat and rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, white distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, red chili peppers, and sometimes preservatives or coloring agents.

Why is Chinese chicken so tender? ›

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

What is the difference between kung pao chicken and cashew chicken? ›

The distinguishing characteristics between the two is that kung pao chicken is spicy, contains peanuts, and is often made with onions and bell peppers. Cashew chicken has a sweeter sauce tossed with roasted cashews, as well as water chestnuts, celery, or bell peppers.

What makes Springfield cashew chicken different? ›

Ladled onto plates, Springfield-style cashew chicken almost looks like chicken-fried steak – except instead of a thick slab of breaded beef that's been doused with peppery white gravy, bite-sized morsels of juicy chicken are fried and smothered in a rich brown sauce.

Why don t they sell cashew apples? ›

Cashew apples are edible, however, they start to decay fairly quickly after being harvested which is why you do not see them sold in grocery stores in the US. They could possibly be found at a farmers market, but still not very likely to be found in the US.

What restaurant invented cashew chicken? ›

In 1963, he opened Leong's Tea House in Springfield, Missouri, a white-tablecloth restaurant with 350 seats where there once was a cornfield. It's there Leong served Springfield-style cashew chicken, inspiring many Chinese restaurants across the country to create their own versions.

Why is the cashew the only nut you can't buy in it's shell? ›

In order to protect customers from skin allergies, cashew nuts are removed from their shells because the seed contain a harmful substance called urushiol and also the shells have a lining that is filled with this toxic fluid, so that is the reason why cashews are not sold in their shell.

Why do cashews taste fishy? ›

Poor quality cashews are often reported as having a “fishy” taste, and poor cooking methods may lead to a burned flavor. The use of old oil can also cause this burnt taste.

Which cashew is best to eat? ›

Therefore, The W-180 is usually considered the best of the lot of 33 and called the king of Cashews. It is a larger, more expensive, giant, stunning, white, and whole-grain cashew with between 1440 and 180 nuts per pound (266 - 395 beans/kg). Besides, W-210 also referred to as "Jumbo" nuts, is a common nut.

Is cashew chicken a missouri thing? ›

"Cashew chicken is selected for and shall be known as the official dish for the state of Missouri," the text of HB 1624 reads. "Deep-fried cashew chicken is now served in more than seventy restaurants in the Springfield area."

What are Chinese chicken balls made of? ›

In Western Chinese cuisine

The dish consists of small chunks of fried chicken breast meat covered in a crispy batter coating. They are often served with curry sauce, sweet and sour sauce or plum sauce. These are largely unheard of in China, depending on the recipe and referred name.

What's the difference between almond chicken and cashew chicken? ›

More popularly, “almond chicken” in America's wide swath of Chinese-American restaurants would mean a version of cashew chicken, a dish of diced poultry, stir-fried with vegetables and cashews and then topped with toasted almonds; elsewhere, the chicken would be appropriately breaded, fried, and almond-topped, but ...

What's the difference between Springfield cashew chicken and regular cashew chicken? ›

The dish is usually served with steamed rice and topped with roasted cashews. In contrast, Springfield-style cashew chicken is made with breaded and deep-fried chicken that is then coated with a thick, gravy-like sauce made with chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch.

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