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Long among our favorite one pot meals, this quick and easy Curry Cashew Chicken and Rice has tender bites of chicken, crunchy cashews, ginger- and curry-spiced rice, cilantro, and peas all wrapped up in one dish. I love that it’s ready in about 30 minutes, most of it hands-off!
No matter what season of life you currently inhabit, one thing is for sure: you can never have too many recipes in your back pocket for quick, reliable, delicious weeknight meals. Even with a flexible schedule, the hours seem to evaporate for me as they do for everyone else, and even for someone who loves to cook, dinner can quickly turn into a chore, so I know the struggle.
On those nights when you just need a comforting, nutritious, crowd-pleasing dinner that can be whipped up with minimal hassle, this curry cashew chicken and rice is there for you! It’s got a delicious blend of flavors, with browned bites of chicken and warm curry powder gently infusing the rice as it cooks. Tender peas and crunchy cashews add wonderful texture. And it all comes together in just one pot!
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
A few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need; find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts. You’ll cut these into bite-sized pieces, so it doesn’t really matter whether you start with large or thin-sliced chicken breasts or chicken tenders.
- Minced or grated fresh ginger. Frozen ginger cubes or ginger paste works well as a swap.
- Curry powder. This adds a lot of taste, especially to the rice, so use a brand with a flavor profile you like — I like this one from Frontier Co-Op, which is flavorful yet mild.
- Chicken broth or chicken stock. Use a low-sodium version; you can always continue to add salt to taste. This also adds a lot of the flavor to the rice, so opt for a good quality broth if possible.
- Basmati or long-grain rice.
- Zest and juice of one lemon.
- Golden raisins. I do go out of my way to have golden raisins for this dish; they are like little jewels of sweetness and absolutely perfect.
- Roasted cashews. I like them lightly salted.
- Fresh cilantro. The perfect finishing touch.
- Frozen peas.
- Olive oil. For sautéing.
- Kosher salt and black pepper.
How To Make Curry Cashew Chicken and Rice
This is an overview; find full ingredients & instructions in the printable recipe card below.
This meal is perfect for busy nights when you don’t have much time or energy but still want to pull together a tasty home-cooked meal. You’ll start by chopping, seasoning, and browning the chicken. Use a large pot with a lid! Eventually it will hold the entire dish. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
Then, in the same pot, quickly sauté some curry powder and fresh ginger. At this point your house will start to smell amazing and you’ll remember why you enjoy cooking from scratch. 🙂 Pour in the broth and bring everything to a light simmer.
Rice, raisins, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the browned chicken pieces – everything goes back together in the pot for a nice 20 minute snuggle session.
This is your chance to clean up and pour a glass of wine. No need to prep a separate side, unless your heart is really crying out for one.
After the rice is good and plump, you’ll add the peas and recover for a few minutes to let them warm through. Uncover, then add cilantro and a handful of delightfully crunchy cashews.
Give it all a quick stir, and serve! Boom! One pot meal, as good as can be.
Storage and Reheating
I love having extra of this dish, because it makes such a great and easy all-in-one lunch! Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. These are our favorite containers for storing generous individual portions of meals like this. They seal really well and are made of glass.
Warm in the microwave for 90-120 seconds, then check to see if it is warmed through and add more time as needed.
Related Recipes
Love this? Try my Instant Pot chickpea curry next, followed by these tasty baked chicken legs with rice. So easy and so tasty!
If you try this Curry Cashew Chicken and Rice, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.
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One Pot Curry Cashew Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into pieces approximately 1 inch long
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 Tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 and 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup basmati or long-grain rice
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- finely grated zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 1 cup frozen baby peas
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 cup roasted cashews
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat, then saute the chicken pieces, turning occasionally, until they are lightly browned on all sides, 4-5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add the ginger and curry powder to the pot and cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the rice, raisins, lemon zest and juice, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot.
- Bring mixture back to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the broth is absorbed, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked throughout. Remove pan from the heat, stir in the peas, re-cover and let stand for 5 minutes, until peas are warmed through.
- Sprinkle cilantro and cashews over the dish, stir to combine, and serve right away. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Recipe: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: One Pot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published July 5, 2017, and has been updated with new photos and more detailed information on substitutions, method, storage, and related recipes.
Yummy easy crowd-pleaser! Would add more stock though to make it a little more moist (sorry).
Second time I cooked it, I doubled the curry powder and added a jalapeño. Was lovely the first time but I like the extra heat. Absolutely superb
I know his recipe looks wonderful, great ingredients, but has anyone actually tried it: please revue on actually cooking it. I love new recipes.
I actually know just how you feel, because I often rely on reviews when deciding whether to make things from other sites! I obviously might be a little biased, but I can tell you that of all the recipes on my site, this is the one that the most people I know in real life tell me they made and really enjoyed. (It’s never taken off on social media, maybe people are intimidated by the idea of “curry”? Not sure, haha!) I hope that helps give you the confidence to try it, and if you do, by all means please report back on how you liked it. Take care!
I just made this and adapted it for the Instant Pot. I reduced the chicken broth to just 2 cups. I lightly cooked the chicken in the oil on saute function, removed, and then deglazed the pot with spices and the broth. I did 10 minutes on high pressure, quick release. We just used broccoli instead of peas because my husband is legume intolerant. PERFECTION! Thanks so much for the recipe, Monica!
Hooray! I am so glad this worked out well for you, and so grateful that you came back to leave this detailed info. Thank YOU, Lynn!