Sesame Cashew Chicken
This easy recipe uses lean ground chicken to make a tasty meal achievable in about 20 minutes and just one skillet. Paired with broccoli or edamame, rice, and plenty of extra sesame seeds, it’s one of my favorite easy lunches or dinners.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets see note
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce see note
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar see note
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2-3 teaspoons Sriracha
- 2/3 cup roasted cashews
- rice, edamame, green onions, sesame seeds serving options
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add broccoli and cook, tossing frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until it is vibrantly green with a tender-crisp texture. Remove to a plate and set aside.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 3-4 cups broccoli florets
- Add another small drizzle of olive oil if the skillet looks dry, then add ground chicken and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is browned, breaking it up into small pieces as you go.1 pound ground chicken, 2-3 cloves garlic
- While the chicken cooks, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, and Sriracha in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. (I find that using just 2 teaspoons of Sriracha adds flavor but does not make it too spicy for my kids — use your best judgment here.) Whisk until smooth.1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2-3 teaspoons Sriracha
- Pour sauce over the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Season with salt to taste.
- Add cashews and toss to coat. Return broccoli to the pan, if desired, or just serve on the side.2/3 cup roasted cashews
- Serve right away over rice or noodles, with shelled edamame, thinly-sliced green onions, and sesame seeds as desired.rice, edamame, green onions, sesame seeds
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Notes
- Broccoli: Chop into small, even florets so it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Brown Sugar: For a less-sweet sauce, scale back the sugar to 1/4 cup. You can also replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar, and/or replace up to half of the dry sugar with honey or agave nectar; I don't find the sauce thickens as well with all liquid sweetener.
- Soy Sauce: I’ve successfully swapped up to half of the soy sauce with coconut aminos; there’s no reason substituting all of the soy sauce this way wouldn’t work, I just haven't tried it yet personally.
- Timing: If you’re making rice on the stovetop or Instant Pot to accompany this meal, be sure to start it first, because the beef comes together extremely quickly and you don’t want to be waiting on the rice at the end.
- Yield: This recipe as written makes enough to feed my family of 4 with a tiny bit leftover, but note that one of my kids is a toddler and one typically eats a light dinner. If you have hungrier mouths to feed, this might yield 3 or 2 generous servings only.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 467 kcal, Carbohydrates: 32 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 27 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g, Trans Fat: 0.1 g, Cholesterol: 98 mg, Sodium: 1300 mg, Potassium: 1081 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 20 g, Vitamin A: 429 IU, Vitamin C: 63 mg, Calcium: 77 mg, Iron: 3 mg