Cashew Chicken

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- x 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon grated garlic (about 1 clove)

1/3 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, divided

4 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 cup raw whole cashews

15 dried Thai chiles

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

6 scallions, trimmed and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

1 small white onion, sliced (about 1 cup)

Steamed white rice, for serving

Directions

Toss together chicken, wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, Chinese five-spice, and garlic in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 5 hours.

Sprinkle chicken with 1/3 cup cornstarch; toss to coat. Place chicken pieces in a single layer on a large plate; set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large wok or stainless steel skillet over medium. Add cashews, and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add chiles, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer cashew mixture to a large heatproof bowl using a slotted spoon or spider, reserving oil in wok.

Place wok over high heat. Working in 2 batches, add chicken in an even layer, and cook, flipping once, until chicken is deeply browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adjusting heat if needed to prevent overbrowning. Transfer chicken to bowl with cashews. Meanwhile, whisk together 2 tablespoons water and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth; whisk in oyster sauce, brown sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Add scallions, onion, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to wok; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until onion is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Return chicken and cashew mixture to wok; add oyster sauce mixture. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of wok to loosen any browned bits, until sauce thickens slightly and glazes chicken, 20 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat; serve immediately with rice.

Nutrition

• Calories: 3136 kcal
• Total Fat: 180 g
• Saturated Fat: 34 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 830 mg
• Sodium: 5845 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 202 g
• Dietary Fiber: 21 g
• Total Sugars: 31 g
• Protein: 202 g