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top down shot of easy cashew chicken meal prep in a glass meal prep container with rice.

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5 from 1 review

Easy Cashew Chicken Meal Prep

Recipe by Danielle

Toasted cashews, snow peas, carrots and juicy chicken in a garlicky cashew sauce – pair with rice for a super simple take-out style meal prep!

  • Total Time35 minutes
  • Yield4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the sauce:

  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek (chili garlic sauce)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-3 tablespoons water

For the cashew chicken:

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice of choice + cooking liquid
  • 2/3 cup unsalted raw cashews (if roasted, skip step 2)
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 4 ounces snow peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into strips
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water, whisked together in a small bowl
  • salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prep sauce & start rice: Combine sauce ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake until well mixed. You can also whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. If serving with rice, start that now! I use my Instant Pot for white jasmine rice while I cook this meal on the stovetop.
  2. Toast the cashews: Add cashews to a 12-inch non-stick skillet over low heat. Toast the cashews, tossing occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, or until they become fragrant and slightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. If your cashews are already roasted, you can skip this step.
  3. Cook the chicken: Heat oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each). Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until browning on the bottom, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through and browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  4. Cook the veggies: Add all veggies to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the snow peas become bright green and the onions begin to turn translucent.
  5. Put it together: Add cooked chicken, cashews, and sauce to the skillet. Stir until sauce begins to simmer and chicken and veggies are well coated. Whisk the water and cornstarch briefly to re-mix, then add to skillet and stir occasionally. The sauce should thicken over approximately 2 minutes.
  6. Serve & store: Remove from heat and serve with your favorite kind of rice, or by itself! Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Equipment

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Notes

Inspired by Cashew Pork with Snow Peas and Carrots from One-Pan Dinners, America’s Test Kitchen Magazine, page 12. Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: about 2 cups
  • Calories: 417
  • Fat: 21g
  • Carbohydrates: 24g
  • Protein: 36g

Find it online: https://staging.projectmealplan.com/easy-cashew-chicken-meal-prep/