Description
Cheesecake Factory’s Spicy Cashew Chicken is a flavorful dish featuring tender chicken bites coated in a crispy rice flour batter, stir-fried with crunchy cashews and green onions, all enveloped in a spicy, tangy soy-sherry sauce. This recipe delivers the perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and crunch, making it a delicious Asian-inspired entree to enjoy at home.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 8 oz cashews
- 6 green onions, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
Seasoned Rice Flour:
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
Rice Flour Batter:
- 1 ½ cups rice flour
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups ice water
Spicy Soy-Sherry Sauce:
- 1 cup hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or white grape juice
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 oz fresh garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp crushed red chili flakes
Instructions
- Make the Seasoned Rice Flour: In a bowl, mix together the rice flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, and baking powder until well combined. This mixture will help season the chicken and add flavor.
- Make the Rice Flour Batter: In a separate bowl, combine the rice flour, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and ice water. Stir gently to form a smooth batter and keep it cold to maintain a crisp texture when frying.
- Prepare the Spicy Soy-Sherry Sauce: In another bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar (or white grape juice), rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, granulated sugar, minced garlic, and crushed red chili flakes. This sauce will give the dish its signature spicy and tangy flavor.
- Cook the Chicken: Toss the chicken pieces evenly in the seasoned rice flour to coat. Then dip each coated piece into the cold rice flour batter. Heat the canola oil in a deep pan or wok over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels if desired.
- Add Sauce and Cashews: Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan with the fried chicken, add the prepared spicy soy-sherry sauce, cashews, and chopped green onions. Toss everything together gently and cook for about one minute until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the chicken and cashews beautifully.
- Serve: Transfer the spicy cashew chicken to a serving dish. Optionally garnish with sesame seeds and parsley for added texture and color. Serve immediately while hot and crispy for the best taste experience.
Notes
- Keep the batter cold by placing the bowl in the fridge or adding ice to maintain crispiness during frying.
- If you prefer less spice, reduce or omit the crushed red chili flakes and sriracha sauce.
- Use fresh garlic for the best flavor; pre-minced garlic can be used in a pinch but may affect freshness.
- Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying to avoid oily chicken; test by dropping a small amount of batter—it should sizzle immediately.
- This dish is best served fresh but can be reheated gently on the stovetop to preserve crispiness.
