Cashew Chicken with Bok Choy
A quick weeknight stir-fry: cornstarch-velveted chicken thighs seared until golden, then tossed with crisp-tender baby bok choy, green onions and cashews in a glossy soy-hoisin sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 3 tbsp cornstarch divided: 1 tbsp for the sauce, 2 tbsp to coat the chicken
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 baby bok choy quartered
- 5 green onions chopped, green and white parts separated
- 1 cup raw or roasted cashews
Instructions
- Make the sauce: in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk the stock with 1 tbsp of the cornstarch until no lumps remain. Whisk in the soy and hoisin sauces, then the garlic. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining 2 tbsp cornstarch.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook in a single layer until golden on both sides and no longer pink inside. Transfer to a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Add the bok choy and the white parts of the green onions to the same skillet; cook until the bok choy stems are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet along with the sauce, the green onion tops and the cashews. Cook until the sauce thickens a bit and everything is heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Serve over rice or another grain — a quinoa/amaranth combination works well.
Notes
Velvet the chicken: Tossing the pieces in cornstarch before searing gives that silky, takeout-style coating and helps them brown.
Lump-free sauce: Whisk the cornstarch into the cold stock first so it disperses without clumping.
Make it yours: Swap the bok choy for broccoli or snap peas. Raw cashews will toast in the sauce; roasted add extra crunch.
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1100mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2500IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg