Description
Whip up sheet pan cashew chicken for a quick dinner that’ll have your family asking for seconds. Crispy chicken, crunchy cashews, and a savory sauce come together in minutes, making this meal a total weeknight win.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews
Vegetables:
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Sauce and Seasonings:
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cooked white or brown rice for serving
- Optional: chopped scallions or sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Cover a large sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Cut 1.5 pounds of chicken into 1-inch uniform pieces. Slice red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, and red onion into similar-sized chunks.
- Toss chicken and vegetables with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkling salt and pepper across the mixture. Spread ingredients in a single layer without overcrowding the pan.
- Create sauce by whisking ⅓ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 teaspoon grated ginger in a small bowl.
- Roast chicken and vegetables for 15 minutes at 425°F. Pull out the pan and drench everything with prepared sauce, gently mixing to coat ingredients thoroughly.
- Return pan to oven for another 8-10 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.
- Scatter ½ cup cashews across the pan. Toast for 2-3 minutes until nuts are golden and fragrant.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot over steamed rice, sprinkling optional chopped scallions or sesame seeds on top.
Notes
- Slice chicken and vegetables into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking and prevent some items from burning while others remain undercooked.
- Use a high-heat resistant sheet pan and avoid overcrowding to help ingredients caramelize and develop deeper flavor instead of steaming.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular soy sauce with tamari and check that hoisin sauce is gluten-free.
- Consider adding extra vegetables like zucchini or cauliflower to increase nutritional value and make the meal more filling without changing core recipe techniques.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-28 minutes
- Category: Sheet-Pan
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 371 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg