These easy cashew chicken lettuce wraps are made in one pot in just 20 minutes! A better-than-takeout recipe that the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
Less Than 30 Minutes!
Whenever I’m craving Chinese food, these cashew chicken lettuce wraps always come to mind. It’s a healthier alternative to takeout like my chow mein noodles recipe. We love to serve it in lettuce wraps, but you can also serve over rice or make a stir fry with steamed vegetables.
This recipe for cashew chicken is perfect for summer and one you need to put on your “must try” list. It’s a meal that my whole family loves and my husband and I always end up going back for seconds. The chicken is so tender and the sweet and tangy sauce on top is truly divine.
How to Make Cashew Chicken
- Chicken. In large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-heat. Once butter melts, add a single layer of chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 3 minutes. Once brown, flip and cook other side for additional 3 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in garlic and cook.
- Sauce. While the chicken cooks, whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Toss. Stir the sauce into the skillet and cook over low heat with the chicken until it thickens. Then stir in the cashews. Serve chicken with cashew nuts garnished with sliced green onions on top for an extra flavor boost.
Favorite Ways to Serve
- Lettuce wraps: Just like with my Thai chicken lettuce wraps is my favorite! It tastes light and fresh and is great for when you’re looking for a lower carb option.
- Over rice: It tastes delicious over white or brown rice. You could even use cauliflower rice or cooked quinoa too.
- With noodles: You could easily mix this cashew chicken together with rice noodles or spaghetti noodles.
- Vegetable stir fry: Mix in some steamed vegetables to easily turn this recipe into a stir fry.
Cooking Tips + Variations
- Salt. Soy sauce and hoisin sauce are on the saltier side, so I like to use unsalted cashews to cut back on sodium. I also use low sodium soy sauce and chicken stock.
- Spice. For a little heat, mix in a few dashes of sriracha or red pepper flakes like I do in these Thai chicken lettuce wraps.
- Sauce. This dish would also taste delicious with a homemade teriyaki sauce.
- Veggies. Feel free to add in a few extra veggies, like mushrooms, peppers or broccoli.
- Crunch. I love it with the cashews, they add so much flavor! But you could add some crispy chow mein noodles on top for an added crunch, too.
- Serving. Serve with this pineapple fried rice recipe or cilantro lime rice.
- Reheating. When reheating any leftovers from the fridge, add a dash of chicken stock to thin out the sauce a little.
More Takeout Inspired Dishes
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Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken breast , cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- ¾ cup unsalted cashews
- salt and pepper , to taste
For serving: lettuce cups or butter lettuce, sliced green onions
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add in a single layer of chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook for 3 minutes, or until brown and then flip onto the other side. Let cook an additional 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the the heat to low and then stir in the garlic and cook.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, and corn starch in a small bowl. Stir into the skillet and cook with chicken over low heat, until the sauce has thickened. Stir in cashews.
- Serve in lettuce cups or over rice if preferred. Top with chopped green onions if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Asian, Chicken, Dinner, Stovetop
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Delicious! I paired the wraps with Trader Joe’s stir fry cauliflower rice. It was a big hit!
Sounds like a delicious meal, thanks for the review!
Super easy and delicious! I did add some shredded carrots for color
Love that idea! Thanks for the review!
This is amazing
So glad you enjoy it!
This is such a wonderful easy recipe and is so amazing, I can whip these up for my mom in an instant!! So light and delicious 😋 Now to the very rude comment made about the ” low carb issue ” if you read the recipe and do not like what you read MOVE ON.
This was excellent. Thank you. Everyone enjoyed it, even my fussy eater. Well done. We will be having this again.
Yeah! Thanks for the review!
Easy and delicious
Very easy, and my family loved them!
Yay, so happy they were a hit with your fam!
Genial, deliciosa sua receita. Grata
I made this yesterday for my husband and it was fabulous. I diced up a little fresh pineapple and stirred in, took it to a whole other level.
Diced pineapple sounds SO delicious! I’m going to add that next time!
The nutritional values that are listed, are they for 1 lettuce wrap?
Hi Michele! If you follow the recipe and fill 6 lettuce cups total, then yes, the nutritional values are for 1 lettuce wrap. But it could be more or less depending on how full you fill them.
Can you freeze this? Would that affect the flavor or texture?
I haven’t tried, but I think you could! When reheating, you might want to add in a little chicken stock to thin out the sauce if it’s too thick.
These lettuce wraps are delicious! Perfect for game day today!
Love it..quick, easy n tasty🍷
These were super yummy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
delicious! I was pleasantly surprised even my 10 year old son put his in the lettuce wrap!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
This is so good with rice!
Easy and SO delish!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
Hi it’s 330 for how many?
Hi Elizabeth! This recipe serves 6 so it depends how full you fill your lettuce cups!
Absolutely love this recipe. We use it with rice. Sometimes i add veggies. Not always. Hubby declared this his favorite meal! So quick and easy and great for leftovers the next day!!
I’m so glad you both love this recipe! :)