Garlic Cashew Chicken
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2-4 1x
Description
Serve this chicken with brown rice for a healthy mid-week meal full of unexpected flavors.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) cashews
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) cilantro, chopped (stems too!)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 jalapeño, chopped (seeds removed)
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- dash of black pepper
- 1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 bunch of kale, chopped (2-3 cups)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice wine vinegar
- Extra chopped cashews for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Add the cashews, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, jalapeno, lime juice and black pepper to a food processor and blend until smooth like a pesto.
- Add olive oil to a saute pan and heat over medium high heat, add the kale and toss. Let cook down for 4-5 minutes, then add the rice wine vinegar to the kale and stir. Continue cooking until tender, 5-7 minutes depending on the kale.
- Add the shredded rotisserie chicken to the pan with the kale and stir. Just warming the chicken up. Pour the Cashew…pesto…sauce…stuff over the chicken and kale and stir until everything is evenly coated. Remove from heat and serve over rice. Top with additional chopped cashews for extra crunchy goodness.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cashew-cilantro sauce, and can I make it ahead?
The recipe blends 1/4 cup cashews, 6 tablespoons of cilantro (stems included), olive oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, jalapeño, lime juice, and black pepper in a food processor until smooth — the recipe calls it a “cashew-pesto-sauce” hybrid. It can easily be made ahead and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
Why does the recipe use a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking raw chicken?
Using half a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded, keeps the total cook time to about 25 minutes — the chicken only needs to be warmed through in the pan with the kale before the sauce is added. It’s the shortcut that makes this a practical weeknight meal.
