Description
Cheesecake Factory’s Spicy Cashew Chicken is a flavorful, crispy fried chicken dish coated in a seasoned rice flour batter and tossed in a spicy soy-sherry sauce with crunchy cashews and fresh green onions. This recipe offers a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and crunch, making it an ideal main course for a satisfying dinner.
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 rice flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, and baking powder thoroughly to create the seasoned rice flour for coating the chicken.
- Make the Rice Flour Batter: In a separate mixing bowl, combine rice flour, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and ice water. Stir until smooth and keep the batter cold by refrigerating or placing the bowl over ice while preparing other ingredients.
- Prepare the Spicy Soy-Sherry Sauce: In another bowl, mix together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar (or white grape juice), rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, granulated sugar, minced garlic, and crushed red chili flakes. Stir well to combine all the flavors into a spicy, tangy sauce.
- Cook the Chicken: Toss the bite-sized chicken pieces thoroughly in the seasoned rice flour. Then dip each piece into the cold rice flour batter, ensuring an even coating. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the battered chicken pieces for about 3 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels briefly.
- Add Sauce and Cashews: To the pan used for frying, return the crispy chicken pieces over medium heat. Add the prepared spicy soy-sherry sauce, cashews, and chopped green onions. Toss and stir to coat the chicken evenly and cook together for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.
- Serve: Transfer the spicy cashew chicken to a serving dish. Optionally garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh parsley for extra flavor and presentation. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Notes
- Keep the rice flour batter cold to ensure a light and crispy coating when fried.
- Use fresh garlic and green onions for the best flavor impact in the sauce and garnish.
- Adjust the amount of sriracha and red chili flakes to control the spiciness level according to your taste preference.
- Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature around 350°F (175°C) for ideal frying results.
- Serve this dish immediately as the coating will lose crispness if it sits too long.
- You can substitute cashews with peanuts for a different nutty flavor.
