You're going to love this keto cashew chicken stir fry with broccoli, orange bell pepper, and red cabbage. It's a low carb and gluten-free meal that's just right for lunch or dinner. Use your cast iron skillet or any large pan.
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Why You'll Love This
This easy, broccoli cashew chicken stir fry has all the flavors you'd expect from your favorite Asian restaurant but it's homemade in your own kitchen. Ready in about 40 minutes!
You'll love this recipe not only for the flavors but also for its beautiful colors from the purple cabbage, green broccoli, and orange bell pepper. Not only is this meal tasty and healthy, but it's also actually quite nice looking!
Are you a fan of easy chicken recipes, like me? Then you may want to check out my Lemon Pepper Chicken in Foil Packets recipe.
You'll also love the freshness of this keto cashew chicken recipe. Fresh vegetables always taste better, don't ya think? You should be able to find cabbage, broccoli, and bell peppers in the produce section of your grocery store any day of the year.
If you're watching carbs, you could rice a fresh head of cauliflower yourself to serve with this cashew chicken. I just happen to always have several bags of cauliflower rice in my freezer. To make your own cauliflower rice, here are 4 easy techniques by Jessica Gavin.
For the non-low carb eaters in your household, serve plain, over white rice, or noodles.
What Makes it so Special?
This dish also has that nice crunch we all love from the fresh vegetables and the cashew nuts. Even though this is a low carb recipe, it's comforting and satisfying, and just about anyone will enjoy it.
It's so easy to make! I mean, who wants to go to all the trouble of preparing a meal, eating the meal, but not have that feeling of satisfaction. I can assure you, you'll be happy and pleased! Can't ask for much more than that.
Every time I make this stir fry, I'm reminded how delicious it is. I wonder, why am I not making this easy recipe more often! It's very versatile and great for meal plans. However, the flavor of the brown sauce for the cashew chicken steals the show.
Is this Keto Friendly?
All the ingredients for this recipe are keto friendly. But you should always read the nutrition label. Just make sure the peanut butter and chili-garlic sauce are sugar free.
What to Serve with This
This is just so good served all by itself; the flavors and textures are amazing! However, to keep this meal low carb, serving cashew chicken on top of cauliflower rice will give you more of a feel of regular take-out and it will add more veggies to the dish. You could also serve the cashew chicken inside a lettuce wrap. It's a win-win with either the cauliflower rice or the lettuce wrap!
Ingredients for the Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Keto Cashew Chicken contains about 14 ingredients. Most of them are shelf-stable or will keep a while in your cabinet. So don't let all the ingredients shy you away from making this delicious meal!
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Pick your favorite!
Cabbage: Red (purple) cabbage or green cabbage. The red cabbage adds such a beautiful color to this stir fry.
Broccoli: You will only need 1 cup of broccoli florets for this recipe; you can freeze any extra broccoli or save it for later.
Bell Pepper: I like to use orange bell pepper for the color; however, green or red will work fine. Tip: Green bell peppers typically have fewer carbs than the other colors.
Cashews: Roasted unsalted cashews add that classic, nutty flavor and crunch.
Ginger: I keep a tube of ginger paste in my refrigerator for recipes. It's very convenient and keeps fresher longer than whole ginger.
Olive Oil: Olive oil works well when cooking at high temperatures such as stir fry recipes.
Cauliflower Rice: A great healthy, low carb choice for this recipe. Use the frozen, steam-in-bag cauliflower rice for easy prep.
Ingredients for the Brown Sauce
All of the ingredients needed for the sauce will last for quite some time in your pantry or refrigerator. This sauce is what makes this keto cashew chicken full of amazing flavor!
Peanut butter: Sugar free, room temperature.
Tamari or coconut aminos: Use the low-sodium version if you can find it.
Sweetener: Monk fruit or Swerve sugar replacement.
Rice wine vinegar: Rice wine vinegar heightens the flavors and stands up to the heat of stir frying.
Toasted sesame oil: Love this classic nutty flavored oil that's a staple for many Asian recipes.
Chili-garlic sauce: Sugar-free (such as Huy Fong Fresh Chili Garlic Sauce available now on Amazon). For spicy cashew chicken, just add more chili-garlic sauce, but be sure to taste test first!
How to Make It
First, make the sauce:
Step 1: Add the sauce ingredients to a medium pan and stir to combine. A whisk works well for this. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and immediately reduce heat to just below medium. Slow simmer, stirring frequently until the peanut butter is completely melted and the sauce is reduced by one-half, approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
Next, cook the chicken and vegetables.
Step 2: Add one tablespoon olive oil to your cast iron skillet or wok. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, stirring continually, until chicken develops some color and is nearly cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add ginger and continue cooking, stirring continually, for one additional minute. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Add remaining olive oil to the cast iron skillet or wok. Add cabbage, broccoli, and orange bell pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and develop some color, approximately 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Return the chicken to the skillet and stir in the chopped cashews. Pour the reduced sauce on top and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes or just until heated through. Do not overcook. It's always a shame to have dry chicken!
Step 5: Remove from heat and taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve immediately with steamed cauliflower rice.
Tips
Avoid adding extra salt while preparing this dish because the sauce tends to be a bit salty (unless you use low sodium ingredients). For best results, taste and adjust seasonings, as needed, right before serving.
Double the sauce recipe if you like a lot of sauce for your cauliflower rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Cashews Low Carb?
Cashews (actually legumes) are a little higher in carbs than other nuts, so don't be tempted to snack on extra cashews while making this recipe (like I do sometimes!).
What's the Difference Between Tamari and Coconut Aminos
Tamari is soy sauce that’s made without grains, therefore, it’s a great gluten-free soy sauce alternative. Coconut aminos is a soy-free seasoning sauce that’s a popular alternative to soy sauce for those who avoid soy. Coconut aminos are lighter in flavor than tamari, but are a great soy sauce alternative.
Need more low carb recipe inspiration? See more delicious recipes such as:
Red Snapper with Lemon Butter Caper Sauce
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Recipe
Keto Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
- large cast iron skillet or wok
- measuring cup(s)
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free peanut butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons Swerve or Monk Fruit sugar replacement
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1-½ teaspoons sugar-free chili-garlic sauce For spicy cashew chicken, just add more chili-garlic sauce, but be sure to taste test first!
STIR FRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced (or ginger paste)
- 2 cups red cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 cup broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 1 medium orange bell pepper, sliced thin
- ⅓ cup roasted unsalted cashews, roughly chopped
- 1 12-oz. bag cauliflower rice, steamed
Instructions
- Add the sauce ingredients to a medium pan and stir to combine. A whisk works well for this. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and immediately reduce heat to just below medium. Slow simmer, stirring frequently until the peanut butter is completely melted and the sauce is reduced by one-half, approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add one tablespoon olive oil to a large cast iron skillet or wok. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, stirring continually, until chicken develops some color and is nearly cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add ginger and continue cooking, stirring continually, for one additional minute. Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil to the skillet or wok. Add cabbage, broccoli, and orange bell pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and develop some color, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and stir in the chopped cashews. Pour the reduced sauce on top and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes or just until heated through. Do not overcook.
- Remove from heat and taste and adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve immediately with steamed cauliflower rice.
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