Cashew Chicken with Spicy Almond Sauce
Baked Honey Garlic Chicken with Quinoa and Veggies has quickly become one of my most popular recipes on the blog, and for good reason. It’s THE BOMB, if I do say so myself. During this time of social distancing, I was planning to whip up the recipe and realized I didn’t have half the things I needed. Well, it was a blessing in disguise, because this equally amazing Spicy Almond Cashew Chicken was born as a result.
is spicy almond cashew chicken healthy?
Yes! It’s a great option to make at home as a healthier alternative to takeout.
The chicken is coated in whole wheat bread crumbs and then baked, not fried! You could also totally make this in the air fryer and it would be bomb. I’ve had people do that for my Honey Garlic Chicken and say it turned out great!
In addition, chicken is a great source of protein and you’re pairing it with some delicious and nutritious sides: veggies (of your choice) and a healthy whole grain or starch.
You can either cook quinoa as a side like my Honey Garlic Chicken recipe calls for, or use the Banza rice that we paired it with and loved (with a small amount of ghee!) You could even do brown rice if you want. : )
ingredients needed for this healthy chicken dish
- Chicken breasts
- Eggs (or EVOO or avocado oil)
- Whole wheat bread crumbs (or whatever you have on hand – plain, not flavored)
- Chili garlic sauce
- Honey
- Minced garlic
- Creamy almond butter (I like the Kirkland’s creamy almond butter from Costco or Trader Joe’s creamy AB — any creamy almond butter will do)
- Cashews, chopped or crushed
Optional Sides:
- Veggies to serve with: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, sugar snap peas — whatever you prefer or have on hand. Click here for my Roasted Veggies recipe.
- Starch: either Banza (chickpea) rice, quinoa or brown rice
Cashew Chicken with Spicy Almond Sauce
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1.5 cups 100% whole wheat bread crumbs more as needed
- 1/2 cup cashews crushed/chopped
For The Spicy Honey Almond Sauce:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp creamy almond butter
- Splash of water
For The Quinoa:
- 1 package Banza rice or quinoa, rinsed (follow package instructions)
For The Roasted Veggies:
- 5 large carrots chopped into 2-3″ strips
- 1 8 oz package sugar snap peas
- 1 head broccoli chopped into florets
- 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- Garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Optional:
- Sesame seeds and chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, toss veggies in extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil), garlic pepper and fresh cracked black pepper. Arrange them evenly on large prepared baking sheet. Place veggies in the oven prior to breading the chicken. Save the large bowl for later. (You will cook the veggies for a total of ~30-35 minutes. Toss around 15 minutes to roast evenly. Veggies will be fully cooked around the same time that the chicken is done.)
- Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add Banza rice and cook according to package instructions.
- Next, add whole wheat breadcrumbs to a shallow bowl.
- Add the eggs (or about 1/4 cup of EVOO or avocado oil) to another shallow dish, and beat well. Season with pepper, if desired.
- Dip bite-sized chicken pieces in the eggs and toss to make sure each piece is fully coated.
- Next, transfer chicken from the eggs to the breadcrumbs, toss to coat, and place on the prepared baking sheet. (Add more eggs/oil and/or bread crumbs if needed until all chicken pieces are breaded.)
- Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165 F internal temperature) and slightly golden brown. Flip chicken halfway through using a spatula (around 10 minutes) to brown evenly.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare your spicy almond sauce. Combine chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, almond butter, honey, and splash of water in a small bowl. The sauce should be drizzly – not TOO runny and not too thick. Set aside.
- Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from oven, and transfer pieces to the large bowl you used for the veggies. Pour sauce over the chicken, and toss / stir with a spoon to coat all of the pieces as much as possible.
- Transfer chicken back to the baking sheet, and sprinkle chopped cashews evenly on the pan. Place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven and serve hot, along with roasted vegetables and quinoa/rice. Add 1 tsp of ghee to each serving of Banza rice, if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
- Prepare the sauce
- Chop veggies
- Store all in refrigerator & assemble/cook within 1-2 days.
Nutrition
DELICIOUS!
I hope you all love this Spicy Almond Cashew Chicken as much as we do! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @wellnessforthewin and save this recipe to Pinterest for later!
XO,
Shanna
Just made this for dinner p totally amazing!!!
Haha, aww thanks momma!!! Your pic of it looked pretty amazing, too – looks like you’ve been taking notes. ; ) Thanks for sharing! XOXO
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was fantastic! The flavor was excellent – a little kick without being too spicy. I will definitely be making this again.
Oh yay!! I’m so glad to hear that! Yes, I love just a little bit of spice. ; ) So good! Thanks for your review!!!
I had no idea what I thought this would taste like but it is DELICIOUS!! I didn’t have almond butter or cashews, so I used peanut butter and dry roasted peanuts. Yummy! I’ve already made it twice this week. Thank you!
Yay!!! Love the modifications – that works perfectly!! I’ll have to try it that way for a little change-up. ; ) So glad you love it! Thanks so much for sharing <3
HOLY MOTHER OF FUCKING BLOW MY MIND—cashew chicken with spicy almond sauce is one for the fucking books (excuse my language, but I know you don’t care 🤣😂). We didn’t have cashews, but that’s okay because it might of even made it better & I could not of handled that. Literally that sauce I will make & keep in the fridge weekly. My boyfriend believes he should start selling this dish for $16.99 (not sure where he’s going to sell it, but I’m charging him that next time 🤣—which will be next week). Yummmy.
LOL this cracks me up! I’m so glad you guys liked it and I LOVE the enthusiasm. 😉 If you start selling it and making a profit on it, I want in!! LOL. Thanks for your review!!!
This was great! Made lots for dinner so I could have leftover chicken to put on my salad for lunch. Didn’t have sriracha but was delicious without it!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it, and always love having leftovers! Thank you!
We loved this recipe! My husband did call them “fancy chicken nugs.” Lol but easy to follow and delicious! I appreciate the common ingredients as well.
Haha yessss, that’s what I like to hear! Chicken nugs never disappoint. ; ) Thank you for the rating and review!!!
My FAVORITE recipe to date. I love this stuff. My husband loves this stuff. Anyone I have made it for love this stuff. You will not be disappointed. So yummy. I usually make it on a bed of brown rice paired with some broccoli!
Mmmm, that’s a perfect combo!!! So glad you all approve! 🙂
ROUND OF APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!!
I was not really sure what to expect (although, duh, it’s a Shanna recipe so obvi it will be good) but OMG this is bomb! The spice is perfect and the flavor of the almond aspect of it is surprisingly SO GOOD. Will be making this again ASAP!
Yessss, the perfect hint of spice!! So glad you loved the flavor of the almond butter addition. We are due for this recipe too! Thank you so much for all of your awesome feedback and for making my recipes! Really appreciate you!