Paleo & Keto Cashew Chicken

Surely better than takeout, this paleo and keto cashew chicken makes for one super scrumptious (and ultra speedy!) weeknight meal!

Course Main

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword keto cashew chicken, paleo cashew chicken

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 314kcal

Ingredients

For the sauce

2 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger to taste*
1-2 tablespoons golden erythritol or allulose/xylitol, to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice or rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper or black pepper

For the stir fry

500 g chicken thigh (skinless, boneless) diced into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon coconut oil as needed, for cooking
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 medium onion diced
1 red bell pepper or color of choice, seeded & diced
1-2 cups broccoli optional
1/2-3/4 cup cashews roasted**
1/3 cup chicken stock or water
2 teaspoons arrowroot or 1/4 teaspoon konjac powder, as needed***
2 tablespoons water

Serving suggestions

cauliflower rice

Metric - US Cups

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. See notes, but feel free to adjust the amount of ginger and sweetener to taste.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce to the chicken, and allow to marinade for 10 minutes while you prep the veggies.
Heat up the oil in a skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for a couple minutes. Add in the chicken and cook for a couple more minutes.
Add in the bell pepper, broccoli, sauce and stock. Make a slurry with the arrowroot and water (i.e. mix them together until completely dissolved!) and pour it into the pan. Mix well and cook until just thickened.
Stir in the cashews and serve right away over a bed of cauliflower rice (highly suggested!).

Notes

*While ginger isn't a traditional cashew chicken ingredient (though sometimes you will find it added!), I find it livens up the dish a tonne! I like to add a full tablespoon of it, but feel free to do just 1 tsp for a lighter note.

**Also note that cashews are a little higher in carbs than other more keto-friendly nuts and legumes (think 27g net carbs per 100g vs 7g net in peanuts). So just be sure to adjust the amount to fit your macros!

***While the thickener is in a way optional, it does make for an ultra silky (and rather beautiful!) sauce. You can use arrowroot (I do 2tsp, but you can do 3tsp for a thicker sauce) or glucommanan/konjac powder (1/4-1/2 teaspoon will do, as its potent stuff!).

Nutrition