Kung pao chicken with cashews and dried chillies
Sticky, glossy chicken with crunchy cashews and a gentle tingle of heat. Better than the takeaway and ready in half an hour.
- Time30 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £3.06 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Toss the chicken with the cornflour and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce. Mix the rest of the soy, the vinegar, sugar and purée with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl.
- 2
Cook the rice following the packet instructions.
12 min - 3
Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry the chicken for 6 minutes, turning, until golden and cooked through. Lift out onto a plate.
6 min - 4
Add the dried chillies to the hot wok for 20 seconds until they darken and smell toasty. Add the pepper, garlic and ginger and stir fry for 3 minutes.
3 min - 5
Return the chicken, pour in the sauce and bubble for 2 minutes until thick and glossy.
2 min - 6
Stir in the cashews and spring onions and serve over the rice.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.