If you’ve got about 30 minutes, you’ve got time to make this Paleo + Whole30 cashew chicken! And trust us, you’re going to want to make this healthy Asian recipe. This healthy stir fry is light, yet super satisfying and even easy to make, especially for a weeknight dinner.
Simple swaps to make this healthy Asian chicken recipe
We made some easy swaps to make this Asian cashew chicken healthier and also Paleo + Whole30 friendly. We love re-making takeout food to be healthier, but also still satisfying. Some of the simple swaps in this chicken recipe are coating the chicken in tapioca starch to create that sticky, glazed texture you’re used to with Asian recipes like this. We also use coconut aminos rather than soy sauce, and cauliflower rice instead of white rice to keep it Paleo + Whole30.
This cashew chicken is like takeout but better
I have a thing for Asian cuisine! From Thai food to Chinese food, there’s so much to love. One of my favorite ways to enjoy these types of food is to re-make them at home. I mean, it’s fun to go out to restaurants and have dinner out sometimes, but really I love it best when I can make something at home that I’ll love just as much (or often times more) AND wake up the next morning feeling great! Sometimes the food hangovers after eating out are just the worst. This cashew chicken is delicious, and I don’t usually like reheated chicken, but this recipe is some of my favorite leftovers. That says a lot!
30 minute meal, plus a time saving tip
This recipe comes together with ease, and only takes about 30 minutes! It’s perfect for your busy weeknights, and it only requires a little bit of prep – mainly cutting up the chicken and prepping the veggies. One way to save a little time is to get pre-riced cauliflower at the grocery store. We typically find riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s – they carry it in both the fresh produce section and the frozen aisle, too. This will save you some time and cleanup compared to ricing your cauliflower at home.
More Asian inspired recipes to try
Your turn to try our Cashew Chicken
Add this cashew chicken to your meal plan for the week! You’ll love how quick and easy it is to make, and also how delicious it is! Who needs takeout when you can enjoy something so tasty, and way healthier too! Leave a comment below, and let us know how it goes! Also, take a pic to share on Instagram, and tag us @realsimplegood so we can see. Make sure to give us a follow if you don’t already. We’d love to stay connected!
Like this Recipe?
SHARE IT NOW OR PIN IT FOR LATER!
Healthy Cashew Chicken (Paleo + Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1" cubes
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 inches fresh ginger, minced or grated on a microplane, (about 1 tbsp)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, (or sub 1 tbsp garlic oil)
For the rest:
- 6 cups cauliflower, riced
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 green onions, chopped into 1" pieces
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews, unsalted
Instructions
- Make sauce by whisking together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar and set aside.
- Prep all chicken and veggies as noted and set aside.
- Place tapioca starch, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix with a fork or whisk. Add cubed chicken to bowl and toss to coat.
- In a large skillet, add avocado oil and heat to medium heat. Once hot, add chicken to pan and cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is almost cooked through.
- Add sauce, broccoli, bell pepper, onion and cashews to pan. Stir to coat and turn heat down to low. Continue to cook while you make your cauliflower rice.
- In a separate pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp avocado oil and cauliflower rice. Cook until cauliflower softens and heats through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Put it all together – add cauliflower rice to a bowl and top with the cashew chicken. Enjoy!
So yummy & easy to make!
We love this recipe and it’s even better during whole 30! Would you know what the nutritionals are for this recipe such as serving size and calories per serving? Thanks. -Chris
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. For the nutrition info, as part of our real food/paleo lifestyle we don’t track any nutrition information personally, and it has been really liberating for us and helped us find food freedom. For that reason we don’t post the nutrition info on our recipes, with the only exception being the Keto specific recipes on our site. You could plug the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator like myfitnesspal if needed though.
This recipe is AMAZING!!! We have made it twice in the last 3 weeks even did a how to video on it. We love RealSimpleGood, fantastic recipes that any normal joes can make! ??❤️??.
Thanks so much for sharing! We really appreciate it, and we’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! 🙂
This was so, so good!!! And it was easy to make. I did not have green onions so left out. As well as I did not have fresh ginger so I used 1/4 teaspoon for ground ginger (per internet that was the equivalent to fresh ginger) and still came out so flavorful. I have a 2 1/2 old and need easy, healthful, and tasty meals. I love this recipe did not have 900 ingredients and it was easy to make. I will definitely be making this again.
We’re so glad you were able to use what you had on hand and enjoyed our recipe! Thanks so much for giving it a try and for taking the time come back and share your review! We appreciate it! 🙂
All 4 kids loved this one!! So tasty and easy! Thanks Justin and Erica ?
Love making this recipe for a quick meal!
Delicious!
This is a fantastic recipe, it was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! It was a huge hit with the whole family. I will definitely be adding this to our family favorites pile and making it again. Next time I’m going to double the recipe and make for a big family gathering. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, so glad the family enjoyed it :).
Delicious and super easy to make! I hadn’t had cauliflower rice before and was a little unsure about as I was making it, but I was pleasantly surprised! Will definitely make again 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the recipe :).
Made this tonight for the first time and it was a big hit with the family. Definitely will be making it again!
Glad the family enjoyed it!
Delicious! We loved it! Thank you!
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the recipe ?