Description
A vibrant and flavorful Thai Basil Cashew Chicken recipe that combines ground chicken or pork with aromatic ginger, garlic, fresh vegetables, and crunchy cashews, all stir-fried in a savory sweet and spicy sauce made with kecap manis, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice. Perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight meal served with steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 500g ground chicken or pork
- 4cm x 4cm piece fresh ginger, grated
- 6 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
- 100g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces
- 100g cashews
- 60ml cooking oil (avocado oil recommended)
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, roughly torn
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (or 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce for milder flavor)
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free fish sauce
- 60ml fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free chicken powdered stock/broth
Instructions
- Cook Mince: Heat the cooking oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken or pork and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the chili sauce (or sweet chili sauce), gluten-free kecap manis, gluten-free fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and gluten-free chicken powdered stock to make the flavorful sauce.
- Add Aromatics and Vegetables: Season the cooked mince with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Add the grated ginger, grated garlic, and diced onion to the pan. Stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Then add the sliced red bell pepper, cut green beans, and cashews. Continue stir-frying for another 3 minutes to soften the vegetables slightly.
- Add Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce over the stir-fried mince and vegetables. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Stir continuously and cook for 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and evenly coats all the ingredients.
- Add Basil and Serve: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the fresh Thai basil leaves until just wilted. Serve immediately with steamed rice, optionally topping with a crispy fried egg and an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice for added brightness.
Notes
- For a milder taste, use sweet chili sauce instead of hot chili sauce.
- Make sure to use gluten-free condiments if you require a gluten-free dish.
- Add a crispy fried egg on top for extra richness and texture.
- This dish can be easily adapted by substituting pork with chicken or even turkey mince.
- Use avocado oil or any neutral oil with a high smoke point for best stir-frying results.
