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Home / Cuisines / Asian

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken

4.75
/5
45 minutes
32 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 10/05/2015

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.


This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory’s recipe.  You won’t want takeout anymore!

 Savory with just the perfect amount of spice… hearty and filling, yet surprisingly light… this spicy cashew chicken is an amazing copycat of one of my favorite restaurant versions of cashew chicken!

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken | The Chunky Chef | This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

Have you guys ever been to The Cheesecake Factory?  If you’ve been, have you had the cashew chicken?  Ohhhhh man… it’s GOOD.  It has a uniquely deep and rich flavor that has been hard for me to replicate.  Until now 😉

I found a recipe on Pinterest and tweaked it a little bit and BAM… just about the perfect copycat recipe!

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken | The Chunky Chef | This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

One of the things I love about this cashew chicken, is that even though it’s fried, it tastes surprisingly light!  That’s due to the use of rice flour, which is used in several Chinese dishes.  It was a bit of a pain to find here in the Midwest, so if you can’t find it, I’ve heard you can substitute potato starch, cake flour, or half all purpose flour and half cornstarch.  I found it at our Whole Foods, and it was pretty cheap (in comparison to the other specialty flours).

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken | The Chunky Chef | This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

Let’s talk about this sauce… wow.  Talk about finger-lickin good!  It’s different from regular takeout cashew chicken… it’s deeper, more complex, savory, spicy with a hint of sticky sweetness.  Simply put… it’s incredible!

The one downside of this meal is that the leftovers aren’t all that great.  Anytime you put something crispy (chicken) into something wet (sauce), it tends to go soggy and well, kinda gross.  But there’s an up side!  You probably won’t have any left anyway 😉

I like to serve this over my Sticky Coconut Rice… the slight sweetness of the rice works beautifully with the flavors here!

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken | The Chunky Chef | This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

The next time you feel like have some truly delicious Chinese food… don’t run out to a restaurant… make it at home, save money, and enjoy some quality family time. 🙂  If you’d prefer a version more like the takeout style cashew chicken, try this one!

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken | The Chunky Chef | This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken | The Chunky Chef | This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

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Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken

4.75 from 4 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
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This cashew chicken is deliciously spicy and savory, and tastes almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory's recipe. You won't want takeout anymore!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup peanut oil or vegetable
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • Seasoned Rice Flour recipe below
  • Rice flour batter recipe below
  • Spicy Hoisin Soy Sauce recipe below
  • 8 oz cashews
  • 6 pieces green onions sliced into
  • White sesame seeds to garnish
  • SEASONED RICE FLOUR:
  • 3/4 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 18/ tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of Chinese 5 Spice
  • RICE FLOUR BATTER
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups of ice water (you want it to be thick but still pourable)
  • SPICY HOISIN SOY SAUCE:
  • 1 cup Hosin Sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger grated or minced
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes

Instructions

  • SPICY HOISIN SOY SAUCE:
  • Place the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and sriracha into small mixing bowl and stir to blend. Add sugar, garlic, crushed red chili flakes and stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  • SEASONED RICE FLOUR:
  • Place all ingredients for seasoned rice flour into a ziptop plastic bag, seal, and shake gently to mix. Place chicken in the bag and shake until chicken is well coated. Set aside.
  • RICE FLOUR BATTER:
  • Place all ingredients for rice flour batter into a bowl and mix. Add cold water and whisk until combined. Keep cold.
  • TO MAKE THE CHICKEN:
  • Add oil to wok or large skillet and heat over MED heat. Let oil come up to temperature.
  • Add the rice flour coated chicken to the bowl of batter and gently fold together so each piece of chicken is coated in batter.
  • One at a time, add the chicken to the hot oil. You'll need to work in batches, as you don't want to overcrowd your pan.
  • Fry until chicken is golden brown on both sides, crispy, and cooked through. Remove with a strainer or kitchen tongs and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain.
  • Pour out excess oil.
  • Add the spicy hoisin soy sauce mixture, cashews, and 3/4 of the green onions to the pan.
  • Cook for a minute to allow flavors to combine and the sauce to heat up.
  • Add cooked chicken and toss until each piece of chicken is coated in the sauce.
  • To serve, place chicken atop white rice and garnish with remaining green onions and white sesame seeds.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

** feel free to serve this over any type of rice you'd like, or even over some steamed broccoli
** cooking time is approximate, as depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to fit more or less chicken than I did
** Recipe slightly adapted from Feeding Big and ABC (from Cheesecake Factory)

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Paula says

    Posted on 12/29 at 6:03 pm

    Love, love!!! I want more of your recipes!!

    Reply
  2. Josh Berger says

    Posted on 3/1 at 5:09 pm

    Considering that I order this dish just about everytime I visit the Cheesecake Factory…and now I have cooked this recipe and it tastes EXACTLY like the restaurant version. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! YUM!!

    Reply
  3. Tess says

    Posted on 11/30 at 11:03 am

    This looks amazing! Definitely putting it on my meal plan for this week 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/30 at 3:17 pm

      Thank you Tess!! I hope you LOVE it 🙂

      Reply
  4. Christopher says

    Posted on 10/17 at 6:59 pm

    Actually, this was delicious AND you’re right: Nothing leftover at all!

    Thanks for a great recipe! 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:27 pm

      I’m SO glad you loved it Christopher!! It’s always amazing to read comments like yours 🙂

      Reply
  5. Dini @ The Flavor Bender says

    Posted on 10/14 at 5:13 pm

    I love Cashew Chicken stir fry!! It’s my husbands favourite too (because he likes to pick out the cashews and eat all of them!) Frying the chicken first will make it even better!! Loving the crispy chicken with all those flavours! 🙂

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:11 pm

      Haha, your husband and I sound very much alike 😉 I’d be perfectly happy to pick out all the cashews lol

      Reply
  6. Jennifer A Stewart says

    Posted on 10/14 at 3:26 pm

    All of the cashew chicken recipes I have seen are more on the sweet side so I am so glad to see what that contains sriracha! That miracle condiment that brings joy to me all the time! Thanks for sharing with Saucy Saturdays. I will be eating this dish this Saturday for sure!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/18 at 10:10 pm

      Thanks so much Jennifer!! I hope you loved it 😀

      Reply
  7. Naina says

    Posted on 10/12 at 6:48 am

    That chicken looks so incredibly good Amanda!! Can’t wait to try it out!!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/12 at 4:07 pm

      Thanks Naina!! 😀

      Reply
  8. Whitni @ A Cookie & A Kiss says

    Posted on 10/9 at 10:07 pm

    I have had cashew chicken before but never spicy! I will definitely have to try since I LOVE cashew chicken and I certainly do love some spice in my life!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/12 at 3:54 pm

      I hope you LOVE it Whitni! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

    Posted on 10/7 at 8:49 pm

    This looks absolutely amazing! I’ve never had this particular dish, but your version is simply gorgeous! I know my family will love this too! Pinning!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/12 at 3:31 pm

      Thank you so much Michelle!! I hope you all love it as much as we do 🙂

      Reply
  10. Lisa @ Panning The Globe says

    Posted on 10/7 at 9:43 am

    Yum – your photos make me want to grab a fork and dig right in! It’s pinned and I’ll definitely be making it soon.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 2:08 pm

      Thank you so much Lisa!!! 😀 I hope you love it!

      Reply
  11. Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says

    Posted on 10/6 at 11:33 am

    I love the cashew chicken from cheesecake factory! I can’t wait to try this!!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 2:01 pm

      I hope you LOVE it Mariah!! 😀

      Reply
  12. Joanie @ Zagleft says

    Posted on 10/6 at 8:54 am

    Amanda, this cashew chicken looks absolutely delicious. My daughter’s favorite meal at the Cheesecake Factory is this one and now I can’t wait to give your recipe a try at home – I know she’ll love it!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 1:58 pm

      Thank you so much Joanie!! She and I sound very similar 😉

      Reply
  13. Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

    Posted on 10/6 at 8:01 am

    Oh my. This looks incredibly delicious! It also looks a wee bit involved to make, but worth every minute spent in making it. I’m pinning and can’t wait to try this asap.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 2:12 pm

      Thank you Renee!! It’s a little more involved, since you batter and fry the chicken first, which always takes some time… but like you said, sooo worth it 🙂 I hope you love it 😀

      Reply
  14. Maris (In Good Taste) says

    Posted on 10/6 at 12:59 am

    This sounds so delicious, I love spicy cashew chicken

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 1:55 pm

      Thanks so much Maris!! 😀

      Reply
  15. Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says

    Posted on 10/5 at 11:39 pm

    The sauce looks so deep and rich. Very pretty on the plate!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 1:55 pm

      Thanks so much Valerie!! 😀

      Reply
  16. Sheena @ Tea and Biscuits says

    Posted on 10/5 at 8:58 am

    Amanda, It looks delicious, I’d love to dive right into that bowl!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 1:53 pm

      Thanks so much Sheena!! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Jenn @ Peas and Crayons says

    Posted on 10/5 at 8:32 am

    I’ve never tried cashew chicken! Looks like this is the perfect recipe to start with!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/7 at 1:52 pm

      Ohhhh you’re in for a real treat!! 🙂 Hope you love it!

      Reply

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