Cashew chicken style sauce, originally based off of this recipe from The Recipe Critic, explored and perfected over time!

Originally made with chicken, but can be made with a variety of meats and vegetables, and different kinds of nuts, as you see fit!

Ingredients

Note: When making the sauce, you will probably find it easier to add the ingredients one by one directly into the pan, using your judgment and desired sauciness to guess the right amount rather than measuring out these values here. As such, these measurements are approximate :)

Sauce

• 1-2 cups soy sauce
• 1-2 cups sweet chili sauce
• 1-2 cups ketchup
• 1/8-1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (sub other vinegar, or leave out)
• 1-2 cups sriracha
• 1/2-1 cup brown sugar
• Garlic powder
• Red pepper flakes
• Black pepper
• 2-4 cloves garlic minced
• Flour or corn starch

Serve over rice, with sesame oil, Mongolian fire oil, chili oil, or other favorite Asian flavorings as desired!

Mix-ins

• Add as much or as little of these as you like. I usually add the amount I specified of cashews & meat, & then whatever Vegetables I have on hand!
• 1-2 cups cashews, or other nuts
• 1-2 lbs meat(s) of choice
• Vegetables: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onion, Bell Pepper are all good!

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or pot, start cooking the meat on medium heat. Once the meat has released some fat, add in any vegetables. Stir frequently.
2. Once the vegetables are fairly soft, stir in some flour or corn starch to absorb some of the fat from the meat. Let it cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently. If you want to reduce the fat content, drain some of the fat before you do this step.
3. Bring sauce to a boil, then simmer on low heat until it reaches your desired consistency.
4. Mix in cashews 10 minutes before the sauce is finished for softer cashews, or right at the end for crunchier. To save time, you can always thicken the sauce with more flour / corn starch right at the end if you want.