Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken

November and school is in the stretch I think of as the gratitude stretch — not because November is Thanksgiving month, though it is, but because by November I can see the year of growth clearly. The arc is visible. The students I met in September are not the students they were in September. That gap is the job. I measure it in November when I have enough distance from August to see it clearly.

P, my new student from September, did something this week that I am still thinking about. He went over to the art supply shelf, got out the paper and markers on his own, and sat down and drew a picture. Then he brought it to me. It was a picture of two people, labeled in marker: AMANDA and P. I said is this us and he looked at me and then looked at the drawing and then nodded once. I have that drawing on my desk. I will have it for a long time.

I made a big pot of chicken adobo this week — a Filipino preparation I learned from my co-teacher, who taught me by watching me make it wrong twice before correcting me. Chicken thighs, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, a long braise. The sourness of the vinegar mellows into something complex. The chicken falls apart. Served over rice, it is one of the most satisfying things I know how to make and it costs almost nothing. I told my co-teacher it was in the regular rotation now. She said obviously. She was not wrong.

Ryan and I went to a movie on Friday for the first time since before the pandemic — a real theater, real popcorn, the whole thing. We sat in the dark and ate popcorn and watched a movie and Ryan fell asleep in the last twenty minutes, which is not criticism of the movie but evidence that he had worked a 24-hour shift before the movie and was running on fumes and love. I watched the ending and held his hand and did not wake him. Let him sleep. He earned it.

My co-teacher, who corrected my chicken adobo technique by letting me fail at it twice first, is also the reason I started paying closer attention to what makes a saucy, savory chicken dish actually work — the balance, the patience, the willingness to let things reduce. This copycat spicy cashew chicken lives in that same spirit: bold sauce, tender chicken, served over rice, deeply satisfying for what it costs and how fast it comes together. After a week like this one — P’s drawing still on my desk, Ryan asleep in the theater seat beside me — this is the kind of dinner I want waiting at home.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup roasted cashews
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, chicken broth, and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
Sear the chicken. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until golden on the bottom. Stir and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Build the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the sauce. Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Bring it together. Return the chicken to the pan along with the cashews and red pepper flakes. Toss everything to coat evenly in the sauce. Cook for 1 minute more to heat through.
Serve. Spoon over steamed rice and top with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Copycat Spicy Cashew Chicken — The Lesson My Co-Teacher Taught Me Without Saying a Word