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Ambitious Kitchen
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April 21, 2020

Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Incredible healthy ginger cashew chicken stir fry packed with veggies like bell pepper, broccoli and carrots, and served with a flavorful coconut cauliflower rice! This protein-packed, paleo cashew chicken stir fry recipe has bright colors, delicious flavors, and is perfect for meal-prep. 

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins

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bowl of cashew chicken stir fry

I don’t know about you but I LOVE a good weeknight stir fry.

You can throw it together in 30 minutes or so, they’re packed with nutritious veggies, lean protein and of course, a really epic stir fry sauce to tie it all together. It’s also an excellent healthy meal to make when you have kids and very limited time. Am I right, mamas?

Today’s stir fry is one of my all time favs: cashew chicken stir fry with the option to make it with a side of coconut cauliflower rice — YUM!

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bowl of healthy cashew chicken stir fry with cauliflower rice

Ingredients in this cashew chicken stir fry

This delicious, healthy cashew chicken stir fry is gluten, grain & dairy free and paleo-friendly, which makes it great for anyone with dietary restrictions or preferences. Below you’ll find the ingredients I used for this recipe, but feel free to mix and match. I included some great ideas for substitutions at the bottom of this post, too!

  • Veggies: this dish has broccoli, red bell pepper, red onion and shredded carrots for a delicious boost of fiber and crunch. Plus, these veggies give the stir fry a beautiful color!
  • Stir fry sauce: the incredible sauce is made with cashew butter, coconut aminos (or low sodium soy sauce), fresh grated ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if you like a little heat!
  • Cauliflower rice: a bonus veggie that’s perfect for making this dish gluten & grain-free. I love how the cauliflower rice soaks up all the peanut sauce goodness. YUM. Check out my full tutorial on how to make cauliflower rice here!
  • Protein: hello flavorful chicken and crunchy cashews! This healthy cashew chicken stir fry is protein-packed and guaranteed to keep you feeling satisfied until dinner. The sauce also has a cashew butter base for a boost of healthy fats + delicious flavor.

cashew chicken stir fry recipe in a wok pan

How to make cashew chicken stir fry

  1. First, prepare your stir fry sauce by whisking all of the sauce ingredients into a bowl. Set that aside.
  2. Next, you’ll cook your chicken by adding coconut oil to a large wok or pot and placing it over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add your chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper and fully cook it until it’s no longer pink. Add your chicken to a bowl and set aside.
  3. You’ll then cook all of those veggies. Add coconut oil to the same skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add your garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add in the white part of green onions (reserve green part for topping) along with the rest of your veggies. Stir fry these until the onions cook down and broccoli becomes a little tender. 
  4. Reduce the heat to low, add the chicken and your sauce to your skillet full of veggies and gently stir to coat the veggies. You’ll cook this for another few minutes while you make the cauliflower rice to serve it with!

bowl of healthy cashew chicken stir fry

How to make coconut cauliflower rice

Making cauliflower rice is easier than you think, and I love how this particular version infuses sweet coconut flavor into it. Here’s how to make coconut cauliflower rice:

  1. Remove all greens from cauliflower and break into florets. You can either use a box grater, or a food processor to process the cauliflower into rice. If using a food processor (the easier method), simply add half of cauliflower florets to bowl of the food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse until cauliflower resembles rice. Add in remaining florets and process again until cauliflower becomes rice-like. 
  2. Transfer to a large, clean dish towel and squeeze all the moisture out of the cauliflower.
  3. Add ½ tablespoon coconut oil to a large skillet and place it over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in cauliflower rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. You’ll serve this with the cashew chicken stir fry!

Customize your stir fry

This easy cashew chicken stir fry is great for using up veggies and ingredients you have on-hand!

  • Other veggies to try: green beans, mushrooms, asparagus, snow peas and even water chestnuts would be delicious in this recipe! Feel free to mix and match based on what you have available.
  • Try another nut butter: out of cashew butter? Peanut, almond butter or tahini would also be great options for the stir fry sauce.
  • Go for a grain: if you don’t have cauliflower, this healthy cashew chicken stir fry would be delicious served with quinoa, brown rice, or even yummy stir fry rice noodles.
  • Make it vegan and/or vegetarian! Feel free to use a can of chickpeas or tofu for a wonderful plant-based protein option. You can keep the rest of the ingredients as they are. So easy!

two bowls of paleo cashew chicken stir fry with coconut cauliflower rice

Meal prep your stir fry

Easily meal prep this cashew chicken stir fry for the week by adding 1/4 of the stir fry (chicken + veggie in sauce) with about 1 cup of the coconut cauliflower rice to a glass meal prep containers. This recipe will make 4 servings, which is perfect for weekday lunches! Simply reheat in the microwave before enjoying.

More healthy stir fry recipes to try

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I know you’re going to love this easy ginger cashew chicken stir fry recipe. Please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too! Enjoy xo.

Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

4.97 from 27 votes
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bowl of cashew chicken stir fry
Course Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Lunch, Meal Prep, Paleo Friendly
Cuisine Asian
Keyword cashew chicken stir fry, gluten free cashew chicken stir fry, healthy cashew chicken stir fry, paleo cashew chicken stir fry
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serves 4

Incredible healthy ginger cashew chicken stir fry packed with veggies like bell pepper, broccoli and carrots, and served with a flavorful coconut cauliflower rice! This protein-packed, paleo cashew chicken stir fry recipe has bright colors, delicious flavors, and is perfect for meal-prep.

Ingredients

  • For the cauliflower rice:
  • ½ tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • For the sauce:
  • 3 tablespoons cashew butter (or sub peanut butter, almond butter or tahini)
  • 3 tablespoons coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons warm water, to thin the sauce
  • If you like it spicy: add a few shakes of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper
  • For the stir fry:
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
  • Freshly ground salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts divided)
  • 1 red onion or yellow onion, chopped into big chunks
  • 1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 red bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • To garnish:
  • green onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/3 cup roasted cashews

Instructions

  1. Remove all greens from cauliflower and break into florets. You can either use a box grater, or a food processor to process the cauliflower into rice. If using a food processor (the easier method), simply add half of cauliflower florets to bowl of the food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse until cauliflower resembles rice. Add in remaining florets and process again until cauliflower becomes rice-like. 
  2. Transfer to a large, clean dish towel and squeeze all the moisture out of the cauliflower. Set aside in a large bowl until ready to cook.
  3. Next prepare your stir fry sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, warm water and red pepper flakes if desired. Set aside.

  4. Now you’re ready to cook your stir fry: Add coconut oil to a large wok or pot and place over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked and no longer pink. Once chicken is cooked, transfer to a bowl.

  5. Add in the other ½ tablespoon of coconut oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add in the white part of green onions (reserve green part for topping), chopped red onion, shredded carrot, red bell pepper and broccoli florets. Stir fry for 5-8 minutes or until onions cook down and broccoli becomes a little tender. 

  6. Reduce heat to low, add in chicken and your sauce, gently stirring to coat veggies and cook for another few minutes while you make the cauliflower rice.

  7. When veggies are cooking, make your cauliflower rice: Add ½ tablespoon coconut oil to a separate large skillet and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in cauliflower rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

  8. There are four servings: Serve ¼ of stir fry with about 1 cup of cauliflower rice. Garnish with green onion, cilantro and cashews. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you don’t want to use cashew butter, you can sub for peanut butter, almond butter or tahini. I love the creaminess the cashews give the stir fry though!

Nutrition

Servings: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 serving (1/4 of stir fry + about 1 cup cauliflower rice)
Calories: 443kcal
Fat: 20.1g
Saturated fat: 8.5g
Carbohydrates: 34.2g
Fiber: 11.5g
Sugar: 7.4g
Protein: 37.5g

 

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bowl of cashew chicken stir fry

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