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My kids love cashew chicken, so I was determined to make a recipe they would love that eliminates all the added icky ingredients and preservatives we find in takeout meals. This sheet pan cashew chicken recipe with broccoli and bell peppers is a winner! It’s a family favorite that uses clean ingredients, and the best part is that it cooks in one pan.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken Recipe
- This healthy cashew chicken is high in protein and uses anti-inflammatory ingredients like ginger, bell pepper, and avocado oil. It’s also dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Easy: Prep your ingredients, make the sauce, and throw it all on a sheet pan.
- One Sheet Pan and Done: No need to dirty a bunch of dishes–everything cooks on one baking sheet. Bonus Tip: Line the sheet pan with parchment paper to minimize cleanup. 🧽
🍗 Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken: Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into small pieces.
- Vegetables: Broccoli and red bell pepper add color and nutrients.
- Cashews: Use unsalted cashews.
- Garnish: Cilantro and lime wedges
- Cashew Chicken Sauce
- Sriracha for spice
- Coconut aminos is a lower-sodium substitute for soy sauce that’s also soy-free, gluten-free, and Whole30-approved.
- Apple cider or rice vinegar for acidity
- Avocado oil to balance all the flavors
- Honey for sweetness
- Fresh Ginger and garlic for flavor
👩🍳 How to Make Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put the chicken, bell pepper, broccoli, and cashews on the sheet pan.
- Make the Sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour three-quarters of the sauce over the mixture and toss to coat.
- Bake: Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Serve: Drizzle the remaining sauce over the chicken and veggies, and top with lime juice and cilantro.
Watch me make this cashew chicken recipe on Instagram.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
To make this easy sheet pan cashew chicken super fast, it helps to have the ingredients prepped and ready to go. 🔪 Here’s how to meal prep this dish so you can have dinner on the table in no time:
- Wash and cut the vegetables and dice the chicken the day before. Store the veggies in one container and chicken in another.
- Make the sauce and refrigerate it.
- When you’re ready to cook it, preheat the oven and put everything on the sheet pan.
- Make your rice and cut the cilantro and lime while the cashew chicken cooks in the oven.
🗒 Variations
- Vegetarian: Skip the chicken and add more vegetables.
🗒 Substitutions
- Protein: Swap chicken breasts for chicken thighs.
- Vegetables: If you don’t like broccoli or bell pepper, use whatever veggie you prefer. Cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and zucchini would all be good.
- Nuts: Substitute peanuts, or if you’re allergic to cashews, omit them.
- Herbs: If you dislike cilantro, replace it with sliced green onions.
- Sriracha: Omit the sriracha if you don’t like spicy food.
- Coconut Aminos: Sub low-sodium soy sauce or tamari (which is also gluten-free).
- Avocado Oil: Use sesame oil instead.
- Sweetener: Swap honey with maple syrup or agave.
🍽️ Best served with
My family and I like to eat this healthy sheet pan cashew chicken with white rice, but brown rice or quinoa would also be good. If you prefer noodles, try it with udon or rice noodles.
👝 How to Store Cashew Chicken
You can store cashew chicken in the refrigerator for up to four days and microwave it until warm. You can also freeze the mixture for four months and thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
🤔 Common Questions
David Leong invented cashew chicken in Springfield, Missouri in the 1960s. He was originally from China and immigrated to the United States in 1940. After fighting in World War II, he eventually moved to Springfield to open up the city’s first Chinese restaurant. Inspired by American fried chicken and gravy, Leong created his own version to entice the locals to visit his restaurant.
The sauce has so much flavor that I don’t find it necessary to marinate the chicken. However, you could season it with salt and pepper a day before cooking it to enhance its flavor and tenderize it.
Omit the sriracha for a milder version. If you prefer it spicier, drizzle extra sriracha over your chicken before eating.
Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ – 1 inch pieces
- 2 heaping cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
- cilantro, lime wedges, & rice of choice for serving
Cashew Chicken Sauce
- 3 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled & minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, and cashews.
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour ¾ of the sauce on the chicken and veggies, and toss to coat evenly.
- Roast for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Pour the remaining sauce on the chicken and veggies, and toss.
- Serve with rice of choice, and top with lime juice and cilantro. Enjoy!
