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Crispy Tofu gets tossed with nutty cashews and a sweet and savory sauce to make this Vegan Cashew Chicken totally delicious!
Let’s talk about this Vegan Cashew “Chicken” – crispy chunks of baked tofu “chicken” get slathered in a sweet & savory sauce with bits of nutty cashews and fresh green onions…need I say more? Well this is a food blog, so you know I will 😉 But seriously friends, this is one recipe you don’t want to skip!
This hearty and delicious vegetarian main is a great way to save money on takeout, without sacrificing flavor.
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
This recipe is inspired by the takeout classic Cashew Chicken – which is actually a Chinese-American fusion dish that first gained popularity in the midwest in the 1940s. My version is vegan – obviously – and takes a few ingredient “shortcuts” to help cut down on your prep time.
This recipe could also be named Cashew Tofu because starts with protein-packed tofu that gets coated in soy sauce, cornstarch, and oil, then baked in the oven until crispy. Vegan or not, this tofu is delicious and makes the perfect animal-free chicken substitute!
Like most great recipes, the stir fry sauce brings the dish together. This one has pretty simple ingredients: soy sauce and rice vinegar add salt and tang, while hoisin sauce adds the perfect amount of spice and sweetness and toasted sesame oil adds a burst of umami flavor. Toss this finger-licking sauce with soft and crunchy cashew nuts, your tofu, and some green onion, and you’ve got the ultimate flavor and texture combination!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CASHEW CHICKEN
This Cashew “Chicken” really only requires a few minutes of prep time – the oven does most of the work!
- Prepare the tofu and toss it in the oven to bake, flipping halfway
- Sauté aromatics in a large pan or wok, then add all of the sauce ingredients and simmer until thick.
- Add the crispy tofu to the sauce and mix well, then stir in the green onions and sesame oil.
- Serve over rice, then enjoy!
I like to serve this Vegan Cashew Chicken with a side of steamed broccoli for a little extra color! If I have a little extra time I also like to make some stir fried veggies with red bell pepper, snow peas, and mushrooms. Typically I serve this with some fluffy jasmine rice, but you could also serve it over ramen or rice noodles for a fun take!
COOKING TIPS + FAQ:
- Do I need to use cashews? No, not necessarily! Peanuts would also be delicious here too, or you could simply leave the nuts out if you have an allergy – you could also add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds for a nut-free crunch!
- Can I pan-fry the tofu instead? I recommend baking the tofu for the best meaty texture and hands-off prep, but you can pan-fry it if you wish. Press the tofu and coat it in the soy sauce and cornstarch, then pan fry in a cast iron or similar pan with a couple tablespoons of oil over medium high heat until crispy on all sides.
- Can I make this gluten-free? Substitute the soy sauce with liquid aminos or tamari, and get a gluten-free hoisin sauce instead!
- Storage: this recipe is best served fresh, but will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you plan on having leftovers I recommend keeping the crispy tofu and sauce separate and combining just before serving to keep the tofu crispier.
If you’re like this vegan cashew chicken stir fry, you’ll also love this Crispy Orange Tofu, this Vegan Kung Pao Tofu, and this Black Pepper Tofu!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintVegan Cashew “Chicken”
Crispy Tofu gets tossed with nutty cashews and a sweet and savory sauce to make this Vegan Cashew Chicken totally delicious! An easy way to make takeout, at home.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 to 6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 2 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lite soy sauce or tamari
- 1/3 cup (43 g) cornstarch
For the Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 8 green onions, white and green parts separated and cut into 1” pieces
- 3–5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) hoisin sauce*
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lite soy sauce or tamari
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (107 g) roasted & salted cashews
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Rice and/or vegetables, for serving (Optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Tear the tofu into bite-sized chunks for a more meat-like shape and texture, or cut into small cubes.
- Tofu: Add the tofu to a medium bowl and add in the oil and tamari. Toss with a spatula until evenly coated, then sprinkle the cornstarch on top and toss again. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread out the tofu pieces so they aren’t touching. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.
- Sauce: Whisk the hoisin sauce, water, vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Stir-Fry: Warm the oil in a large sauté pan, large skillet, or wok over medium heat, then fry the white parts of the green onion and the garlic for 1 minute, then add in the cooked tofu. Pour the hoisin sauce mixture over the tofu and stir well; bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cashews, reserved green onions, and the sesame oil.
- Serve: Serve over rice and vegetables, or as desired. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Hoisin Sauce: some hoisin sauce is made with wheat, so if you are gluten-free make sure to purchase a gluten-free version! You can also make your own, though I prefer the ease of store-bought.
Keywords: vegan cashew chicken, vegan cashew tofu, vegan tofu recipes, vegetarian cashew chicken
Amazing!! I love this recipe and make it every month. Although I double it because it is never enough.
★★★★★
Totally agree! Even doubling it isn’t always enough.
Delicious!! Packed with flavour and fairly easy to recreate. Thank you for yet another yummy recipe!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome Ina!
This is only for the crispy tofu (I used it as a substitute for chicken in a different cashew chicken recipe I already have). I’m new to cooking with tofu, never made crispy tofu before- WOW it was delicious! I used medium firm tofu & cooked as the recipe stated. It was sooo crispy and yummy, I could’ve eaten the whole pan by itself! As mentioned I added it to a different cashew chicken recipe, served with rice and stir-fry veggies, it was amazing. I will try the full recipe next time!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it, Sarah!
so good and not a crazy amount of effort for a weeknight meal! I will definitely be adding this to my rotation!
★★★★★
Very flavorful and I liked that there weren’t a lot of ingredients. I served with some steamed veggies on the side for color and to round out the meal. I found the instructions a bit confusing as the “For the Sauce” section also included all the other things to stir fry and I had to keep going back and forth between the instructions and ingredients. But we loved the dish so I ended up rewriting the recipe in the order that works for me. 30 minutes was also way too long to cook the tofu, but I think mine was super firm because I used frozen/thawed and additionally simmered it in salted water (a trick to draw more moisture out of the tofu and pre-season it). So next time I will use a softer tofu or only bake mine for 15 minutes. These were just some of my individual issues/tweaks, but overall I give this 5 stars and would give it 10 if I could! My non-vegan family really liked it too, so this is a win-win and will stay in our rotation. I think this might be good for meal prep to pre-bake the tofu and prepare the sauce in advance for a super fast weeknight dinner. Thanks, Caitlin! All your recipes taste amazing.
5 stars! (I forgot to add the stars to my comments 🙂
★★★★★
Thank you so much for your reviews, Aimee!
I used medium-firm, just drained and patted dry and it came out really really good! Just have to be gentle when tossing so it doesn’t come apart too much.
This recipe is delicious! Very easy, regular ingredients and so satisfying.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
Absolutely delicious! This was the perfect dinner tonight and really did nail that takeout craving. I loved that it’s a pretty simple recipe too.
★★★★★
Delicious recipe! The tofu is some of the yummiest I’ve had. Very satisfying and flavorful.
★★★★★
Thank you, Amira!
I tried this and it’s great! I had to guess at some of the quantities because they’re a bit vague, but it all worked out well. will definitely be making this a lot in the future
Thank you, Richard!
Hi Caitlin !
I’ve been following you for some years now and I just decided to write my first review to thank you for everything you do. Always loved your cooking style, I’ve been a frequent watcher of your YouTube videos and now your website 🙂 I love its organisation by ingredient, makes my life so much easier ! Anyway, just wanted to let you know that this recipe rocks. It’s now a staple meal for me and my boyfriend, we do it every two weeks. Genius idea to put two tofu in it so you get more satisfaction from those tofu bites that goes away so quickly usually.
Again, thank you for everything you’ve made ! My vegan life is tastier 🙂
★★★★★
We’re so glad to have you here, Sandrine!
This was so tasty and easy to make! A great weekday dinner – thanks for the recipe 🙂
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Charlotte!
Love this recipe! My oven is broken so I used my air fryer to bake the “chicken”. It turned out perfectly. I’ll definitely make this recipe again.
★★★★★
Thanks for the review, Sandra!
So amazing! I made the hoisin sauce from scratch from the link (miso paste and peanut butter version with brown sugar instead of honey) which I thought was a super weird combination but it worked out so delicious. I also added ginger and a little bit of chili paste, because who doesn’t love chili!! My non vegan husband also agreed this was the best fake take away.
We love chili! Thank you for the feedback, Arlette!
This was absolutely amazing! It tasted like take out but much better.
The tofu was crisp and the sauce was terrific! My husband loved it and he is not vegan. Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely be making again.
★★★★★
We’re glad you and your husband loved it, Hope!
The Vegan Cashew chicken is excellent!!!! It will be added to my favorites!
Yay! Thank you, Kim!
I’d love to be able to save your recipes to Pinterest more easily. Maybe you could add a Pinterest link near your “Print Recipe” section. On other food sites, a Pinterest button appears on the images, making it real easy to my Pinterest collection of recipes I want to try. Thanks!
Great suggestion, noted!
This is a great recipe and easy to prepare. I made it last night for dinner and served it with broccoli.
It is better than any take out.
★★★★★
We love that! Thank you so much, Debra!
Looking for Pinterest link to save recipe—-I’ve used so many of your recipes, so this is a great place for me to save them.
Ooops – found it! sorry.
This is the absolute best tofu recipe I’ve ever tried. Easy to follow and the texture is perfect! I’ll be coming back to this one again and again.
★★★★★
So happy you love it, Kristen!
This is so good!!! No need to include how long it will keep or how to store; it won’t last past tonight! 10/10!!!!
★★★★★
That’s so true! 😆 Thanks, Kat! We’re glad you loved it!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe Caitlin! It turned out beautifully! Will definitely make it again!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Michelle!