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Weeknight (25 minute) Thai Basil Sesame Cashew Chicken with Coconut Rice…and deliciously addicting salted chili lime cashews. This is the super-fast Thai inspired chicken rice bowl that the whole family will love. Quick-cooking chicken, pan-seared, then tossed in a sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce with garden fresh bell peppers, sesame seeds, and summer’s most flavorful basil. Serve this chicken over steamed rice and top with chili lime cashews. Every bite is saucy, sweet, spicy, and hinted with basil. It’s delicious and healthy. Major bonus? This is all made in one pan without the use of your oven. Perfect for hot summer days.
This is one of those recipes where I just love how easily it came together for me. This came to me on a busy day and with really just the use of my brain and what sounded delicious.
I knew I wanted to use up all the Thai basil we have growing in the garden. We literally have so much. It’s overflowing at this point. So I knew I needed to do something with it…and soon. If you follow on Instagram, I’m sure you’ve noticed all the basil in the garden, there’s a lot. And I’m certainly not complaining, I love it.
I also knew I wanted to use the chicken I had on hand. Because the grocery is not a place I want to be heading to these days, so I’m trying to use what I’ve got! And in comes this chicken.
I have to say, I’m really excited with how this turned out. It’s Thai inspired, but with my own additions. Additions like chili lime cashews (with honey…and flaky sea salt too). And one of the best sweet and spicy Thai chili sauces I’ve ever made.
I love this dish. It’s easy, almost no-cook, and just so flavorful. And then there’s coconut rice too…all the (good) things I love.
The process.
First up, the cashews. Now, these are an “extra” and you don’t have to make them. But you certainly should if you have five minutes and cashews in the pantry.
Simply toss raw cashews with sesame oil, honey, chili powder, and a bit of turmeric, then cook until toasted, golden, and caramelized. Once the cashews are toasty, remove them from the heat, and add lots of lime zest plus flaky sea salt. Oh. So. Delicious!
Putting it out there, these are hard to stop eating. My best tip? Make a double batch. Serve half with the chicken and save the other half for random mid-day snacking. It’s a good idea.
Next, toss the chicken with a little cornstarch and a good pinch of pepper. Tossing the chicken with cornstarch allows it to get extra crispy and caramelize while cooking.
Now make the sauce. It’s simply, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, ketchup (which is the secret), and sesame seeds. You guys, this sauce is now my newest favorite. It’s the ketchup, it adds a layer of flavor that’s subtle, but yet is so key. It’s sweet, salty, and spicy.
Pan-fry the chicken in a little oil until it’s crisp. Add plenty of garlic, ginger, and bell peppers. Then pour the sauce in and let it simmer down and thicken over the chicken and peppers.
As the chicken is cooking, you should be making some steamed rice. I like to toss it with a touch of butter and basil just before serving. SO GOOD.
Now, put it all together…
Spoon your rice into bowls, then add the chicken and peppers. Finish each bowl off with lots of fresh basil and a handful of those salted chili honey-lime cashews.
Oh and add some thinly sliced cucumbers if you’d like too.
Enjoy…immediately.
And you guys…that’s it. This takes less than 30 minutes to make and it’s not only delicious but fun too!
Looking for other quick weeknight Thai summer dinners? Here are some favorites:
Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce
30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
Lastly, if you make this Thai basil sesame cashew chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Thai Basil Sesame Cashew Chicken Chicken.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 539 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or flour
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 red or orange bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil, roughly torn
- steamed white or brown rice, for serving (coconut rice in notes)
Instructions
- 1. To make the cashews. Heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon honey, the cashews, chili, powder, and turmeric in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly toasted and caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely. Spoon the cashews out of the skillet onto a parchment-lined plate. Sprinkle with lime zest and salt. Set aside.2. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, and a pinch of black pepper. 3. To make the sauce. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup honey, the soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, ketchup, and sesame seeds. 4. Wipe the skillet clean. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and brown all over, until it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and peppers, cook another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 5 minutes.5. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice. Top with cashews, additional basil, and cucumbers, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Coconut Rice: Combine 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil. Add 1 cup basmati rice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered for another 15-20 minutes (don’t take any peeks inside!). Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
This post was originally published on July 8, 2020
It was really tasty en delicious! Easy to make too! Defiantly not the last time I cook this for my family?
Hi Maria,
Awesome! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xxTieghan
This was amazing! Took me four times as long to make but was totally worth it. My family freaked over it AND the coconut rice. You are the best!!!!
Hey Lyn,
Awesome! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xxTieghan
Super good but I also found it way too salty
Thanks for giving the recipe a try Rebecca! xTieghan
We *loved* this recipe! My husband proclaimed he would be happy if he ordered this in a restaurant. It was the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and spicy—and the cashews and coconut rice made this dish even more delish!
Notes: Like some reviewers, I found this to take much longer than 25 minutes (probably closer to an hour when all was said and done). Unlike other reviewers, we didn’t find this to be too salty; I cut back the amount of fish sauce (since it’s been overpowering in other cashew chicken dishes) and always use reduced sodium soy sauce and unsalted cashews, so maybe that made the difference.
Hey Kat,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry this took you longer than expected to make. xxTieghan
This was amazing! It came together so quickly and we served it with the crunchy cashews and coconut rice. We also made your Vegan Fudge Pops for dessert. The kids a loved it. And so did these dads!
Hey John,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a go! xxTieghan
I tried this today and it turned out great! I subbed out half the ketchup for gochujang paste and it was a fantastic choice. I highly recommend doing that.
I thought about adding gochujang! Next time.
Hey Sarah,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a go! xxTieghan
This was so good! I’m from Europe and we don’t have as sweet a tooth, so this is more for my personal notes next time I do this – I’d do just 1/2 the honey amount for the sauce, and add 2 tsp corn starch. The ginger was awesome. And the coconut rice was PERFECT. I ran a bit late so it ended up sitting there for 45 minutes after I turned it off and it was still just right! ?
Thanks for an awesome recipe! So glad I was recommended your website! ❤️
Hey Lucia,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Love your recipes! This one turned out WAAAAAAAY too salty. I’ll make it again but with much less soy sauce.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry you found this ti be salty! xTieghan
So delicious!! Coconut rice is amazing!! I followed recipe exactly and it’s perfect!
Hey Caitlin,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Where to begin the sauce…the rice…the cashews. Everything about this recipe is so delicious! I plan on making another batch of just the cashews for snacking—they’re THAT good!
Hey Lauren,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Easy and delicious recipe! The cashews make it exceptional. I used half coconut rice and half cauliflower rice to lighten it up, otherwise made the recipe exactly as printed. Will be making this again!
Hey Emily,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Awesome recipe and super easy to vegan-ize!!! We loved it. The cashews are maybe my favorite part. For some reason, our basmati rice didn’t cook well according to the coconut rice instructions, but we were able to improvise!! Will 100% make again.
Hey Barclay,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Delicious! I would recommend cutting the low sodium soy sauce in half and replacing with water. I made another one of her recipes that was too salty (sesame ginger chicken with sprouts), so I decided to half the soy sauce in this one. Glad I did because it was perfect.
Make a double batch of the cashews because they’re delicious and you’ll end up snacking on them!
Hey Nicolle,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, it makes me so glad that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Incredible. Don’t skip the cashews, and add all the basil. This is now a favorite that will be on repeat.
Hey Dawn,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! ☘️ xTieghan
I enjoyed this recipe but made a couple small changes _ used peanuts instead of cashews because that’s what I had and used regular soy as we I didn’t have light. I found it too salty with regular soy sauce and will use some chicken broth for half of the soy next time.
I also made the coconut rice and it was soooo good!!
Hey Julia,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xTieghan
I’m looking forward to making this but I’ve been eating a lot of rice lately so I’m wondering could this be served with noodles? If so, what type would you recommend? Thanks!
Hey Osen,
Sure I think noodles would be great! Really anything that you like would work, I think rice noodles would be good! I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan