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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
This is very delicious! Easy to make and that’s a total winner in my book. Only issue is my *ahem* refined tastes gear towards schezuan chicken and general two’s and the like.. so while I absolutely LOVE Asian food, this didn’t fulfill that craving. So just needed to adjust my expectations. The Thai basil in this is so good.
Thank you so much Sameera! I am glad you still enjoyed this one! xTieghan
Made this last night and my boyfriend and I both loved it! I was jealous he got to the leftovers for lunch haha. This one is definitely a keeper!
Haha that is so amazing! I am really glad you both loved this one, Erin! Thank you! xTieghan
My husband said this was the best meal I’ve made him since we’ve been together- 3 years! I didn’t have the chili paste but followed the rest of the recipe to the T! Was so delicious! The coconut rice made it even better!
Thank you so much Christine! Love to hear that! xTieghan
So many incredible flavors! I make a lot of HBH recipes and this is a new favorite. The coconut rice adds an additional layer and makes it even more yummy.
Thank you so much Sarah! So happy to hear that! xTieghan
I LOVED the cashews, but the sauce ended up being so salty, it was almost inedible. I used low – sodium tamari, so that wasn’t the issue. I might try making this again with 1/4 cup tamari instead of the 1/2 cup.
Thank you Hannah! xTieghan
This was delicious and relatively easy to prepare while still achieving awesome layers of flavors! I found it to be a touch on the salty side, so I added extra honey to try to balance it out and it worked nicely. If I could do it again (which I will!) I will definitely add some picked cucumbers to really put it over the top. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Thank you Celia!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! I hope you continue to enjoy this and others of mine! xTieghan
This was incredible! My husband and I loved the combination of flavors. From the sweet and spicy cashews to the coconut rice, everything worked so well together. I didn’t have any reduced sodium tamari so I hlused half the amount of liquid aminos and it was perfect – not too salty. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Thank you Tara!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this and it’s perfect. That’s all I have to say. Additionally, I made your lemon No Fuss Lemon Tart and it’s was an absolute delight!!! Thanks for all the recipes that I can look to when I run out of ideas. 🙂
Thank you so much Pauline! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to love my blog and recipes! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight and wow!! My husband and I are absolutely blown away by how easy it was to make and how delicious it was!! I’m sharing the link with everyone as we speak and can’t wait to buy your cookbook!
Best dinner I’ve ever made – feeling very accomplished (and full)!
Thank you so much Courtney! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! I hope you love my book!! xTieghan
I love your recipes! I do however echo the other comments about the soy sauce being a little overwhelming for my family’s taste. Its a great dish but next time I will reduce the quantity by half. I’m only saying this a helpful hint to others who plan on making the dish – not a criticism. Keep up your great work!!
Thank you so much Lisa! I hope you continue to love my posts and recipes!! xTieghan
Hi. I love your recipes. Do you know how i could do this as a vegetarian option. If i used tofu or Quorn would it need marinating in cornstarch. Also is there an alternative to cornstarch?
Hi Krupa,
You could sub tofu or cauliflower and you can use arrowroot in place of the cornstarch. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So many amazing flavors! We added mint to the cucumbers to cool it down a bit.
Ooo love that! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Elizabeth! xTieghan
Can I coat the chicken in almond flour to make it keto for me!
Hi Faiza,
I haven’t tried this with almond flour, you could try using gluten free flour I think you might have better results with that. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
SO GOOD! Definitely making again.
Thank you so much Kelle! xTieghan
This sounds amazing! While I don’t mind spicy, my kids won’t eat anything very spicy. I have made other recipes with sambal oelek that were really hot. Is this particularly spicy as written or does it all kind of balance out?
Hi Rose,
This dish has a little kick, but if you are worried you can cut back on the amount of spice you use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan