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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
My husband loved!! Said it felt like we ordered takeout! So delicious! Thank you for such awesome recipes. Truly talented?
Thank you so much Stephanie! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was super delicious! I do have to say that, although I’ve been an avid home cook for over thirty years, there is no possible way I could make this recipe in the amount of time you estimate. I might be able to do it if every single ingredient was prepped and ready – chicken sliced, garlic and ginger grated, sauce ingredients measured and combined, etc. But without that being the case, it took me well over an hour from start to finish. Delicious, though! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Alma!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
This recipe was sooooo good! The coconut rice was amazing. I made it ahead of time as well as the cashews. I also made the sauce and presliced the peppers & chicken to help it come together even quicker. I didn’t have Thai basil so I used regular, and it was delicious. Next year I’ll plant some Thai basil!
Love that! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Brittany! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I’m making this dish now. You styled it with cucumbers, yes? Du you revolt don’t adding?
Can i make these cashews as a snack only? Or too sticky or greasy?
Thx
Chamila
Hi Chamila,
Sure that sounds like a great idea! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Absolutely loved it. I try a new recipe every Friday evening, and my husband said this is nr1 for 2020 so far. Those nuts – amazing!!! Will make again and again.
Thank you so much Liesel!! xTieghan
Made this today and it was absolutely delicious! Especially with the coconut rice. Would make this over takeout any day.
Thank you so much Nicole! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This sure was delicious. I’m not sure what kind of chopping and organizational system you have though to accomplish this in 25 minutes. Took me way longer than that.
Hi Chuck! I am really glad you enjoyed this one! I am sorry it took longer than expected though. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! Made exactly as written, using breasts and regular basil because that’s what I had on hand. I also discovered that I can make coconut rice in my rice cooker by subbing out half the water for coconut milk and cooking on the “brown rice” setting. This is the first time I’ve used sambal oelek – thank you, Tieghan, for helping me try new things.
Thank you so much for trying this one, Bethany! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was sooooo tasty!!!! My first recipe I’ve tried by you and I’m already planning my next one!! Absolutely delish and easy to make. We used Brocolli instead of peppers.
Yum! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Loved this dish SO yummy!!!! I felt like my sauce wasn’t as thick as yours looks in the picture. I used a half pound more chicken than requested – maybe that had something to do with it . Still such a great, flavorful dish definitely adding to my regular list of dinners!!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Morgan! xTieghan
This was delicious and so easy to make. The only thing I added were some sliced scallions at the end, light and dark parts. Will make this again. I love your cookbooks. I have both of them.
Wow I love to hear that! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Jane! xTieghan
Super delicious recipe!!
I made the coconut rice and had to let it go on the heat a little while longer to soak up all the liquid but it was a great addition to this dish!
Sauce was amazing and the cashews provide a nice texture and crunch, This was a hit in my house!
Next time I’ll use Coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce as it takes some gluten out of the recipe.
This is a must make!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Riley! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight, and wow! It was amazing! Even my bf said it was “really good” and he’s such a picky eater and my biggest critique! He’s so hard to please! I made minor changes to make this a little healthier as I’m weaning my way to whole30. I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, Yai Thais sweet chili sauce, which is whole30 compliant, I added some crushed red pepper to the sauce and threw in a Serrano pepper with the peppers for some extra heat. Seriously, altho mine looked nothing like yours, yours looks crispy (I didn’t get any crisp, maybe I had too much chicken in the pan) but this was SO good and will definitrly continue to make this in rotation! In compliance with whole30, do you think trying a date paste instead of honey would still make this taste good?
Thanks again! This was fabulous!
Hi Jen! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you and your boyfriend! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I loved this meal! I made it for my wife, and she’s not typically a big fan of spicy, but she liked this. Everything comes together really well with this recipe.
Thank you so much Jason! xTieghan