Cashew shrimp is not a traditional Chinese dish but has become popular in Chinese restaurants across the United States and other Western countries. Overseas Chinese have incorporated local ingredients into Chinese cooking, and cashew shrimp is one great example. I will share my method for preparing this delicious dish in this article.

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Ingredients for the Cashew Shrimp Recipe

To prepare cashew shrimp, you will need the following ingredients:

• Shrimp: This recipe calls for medium-sized shrimp. Avoid using small shrimp, as they will not look good. On the other hand, large shrimp will not absorb the seasoning efficiently as stir-frying is a quick process.
• Cashews: I use roasted cashews, but if you have raw cashews, you can roast them in a hot pan over low heat for a few minutes or bake them in the oven until they turn slightly brown.
• Vegetables: I use celery, carrots, snow peas, and red bell pepper, but you can also use mushrooms or corn. Choose a variety of colorful vegetables for a vibrant and appealing dish.
• Seasoning: Keep it simple with wine, salt, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and ground white pepper. Some recipes include sugar, but I omit it because oyster sauce contains sugar.
• Baking soda: In Chinese cooking, we soak the shrimp in a solution of baking soda and salt for 10 to 15 minutes, then thoroughly rinse them to help make them crunchy.

📝 Cooking instruction

Preparation:

• Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl filled with water.  Add the baking soda and salt and stir until fully dissolved. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

• After 15 minutes, rinse the shrimp thoroughly with water to remove all the baking soda and excess salt.
• Drain the shrimp in a colander, then place the shrimp in a single layer on a kitchen towel to dry.

• Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, about the same size or slightly smaller than the shrimp.
• Cut the celery diagonally, the carrot into round pieces, and the bell pepper into triangles. For the snow peas, snap away both ends and pull out the string so they are not fibrous. Cut the snow peas in half if they are big.

Stir-frying:

• Heat some oil in the wok or a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and ginger, and sauté them until aromatic. 

• Next, add the carrots and continue stir-frying. After about half a minute, add three to four tablespoons of water to the carrots and continue cooking. 
• Keep cooking until the water has evaporated and the carrots are dry. Now, add the remaining vegetables to the wok and mix everything. Continue stir-frying for another 30 seconds. Add water if it is too dry. Remove from the wok when done.

• Let’s make the stir-fry sauce. The sauce consists of oyster sauce, salt, Chinese wine, light soy sauce, ground white pepper, cornstarch, and water. Mixing these ingredients in a small bowl will help ensure the right quantities and prevent unintentional omissions.

• Next, add some oil to the wok and heat it to medium. Add the shrimp to the wok and fry on both sides over medium-high heat until they change color. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper along the way.

• Return the vegetables to the wok and mix them well with the shrimp. Then, add the pre-made stir-fry sauce. Combine the sauce with the vegetables and shrimp thoroughly until it thickens.

• Finally, mix the roasted cashew nuts with the shrimp and vegetables. Remove the dish from the wok and serve immediately.

💡Tips and notes for the best Cashew Shrimp

1. I prefer to dry the shrimp using a piece of dry kitchen towel. This is better than using a paper towel, as I have experienced the paper towel sticking to the shrimp.
2. Soaking the shrimp in a baking soda and salt solution is optional. Baking soda helps make the shrimp crunchy and is safe to use, as it is commonly used in baking.
3. The ingredients used to make the stir-fry sauce can vary. Some people do not like the flavor of oyster sauce. In that case, you can increase the quantity of light soy sauce or add some fish sauce. Also, add some sesame oil if you like. For those who prefer to add sugar, which many Chinese chefs would do, you can add about half to one teaspoon of sugar.
4. I used peanut oil to cook this dish today, but I have been trying to switch to using olive oil for most of my cooking because it is a much healthier option. Since this cashew shrimp recipe doesn’t involve cooking at high heat, it’s okay to use olive oil instead.
5. Consider adding red pepper flakes if you like spicy food.

❓ Is it better to blanch the vegetables before stir-frying?

I don’t blanch the vegetables in this cashew shrimp stir fry recipe. Some chefs prefer to blanch them before stir-frying because they have different cooking times. For simplicity, I start by stirring-frying the carrots, which take the longest to cook. Once soft, I add the remaining vegetables that cook faster, mix everything, and cook until they’re crisp-tender. This method gives the same result as blanching but is quicker and has fewer steps.

However, if you plan to prepare these vegetables in advance, blanch them separately before stir-frying. After blanching, transfer the vegetables to a pot of cold water to stop cooking. Then, drain and refrigerate the blanched vegetables. When you’re ready to cook, prepare the shrimp, mix it with the pre-prepared vegetables, and stir-fry with the sauce.

❄️ How to store cashew shrimp?

I don’t recommend saving any leftovers of the cashew shrimp as it is best to enjoy fresh shrimp, and the cashews won’t remain crunchy if kept. However, if you want to store the leftover overnight, keep it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Avoid freezing the cooked shrimp as it can make the texture rubbery.

💁 What is the best dish to serve with cashew shrimp?

Here are some recipe suggestions if you’re looking for suitable dishes to serve alongside the cashew shrimp:

• Garlic fried rice is one of my favorites. (White rice also pairs well with cashew shrimp)
• A simple Bok Choy stir-fry would complement the shrimp nicely.
• Consider making an egg drop soup for a complete Asian-style dinner.

Continue to Content

Cashew Shrimp Stir-fry

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Quick and easy Chinese stir-fy cashew shrimp, Perfect combination of plump and fresh shrimp with crunchy cashews.

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Ingredients

Ingredients A (shrimp)

• 175g shrimp (weight after removing head and shell)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup water

Ingredients B (vegetables)

• 50g celery
• 50g carrot
• 50g red bell pepper
• 50g snow peas
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp cashew nuts

Ingredients C (sauce)

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cooking wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

Preparation:

1. Soak the shrimp in a baking soda and salt solution for 15 minutes. Then, rinse to remove all the baking soda and excess salt. Drain on a kitchen towel to dry.
2. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, about the same size or slightly smaller than the shrimp. 
3. For the snow peas, snap away both ends and pull out the string so they are not fibrous.

Stir-frying:

1. Saute the chopped garlic and ginger with oil until aromatic. 
2. Next, add the carrots and continue stir-frying. After about half a minute, add three to four tablespoons of water to the carrots and continue cooking. Keep cooking until the water has evaporated and the carrots are dry. 
3. Now, add the remaining vegetables. Continue stir-frying for another 30 seconds. Add water if it is too dry. Remove from the wok when done.
4. Let's make the stir-fry sauce by combining all ingredients C.
5. Stir fry the shrimp on both sides in oil over medium-high heat until they change color. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
6. Return the cooked vegetables to the wok and mix them well with the shrimp. Then, add the pre-made stir-fry sauce. Combine the sauce with the vegetables and shrimp thoroughly until it thickens.
7. Finally, mix the roasted cashew nuts with the shrimp and vegetables. Remove the dish from the wok and serve immediately.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 185mgSodium: 3463mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 24g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 8/7/2024