Description
These Chinese Cashew Chicken Meatballs are tender, flavorful, and coated in a savory, slightly sweet sauce packed with crunchy cashews. Ground chicken is combined with aromatic seasonings and panko breadcrumbs, shaped into meatballs, browned in a skillet, then simmered in a rich oyster-soy sauce with bell peppers and garlic. Perfect served over rice for a satisfying meal with a blend of textures and authentic Chinese-inspired flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (ordinary or light)
- 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (shaoshing wine or dry sherry)
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 500g (1 lb) ground chicken mince
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small egg
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
Sauce and Cooking
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), chopped into 1.75 cm (2/3 inch) pieces
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce Mixture: Place soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce, and sesame oil into a jar and shake well. Pour out 2 teaspoons of this sauce mixture into a large bowl for making the meatballs. Add the cornflour into the remaining sauce in the jar, shake again, and set aside.
- Make the Meatball Mixture: Into the bowl with 2 tsp sauce, add ground chicken, minced garlic, egg, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and white pepper. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overworking the meat.
- Form Meatballs: Scoop a heaped tablespoon of mixture and place on a work surface. Roll into balls using your hands. If mixture is too loose or sticky, see notes for adjustments.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for about 4 minutes, turning to brown all sides as evenly as possible. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate; they will still be slightly raw inside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same skillet on medium-high heat, add sliced onion and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped capsicum and cook for another minute.
- Simmer Meatballs in Sauce: Add the prepared sauce mixture and water to the skillet, stirring quickly to combine. The sauce will begin to simmer. Gently add the browned meatballs and any juices from the plate back into the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer while stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens and meatballs are fully cooked through.
- Add Cashews and Serve: Stir in the unsalted cashews just before serving. Serve the meatballs and sauce hot over cooked rice for a delicious meal.
Notes
- If the meatball mixture is too loose or sticky to form balls, add a little more panko breadcrumbs, a tablespoon at a time, until it holds shape.
- This recipe uses light soy sauce for less saltiness, but you can use ordinary soy sauce if preferred.
- Chinese cooking wine (Shaoshing wine) can be substituted with dry sherry if unavailable.
- Small eggs work best to keep the mixture moist but binding; adjust slightly if using larger eggs.
- You can toast the cashews lightly before adding for extra flavor, but keep them unsalted to balance the sauce saltiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Chinese cashew chicken meatballs, chicken meatballs recipe, cashew chicken, quick Chinese dinner, stovetop meatballs, ground chicken recipe
