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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.
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.
I’ve made this several times and my sauce comes out thin each time and my chicken doesn’t look nearly as red as yours does in the photos… any tips? We love the flavors but the thin sauce kinda kills the dish
Hi Christiana,
Thanks for making this recipe. Sorry to hear about the thin sauce. I would try a cornstarch slurry next time and turn your heat up a bit, that should help! xx
I actually made this with ground chicken and it was so delicious with the coconut rice and cashews. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Hey Nick,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing what worked well for you! So glad it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
We loved it! Easy to make and fantastic flavor. Will definitely make again
Hi Jenna,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy Friday:) xT
I was fortunate enough to go to a friends house and she made this dish with the coconut rice and I got to tell you I was blown away. I’ve been eating Thai food for 20 years and this might’ve been the best Thai dish I’ve ever eaten the rice was insanely creamy with coconut flavoring. I am a soul follower now. Thank you.
Wow! Thanks so much for your comment, Susan!! So glad to hear that this recipe was such a hit! xx
This recipe looked a little intimidating for a Thai-novice, but our guests really like Thai food, so we pulled it off! This was delicious. The coconut rice was delicious, I added a touch of lime zest. The lemongrass paste
This recipe looked a bit intimidating, but our guests tonight love Thai food, so I made this and the Thai beef noodles. What a feast! It was absolutely delicious and everyone loved the meal. The coconut rice and cashews were fantastic together. We will definitely make this again.
Hey Donna,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it! x
Hi, my hubby can’t eat soy. Is there any way to do it without soy or with a substitute? It looks really tasty
Hi Tish,
Coconut aminos would be a great option for you to use! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Per usual, another meal by Tieghan that is perfect!! The flavors are vibrant and balanced. I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce at home, so I used regular(it deft is too salty). Next time I will make sure to use low sodium like the recipe says. Despite that, it was still sooo good â¤ï¸
Thanks so much, Bex:) So glad to hear this dish was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! xT
I have made this recipe countless times using different vegetables that I might have in the refrigerator. I usually skip the nuts and use cauliflower rice as a base. We love it. Thanks.
Hey Maria,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe so often and your feedback! Love to hear that it is always enjoyed! xT
The flavors were amazing! Another oh so good recipe!
Hi Annette,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this dish, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xx
Made this tonight using chicken tenders and it was amazing! Definitely putting this on repeat🙌ðŸ¼
Thanks so so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
Made this for dinner tonight! I made it with ground chicken instead because it’s easier for me to cook. It was a 10/10! Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Can you freeze left over ?
Sure! That would be just fine for you to do:)
I just made this recipe last night and my husband gobbled this up! He really enjoyed it! During my grocery run I thought I had chili powder at home but I didn’t. So I was creative and just substituted the chili powder w/ Cayenne pepper and paprika. I also could not find the Chili paste at my local grocery store so I also substituted this with the Thai red curry paste. I think even with the substitutions I made this meal still turned out great. 🙂
Thank you!
Thank you so much! Hope you have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
Made this for the first time last night and it really is delicious. To expect it to only take about 25 minutes to prepare is a stretch, even if the cashews are omitted, there is still cutting, chopping & mincing, and all that takes time. The directions say to thinly slice the chicken but I cut boneless chicken breast tenders into chunks and it crisped up nicely. The coconut rice is a nice touch as well.
I will definitely be making this again.
Thanks Tieghan!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
Hi Tieghan, going to make this recipe soon however, I don’t like basil….What could I substitute for this herb?
You could use cilantro! xT