Chicken and broccoli.
This is a staple meal, THE gold standard, that I relied upon for more than a decade (and still do), to build muscle, burn fat, and to nourish my body with the proper nutrition to see and feel results.
Chicken and broccoli is undoubtedly one of my favorite go-to meals, whether its on a workout day, or even on a rest day for lunch or dinner. Whenever I dine out at an unfamiliar restaurant, a chicken and veggie combo is the first thing I would look for on the menu.
High protein for my muscles, high nutrition for my body, great flavor—this one-two punch never gets old!
Any way you slice it, chicken and broccoli equals GAINS!
I’ve had the chicken / broccoli combo hundreds of times, at different places, made in different ways, and for me, the winning formula always boils down to a flavorful sauce, fresh vegetables, a good spicy kick, and of course, a nice peanut-y finish.
So I combined all of these elements to create my SPICY TERIYAKI CASHEW CHICKEN dish!
The main protein source is chicken breast, of course. This is the leanest part of the chicken, as it has the highest amount of protein and the least amount of fat.
I only chose three different kinds of vegetables for this dish—-broccoli, red peppers, and mushrooms. I’ve also made this with onions, carrots, snap peas, etc. on top of all this, but my 12″ pan would just get so overstuffed, that as I would toss it around, food would just fly out of the pan! Funny, but not good!
Of course, you can customize or add more if you wish, just make sure your pan is big enough to fit them all!
Broccoli is the main vegetable in this dish, as it is believed to be one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Studies have shown that regularly eating broccoli helps to fight cancer, fight inflammation, slow aging, supports digestive health, eye health, liver health, etc, etc…The list just goes on and on. Bottom line: just eat it and eat a lot of it!
Red bell peppers are the sweetest of all the bell peppers, but still pack a nice nutritional punch. Red bell peppers are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, supports eye health, skin health, and has also been shown to help fight cancer.
Mushrooms have been shown to have cancer-fighting abilities and also fight free radical damage to your cells. Mushrooms are especially high in B vitamins, which help turn food into energy, and supports heart and brain health.
My spicy teriyaki cashew chicken recipe is a spicy and very flavorful dish. The coconut aminos, ginger, and srirachi are the dominant flavors in the stir fry sauce sure to hit your palette. Cut back on the srirachi and pepper if you prefer it less spicy.
I used coconut aminos here instead of soy sauce. This is an ingredient that I would see randomly at grocery stores, and it took a couple of times before it actually piqued my interest.
Basically, coco aminos is made up of two ingredients, coconut sap and salt. It is non-GMO, gluten/soy-free, vegan, and has much lesser sodium than soy sauce. They taste and appear very similar. Dr. Axe has an interesting article about the health benefits of coconut aminos and compares it to soy sauce which you can find it here.
As always, there are conflicting reports out there about this ingredient, but for me, I like the taste, as it’s very similar to soy sauce, only a bit sweeter. I like that it’s organic, it’s less processed, and also has lesser sodium than soy sauce. So, I’m sold on it, for now.
In this recipe, I feel that using soy sauce definitely gives the dish a nice, stronger kick, thanks to the its more full-bodied flavor, and added sodium. Using coco aminos here softens the flavor some, and makes it just a tad bit sweeter.
I use both interchangeably in my recipes, but from what I’ve found, coco aminos is probably the healthier choice.
You can also try out coco aminos instead of soy sauce in my brussels sprouts or cauliflower rice recipes, it tastes just as good!
One last thing I added to this dish is mirin , a sake-like rice wine, which is a staple in Japanese and other Asian recipes. It is an often overlooked ingredient that compliments the saltiness of soy sauce really well, and helps give a good teriyaki sauce its distinct flavor. There is alcohol in this, it varies between 8-14%, but don’t worry, it should burn off while it cooks.
The secret seasoning for the chicken is Weber’s Kick’n Chicken seasoning. This stuff is da bomb! Highly recommended!
Alright, here’s what you’ll need for the stir fry sauce:
And for the stir fry:
Let’s get to it!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30-35 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 lbs chicken breast tenders
- Weber Kick'n Chicken Seasoning
- black pepper
- 4 cups broccoli
- 1 whole red bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cup mushrooms
- 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
- 4 tbsp coconut aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce)
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
- 3 tsp srirachi sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup cashews (unsalted)
Ingredients
main dish
stir fry sauce
for garnish
|
|
- Add olive oil to pan set to medium heat. While pan is heating, create stir fry sauce in a mixing bowl and set aside, or in fridge.
- Season chicken on both sides and place onto heated pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes each side, or until just about done.
- While the chicken is cooking, chop up mushrooms, bell pepper, and/or other vegetables.
- Remove chicken from pan, and dice chicken into smaller pieces. Then, set aside.
- Add more olive oil to the pan, and toss veggies for 3-5 minutes, or until tender.
- Throw chicken back into the pan with the veggies. Toss for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add stir fry sauce to the pan. Fully incorporate the sauce into the chicken and veggies. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Ready to serve!
- In a separate pan, set to medium heat. Add cashews and sesame seeds. Toss for about 2-4 minutes or until toasted or golden brown.
- Garnish dish with cashews and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
-I use a ceramic Green Pan skillet and they recommend to go no higher than medium heat, so cooking times will differ based on your pan or skillet. Using a wok and/or a higher heat setting will result in faster cooking time.
-I prefer to dice/slice the chicken AFTER it has cooked and just about done. This saves me time, as I can chop up the veggies, and/or make the stir fry sauce while the chicken cooks.
-You can purchase pre-diced/sliced chicken breasts and stir fry with this, or you can buy the full chicken breasts and cut it up yourself while it is still raw, up to you.
-If you prefer a less spicier dish, just use 1 or 2 tsp srirachi sauce, instead of 3. Also, use less black pepper.
-Coconut aminos is a healthier, non-GMO substitute for soy sauce. It is organic and has lesser sodium than soy sauce. I would say that coco aminos has a less saltier and more sweeter flavor than soy sauce, but it tastes just as good. Of course, if you want a fuller flavor or to cheat a bit, feel free to use soy sauce in its place, 1:1 ratio.
-Toasting cashews and sesame seeds bring out a nuttier and more robust flavor than if consumed raw. Raw is still good, but toasting is better!
**Nutritional information is an approximation using Nutrifox, information from Google, and my own calculations to the best of my knowledge. It is not the definitive values or guaranteed to be 100% accurate information. Use only as a reference.**