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One-pan dishes are made for week-day dinners! Everything about them is easy. I mean, they are the easiest way ever to make and serve a complete dinner with the fewest number of steps. My family is notorious for skipping veggies. My effort and time are usually spent with the protein (meat or seafood) and the starch (potatoes or rice). Veggies, especially during the week when everything is rush-rush-rush, and everyone is tired and crabby after a long day of work or school, are often overlooked. It requires a concentrated effort to get a salad or vegetable on the table. One-pan or sheet pan dinners take it off my plate, so to speak!
Along with being a complete dinner, one-pan dishes are also easy to make. Once the prep is done (there are shortcuts), it goes on the pan and in the oven. There’s nothing left to do except for an occasional stir. This means I have a solid 20 minutes to myself before the timer buzzes.
A HUGE advantage of one-pan dinners is the easy-breezy clean-up. Worst-case scenario, there’s just one pan that needs washing. The best scenario is to line the pan with either parchment paper or aluminum foil (with some non-stick spray), and everything gets thrown away. No washing required. Ha! How easy is that? I’m thinking, I’ve made my point!
One-Pan Cashew Chicken and Veggies is a colorful, Asian-inspired, 30-minute dinner with various textures and is chalked full of fiber and nutrients. Plus, it’s completely flexible. This recipe can be adjusted for the amount you need (cut it in half or double). There’s also flexibility regarding the choice of chicken (dark or white meat) and the selection of veggies. I love chicken thighs. They always cook up tender & moist with lots of flavor and are less expensive. Chicken breast is considered healthier because it’s lower in fat and higher in protein, but the difference isn’t huge. Regardless of personal preference, the skinless and boneless chicken is cut in even bite-sized pieces.
I chose to use sugar snap peas and baby carrots for my primary vegetables because it’s what I had in the refrigerator. Broccoli is often used in Asian-inspired dishes, and it would be excellent in this recipe. Prepping the veggies can be a time-consuming task. Both the carrots and snap peas were pre-washed, considerably speeding things up. Pre-cut assorted veggies, often labeled as “stir-fry,” are usually available in the produce section of your favorite grocery store. Sweet mini peppers are quick to slice up, don’t add heat, and are colorful. Bell peppers work just as well. If you like things hot & spicy, feel free to throw in a sliced habanero or jalapeno pepper. A sprinkle of crushed red pepper can also be added to give a little warmth to the dish.
There’s also flexibility in the sauce. Substitutions abound. Olive oil can be used in place of sesame oil. Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar to be used instead of rice vinegar. If you don’t have hoisin sauce, you can use teriyaki sauce, fish sauce, or oyster sauce as a substitute, but the flavor will differ as Hoisin sauce is sweeter. Garlic powder can be substituted for minced garlic, and ground ginger can replace minced ginger. While you can substitute dry for fresh, nothing compares to the real deal. Fresh ginger has a pungent and spicy aroma that the ground form can’t provide. Although milder in taste, ground ginger does offer the same warm bite with a bit of sweetness. Fresh ginger can be kept in the freezer and grated or zested as needed (that’s what I do). Fresh ginger has a taunt skin that needs to be peeled before use. The easiest way to peel it with a spoon! Hold the ginger in one hand and brace it on a cutting board. With the other hand, scrape the ginger with the round edge of the spoon. Easy-peasy.
Once the chicken and veggies are prepped, and the sauce is mixed, it all gets combined in a large bowl and poured on a prepared baking sheet/baking pan. (Hold on to the cashews, they don’t get added until the very end.) Depending on how much you are making, you will need a good-size rimmed baking sheet (the one you use for baking cookies). Line the pan with parchment paper (my choice) or aluminum foil coated with some non-stick spray. Clean-up will take seconds! While the pan is in the oven, you have time to make your rice and, if desired, toast some sesame seeds for a garnish. Toasting sesame seeds only takes a couple of minutes in a sauté pan on medium heat. They add a nice extra crunch and great flavor. You can find sesame seeds in the spice section of the grocery store or online.
Have fun with this one-pan dinner! All the substitutions and variations make it nearly impossible to screw up. Enjoy!
One-Pan Cashew Chicken & Veggies
Course: Main, DinnerCuisine: Asian AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes20
minutesOne-Pan Cashew Chicken and Veggies is a colorful, Asian-inspired, 30-minute dinner with various textures and is chalked full of fiber and nutrients.
Ingredients
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
½ teaspoon fresh minced ginger
6 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup mini sweet pepper – sliced
1 lb sugar snap peas
1 lb baby carrots
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 cup dry-roasted cashews
3 cups hot cooked white rice
Sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, using a small whisk combine hoisin sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, black pepper, cornstarch and water
- In a large bowl combine chicken, bell peppers, and onion wedges. Add sauce mixture and toss to coat. Pour onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Roast 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cashew. Serve with hot cooked white rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Sesame oil: substitute olive oil
- Fresh ginger: substitute 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger. Freeze fresh ginger, use a spoon to peel, grate with a zester.
- Rice Vinegar: substitute cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- Vegetables: substitute broccoli florets, white onion, bell peppers
- Parchment paper: you can also use aluminum foil with non-stick spray
- Toast sesame seeds: In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the sesame seeds until golden brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
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