Ready in under 15 minutes, and so full of delicious flavors and textures–this cashew shrimp stir fry is quick to make, easy to eat, and full of lean protein. Unlike my shrimp stir fry, the sauce isn’t sweet, making it low carb and easy to adjust!
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Ingredients for Cashew Shrimp
This simple cashew shrimp stir fry comes together with your basic stir fry sauce ingredients, plus cashews, shrimp, and green onions. Here’s what to collect before diving in:
- The sauce: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice cooking wine, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- The shrimp: opt for peeled, deveined, large shrimp with the tail off. If using frozen shrimp, be sure to fully defrost first. Large shrimp are harder to overcook, so they often stay succulently juicy without a shrimp marinade.
- Everything else: cashews, salted + roasted for maximum flavor! And sliced green onions–separate the whites + pale greens from the dark greens.
Variations + Tweaks:
As is, this is a basic cashew shrimp stir fry, that isn’t sweet, but has tons of delicious flavor. If you’re looking for something a little different, here are a few ways to tweak this recipe:
- Make the sauce sweet by adding a tablespoon of honey or brown sugar to the sauce, just whisk in until it’s completely dissolved.
- Make it spicier by adding more crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add veggies to the stir-fry: I love serving this dish with sauteed veggies on the side, but you can always double the sauce and incorporate them into the stir-fry. Bell peppers, broccoli, or snap peas are a great crunchy addition.
- Try a different protein: Keep in mind cook times will vary, but you can always make this a chicken stir fry, or even try tofu, or seared scallops.
How to Make Shrimp With Cashew Nuts
As with most stir fry recipes, we’ll be working quickly once we begin, so it’s a great idea to prep everything ahead. Here’s how, with step-by-step photos:
- Mix the sauce and set aside.
- Sear the shrimp.
- Add the green onions, cashews, and sauce.
What to Serve with Cashew Shrimp
Cashew shrimp pairs beautifully with…
- Steamed white or brown rice, or your favorite rice sub like fried cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
- Noodles, or veggie noodles like spaghetti squash pad thai.
- A bed of stir-fried or roasted vegetables–I love roasted bell peppers, roasted broccoli, and sauteed bok choy.
Leftover Ideas
Sure, you can reheat this shrimp with cashew nuts in the microwave for easy leftovers (within 3-4 days), but you can also get creative and turn these into a totally different meal:
- Toss the sauce and shrimp into noodles for a shrimp chow mein.
- Over a bed of greens and your favorite crisp veggies for a fresh salad–see my shrimp caesar salad, or shrimp and avocado salad for inspo.
- Turn these into tacos or lettuce wraps. May sound funky but I swear it works–I always do this with my chipotle shrimp.
More Shrimp Recipes
Cashew Shrimp
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Stir Fry:
- 1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup roasted salted cashews
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled + deveined
- 3 green onions thinly sliced (white + greens, separated)
Instructions
- Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set a side.
- Heat a large pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil. Once shimmering, add the shrimp and give them a quick stir to coat in oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until the shrimp are nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat of your pan to medium, and add the sauce, white part of the green onions, and cashews. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the onions.
- Remove from heat, serve over rice with green onions sprinkled on top, and enjoy!
This Cashew Shrimp recipe is a new favorite in my household! It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
Hi Jessica! Amazing!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner!🤩