30-Minute Thai-Inspired Cashew Chicken Skillet Supper {Paleo}

This paleo 30-Minute Thai-Inspired Cashew Chicken Skillet Supper has a great balance of flavors and makes a delicious weeknight meal!

During his normal workday routine, my hubby isn’t a breakfast eater. (Unlike me…I look forward to breakfast the night before, lol.) That changes for him when we’re on vacation though.

In fact, he’s been known to choose a hotel based on the breakfast they offer, or the hotel’s proximity to an outdoor food market or local bakery. (What can I say? He’s a keeper.)

A couple years ago when we were in Thailand, the resort we were staying at had the best breakfast. There was an egg station where they’d make any kind of eggs you requested, a salad and fruit bar, a hot and cold cereal bar, a pancakes/waffles/crepes/pastries/bread station, and an assortment of local dishes, which always included rice and some kind of savory dish with meat and vegetables. Waking up to that every morning was bliss. (If you’re interested, you can read more about that hotel in this post.)

One of my favorite dishes was a chicken dish with cashews that I finally got around to recreating. It had a dark sauce that was sticky sweet, salty, sour, and umami all at the same time. This recipe definitely does it justice and is a pretty close replica of what I remember. It makes me miss Thailand!

30-Minute Thai-Inspired Cashew Chicken Skillet Supper {Paleo}

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Yield: 4 servings

This paleo 30-Minute Thai-Inspired Cashew Chicken Skillet Supper has a great balance of flavors and makes a delicious weeknight meal!

Ingredients

½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
2½ tablespoons coconut aminos (see Note)
2 teaspoons fish sauce (I use Red Boat)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
4 cloves garlic, crushed or grated on a microplane
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (see Note)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 lb to 1½ lbs (450 to 680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, very thinly sliced across the grain
2 medium red bell peppers, halved, de-seeded, and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
¾ cup (85 g) whole raw, unsalted cashews
Prepared cauliflower rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Whisk together the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar, coconut aminos, fish sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and arrowroot starch in a medium bowl and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the oil and once hot, add the chicken and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the red bell pepper and onion, and cook until the vegetables are starting to soften and brown in spots, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir the sauce and cashews into the chicken and vegetable mixture; turn the heat down to medium-low and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Taste the sauce to make sure the flavors are balanced, and adjust the seasonings as desired.
Serve with cauliflower rice if desired.

Notes

Coconut Aminos: You can substitute the same amount of tamari sauce or soy sauce for the coconut aminos if keeping it paleo isn’t a concern.

Arrowroot Starch: You can substitute 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for the arrowroot starch if keeping it paleo isn’t a concern.