This ginger and garlic-infused Cashew Shrimp is bursting with the sweet, nutty flavor of cashews. Put it over a bed of fluffy rice for a satisfying dinner!
Recently, I’ve developed a bit of an obsession with cooking Chinese-American cuisine. These aren’t authentic Chinese recipes from China per se, but they come from a whole different effort to make Chinese-themed restaurant food that caters to American tastes. In other words, these dishes are perfectly curated for my own taste buds, and I (along with many other Americans) love them dearly. I especially love Chinese-American shrimp dishes.
I like cooking shrimp for dinner for a lot of reasons. They thaw quickly in a pinch, and they’re extremely fast and easy to cook. These little crustaceans are handy, delicious, and versatile, as they go great with tons of different flavors. When I came across this recipe for cashew shrimp and saw it had garlic, ginger, and honey in the sauce mixture, I knew I had to make it.
This recipe is heavy on the cashews, which happen to be my absolute favorite nut! The tender and toothsome texture of cashews is perfectly suited for sauces because they soak up liquid and soften during cooking. The garlic, ginger, and honey combine with soy sauce and rice vinegar to create a lovely sauce that hits sweet, salty, and spicy notes, and the whole mixture simmers with all the cashews and shrimp to make a beautiful shrimp dish that your whole family will love. Serve it over rice, noodles, or even sautéed veggies for a full meal!
Is This Cashew Shrimp Healthy?
Cashew shrimp is fairly healthy. This dish is high in protein and healthy monounsaturated fats, thanks to the shrimp and cashews. Outside the cashews, the sauce consists of low-sodium soy sauce, natural and unprocessed honey, anti-inflammatory ginger, and heart-healthy garlic. The cashews are largely responsible for this recipe’s high calorie content, but they also make this dish very satisfying! Both the cashews and shrimp provide lots of mineral content as well, such as zinc and magnesium.
Overall, this dish is dairy-free and pescatarian-friendly. To make sure it’s gluten-free, check the label on the soy sauce; you can always substitute tamari for soy sauce if necessary.
Notes On Roasting Cashews
This recipe calls for roasted cashews, and typically, it’s easy to find pre-roasted cashews at the grocery store. But many pre-roasted cashew options are covered in salt and are roasted with one or more types of oils, including vegetable oils. If you want to take more control over your diet, roasting your own cashews is a good idea.
How To Roast Your Own Cashews:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F: Spread raw cashews in a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, with plenty of room between them.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes: Stir every 3-4 minutes to encourage even roasting.
- Remove pan from the oven when cashews are lightly browned: They should have a pleasant, nutty aroma.
- Let them cool: Season to taste (or omit the seasoning, if you’re sensitive to sodium).
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat over medium heat until heated through, and if you’re reheating this dish from frozen, let it thaw overnight in the fridge beforehand.
Serving Suggestions
I suggest you serve your cashew shrimp over brown rice, Baked Rice, fluffy quinoa, or over noodles. It’s also good as a topper for toast, and I would even like this dish on a baked potato! If you’re trying to cut down on carbs, feel free to serve it with Oven-Roasted Vegetables or simply over Pan-Fried Broccoli. You’re only limited by your imagination, and once you taste the sauce, your imagination is going to run wild!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cashews roasted
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger to create the sauce. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. Cook until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Add the roasted cashews to the skillet with the shrimp and pour the sauce over the top. Stir well to coat and cook for an additional 2 minutes until the sauce is heated through. Serve hot over rice, noodles, or vegetables.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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