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What is stir fry sauce made of
Why coat chicken in flour before stir frying
Ingredients for gluten-free cashew chicken
Gluten-Free Cashew Chicken with Broccoli Recipe
Recipe video
More healthy meal ideas

This Gluten-Free Cashew Chicken with Broccoli is a healthy high-protein meal that’s easy to make.

It’s cooked in a homemade stir fry sauce, which comes together with a few basic ingredients.
The sauce is made in a jar, so all you have to do is shake the ingredients together.
The vegetable preparation is simplified by just using broccoli and onion.

You can serve this dish with rice or on its own for a low-carb option.

What is stir fry sauce made of

This stir fry sauce is made with the following ingredients to achieve that delicious combination of salty, sweet and spicy:

Tamari – Adds saltiness to the sauce. Tamari is a gluten-free alternative to traditional soy sauce. You can use soy sauce if you don’t need the recipe to be gluten-free.
Chicken stock – Provides a beautiful savory note to the sauce. Since only a small amount of stock is needed, you can leave it out if you don’t have any.
Maple syrup – To balance out the salty and spicy flavors of the sauce. You could use another liquid sweetener like honey or brown rice syrup if you prefer.
Garlic – I add two cloves of garlic to the sauce. Make sure to finely mince or crush the garlic to avoid large chunks.
Fresh ginger – Adds fresh heat to the sauce. Like the garlic, you want to mince the ginger. I mince it using a fine microplane grater. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you could substitute one teaspoon of ginger powder.
Red chili flakes – To add spicy heat to the sauce. The amount used in the recipe gives a mild level of spice. You can leave it out if you don’t like spice, or add more if you like your sauces extra spicy.
Black pepper – Adds another savory note to the sauce. Freshly cracked black pepper is ideal. I only add pepper, and no salt to the sauce, since the tamari is salty enough.

Ingredients for gluten-free stir fry sauce set out on a wooden board — Tamari, chicken stock, maple syrup, garlic, fresh ginger, red chili flakes and black pepper

Why coat chicken in flour before stir frying

When making a chicken stir fry, you want the sauce to coat each piece of chicken. The best way to achieve this is by coating, or dredging, the chicken in flour before stir frying. The flour helps the stir fry sauce thicken and stick to the chicken. It also helps you get a crust on the chicken and prevents the chicken from drying out.

The best flours for this purpose are actually starches. Tapioca flour, also known as tapioca starch, is what I use in this cashew chicken recipe. It’s made from the root of the cassava plant and is gluten-free and grain-free.

Alternatively, you can use arrowroot flour. Arrowroot flour, also known as arrowroot starch, is also a starch derived from plants. Like tapioca flour, it is also gluten-free and grain-free. Corn starch will also work if that’s what you have at home.

Stir fry sauce for gluten-free cashew chicken in a jar with a piece of fresh ginger — This homemade stir fry sauce is gluten-free and healthier than many store-bought sauces

Ingredients for gluten-free cashew chicken

Chicken breast – I usually use chicken breast in this recipe. However, chicken thighs will also work. Just make sure the chicken is skinless and boneless since we are cooking it quickly.
Broccoli – I use a small head of broccoli cut into florets. You could also use broccolini if you prefer and cut it into pieces of a similar size to broccoli florets.
Brown onion – These are usually easy to find. However, you can use any type of onion. White onion or red onion both work well.
Tapioca flour – To coat the chicken before frying. It helps the sauce thicken and stick to the chicken. You can also use arrowroot flour or corn starch instead of tapioca flour.
Avocado oil – To fry the chicken and vegetables. Avocado oil works well for higher heat cooking since it has a high smoke point.
Raw cashew nuts – Raw and unsalted cashew nuts work best in this cashew chicken recipe. They also provide some good fats to make the recipe more filling.
Homemade stir fry sauce – I make my own stir fry sauce as mentioned above. Making your own is usually healthier and allows you to adjust the spice level to suit your taste. However, you could use a store-bought sauce if there is one that you enjoy.