Healthy Chicken Pad Thai
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Skip takeout and make this Healthy Chicken Pad Thai recipe instead! A gluten free pad thai recipe that is high protein and delicious! Packed with veggies, chicken and brown rice noodles.
This post was originally shared in 2016 but has since been updated.
This Healthy Chicken Pad Thai is everything you love about traditional pad thai, made better for you!
Jam packed with ALL the veggies, lean protein, and healthy carbs thanks to brown rice noodles – it’s an easy meal everyone will love! The pad thai sauce is full of flavor, and naturally gluten-free!
Savory, filling and delicious – this is one of my absolute favorite healthier dinners!
Liz’s Tips for the Best Healthy Pad Thai:
- Pre-cut your veggies to save time: You can cut your veggies up to 2 days in advance to save time when it’s time to make dinner.
- Slightly undercook the noodles: The noodles will continue to cook as the absorb the sauce in the pan, so it’s ok to undercook them just a bit!
Ingredients
Substitutions
Oil: You can sub olive oil with avocado oil or canola oil
Chicken: Boneless skinless thighs or chicken tenders will also work. We also have a Thai Chicken Wings recipe that is delish!
You can sub in shrimp for the chicken if you’d like. Shrimp take much less time to cook, depending on their size I would cook about 2 minutes on each side until shrimp begin to turn pink. You can also use shaved steak/beef if you prefer! I have not tried this recipe with cooked tofu but I think it would work!
Egg free: You can simply omit the eggs.
Bean Sprouts: You might have a hard time finding bean sprouts. You can just skip them or sub in more vegetables.
Vegetables: You can omit the bean sprouts if you’re having a hard time finding them. Bulk up the dish by adding more carrots or peppers! I’ve also added in mushrooms and sliced zucchini and it was yummy!
Vegetarian: Feel free to skip the chicken and bulk up on veggies to make this vegetarian!
Fish Sauce: If you can’t find or don’t have fish sauce you can sub it in for more coconut aminos or soy sauce. It won’t taste the same but it will still be good! I promise you will not taste the fishy-ness of fish sauce.. I don’t eat fish and absolutely love the flavor it gives! (It does have a bit of an off-putting smell if this is your first time cooking with it, don’t be alarmed!)
Coconut Aminos: If you don’t have coconut aminos – substitute soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos. If you use Bragg’s use 1/2 the amount as it is much saltier.
Peanut Butter/Peanuts: I have not tried making this recipe without peanuts/peanut butter. Sunflower butter or cashew butter may work but I’m not sure how they will affect the taste. I don’t think almond butter will taste good in this recipe.
Tamarind Paste: Typically pad thai is made with tamarind paste, but it’s not something that I often cook with. I find that the lime juice helps give it that tangy taste!
How to make Healthy Chicken Pad Thai:
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil. Cook chicken over medium heat.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil + cook rice noodles.
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients + set off to the side. Chop vegetables.
- Add in carrots, peppers, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Push vegetables to one side of the pan + crack eggs into the pan. Scramble eggs until cooked, then remove from the pan and set aside with the chicken.
- Add the sauce mixture to the empty pan and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The sauce should bubble and thicken.
- Add cooked veggies, cooked chicken and cooked noodles into the pan with the sauce and toss to combine. Garnish with peanuts.
The next time you’re craving takeout, try making this instead.
It takes the same amount of time to make as you’re probably going to have to wait for delivery anyways, so you might as well try it!
What Makes this Recipe Healthier?
- Lower in salt: Some Thai dishes are high in salt (most restaurant meals are!) This dish is lower in salt than most Pad Thai recipes, but it is still higher in sodium than most recipes on our site.
- Simple ingredients: This recipe is only made with a few ingredients, all of which can be found at the store,
- Extra Veggies: I always order my pad Thai with extra vegetables – so I loaded this recipe up with veggies too!
Do you need to use fish sauce in this recipe?
If you can’t find fish sauce near you, you can sub in more coconut aminos for it. It definitely will not taste as good as the fish sauce adds such a yummy flavor, but it will be ok!
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Storage & Reheating
Storing: This healthy pad thai will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a refrigerator.
Reheating: You can reheat this pad thai in the microwave or on the stovetop, but we recommend reheating on the stove. Sauté over low heat on the stove. You can add a splash of water to loosen up the sauce.
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing this pad thai, but I don’t think it would work well. I think the noodles will get very mushy.
Can you use zucchini noodles instead of brown rice noodles?
Yes, I’ve also tested this recipe with zucchini noodles and it was delicious. I definitely prefer brown rice noodles, but the last time I made it I did a 50/50 split zoodles to brown rice noodles and it was so yummy!
Make sure to really squeeze all the liquid out of the zucchini noodles with a paper towel. You can squeeze most of the liquid out, then leave them on top of a paper towel to absorb more liquid while you are cooking. Add them at the very end, and do not pre-cook them.
Other healthy takeout recipes:
Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Healthy Chicken Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ½ inch cubes
- 5 oz brown rice noodles
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
- 1 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2 eggs
Sauce:
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Garnishes:
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ⅓ cup chopped peanuts
- lime wedges optional
- cilantro optional
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken over medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until completely browned on all sides and cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Cook the noodles per the package directions. We recommend cooking 1 minute less than the package recommends.
- While the chicken and noodles are cooking, make the sauce. Whisk together coconut aminos, fish sauce, honey, lime juice, peanut butter and rice vinegar until well combined. Set aside.
- Once the chicken has cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a large bowl. Try to leave the oil in the pan. You can add a little olive oil if necessary or spray your pan with olive oil for cooking the vegetables.
- Add the carrots, peppers, onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Once the vegetables start to soften, add in bean sprouts. Stir together and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Once the bean sprouts have cooked, push the vegetables to one side of the pan and crack the eggs directly into the hot pan. Scramble the eggs until cooked, approximately 2 minutes.
- Stir cooked eggs in with the vegetables. Remove the eggs and vegetables from the pan and set aside with the cooked chicken.
- Add the sauce to the empty hot pan (you don't need to clean the pan!) and turn the heat to high. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The sauce should bubble and slightly thicken.
- Add the cooked chicken, vegetables, eggs and noodles into the pan with the sauce. Toss with tongs until everything is coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with peanuts and green onion.
Instant Pot Instructions
- To make this in the instant pot – it is important to DOUBLE the sauce recipe. All other ingredients remain the same.
- Bring a separate pot of water to a boil (outside of instant pot) and cook the rice noodles according to package directions. While the rice noodles are cooking, turn instant pot on Sauté- High. Heat 1 tablespoon. of the olive oil, add the eggs in and scramble them quickly. Put them on a plate and set aside.
- Drizzle in the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the whole chicken breasts. Sear them 2 minutes per side to get them nice and golden brown. Meanwhile mix together your sauce ingredients. Make sure to double sauce ingredients from recipe.
- Move the chicken breasts onto a cutting board and chop them into one inch pieces.
- Add the garlic and onion into the instant pot. Saute for 30 seconds then add in the chicken, peppers and carrots. Mix it all together and pour the sauce over top.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure and Cook for 3 minutes. Keep in mind the Instant Pot takes 3-5 minutes to come to pressure before counting down the 3 minutes you’ve set.
- When the time is up quick release the steam. Remove the chicken and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot to the high sauté setting once more and bring the sauce up to a bubble. Allow it to bubble for 10-12 minutes until it thickens slightly. You’ll know it’s done when it begins to look darker and when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan and it takes just a second or 2 to come back together.
- Add in your noodles, eggs, chicken and veggies. Toss it all together. Garnish with peanuts, green onions. Note – nutritional facts will vary slightly because of the increase in sauce.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to cook the chicken whole and then cut it into cubes. Due to shape, the instant pot just doesn’t have the browning power of a wok or skillet when doing small pieces of chicken.
- DO NOT cook the noodles in the Instant Pot. They are just too starchy and will not work.
- Add in your noodles, eggs, chicken and veggies. Toss it all together. Garnish with peanuts, green onions. Note – nutritional facts will vary slightly because of the increase in sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Important Note: This is not an authentic pad Thai recipe. My goal is always to share recipes that are a bit healthier and made with affordable, accessible ingredients so everyone can enjoy them regardless of their food allergies or dietary restrictions. If you are looking for an authentic pad thai recipe – check out this recipe!
I made this recipe with shrimp instead of chicken and omg best home made pad thai recipe EVER!!!
Loved this!
My absolute favorite homemade pad Thai recipe. I’ve made this countless times! 👏🏼
Was absolutely delicious as written subbing coconut oil for olive. Remainder identical. Thank you!
Is there a substitute for fish sauce? Or can I just leave it out?
All of our blog posts have a substitutions section. We covered this there! Fish Sauce: If you can’t find or don’t have fish sauce you can sub it in for more coconut aminos or soy sauce. It won’t taste the same but it will still be good! I promise you will not taste the fishy-ness of fish sauce.. I don’t eat fish and absolutely love the flavor it gives! (It does have a bit of an off-putting smell if this is your first time cooking with it, don’t be alarmed!)
I definitely enjoyed this, but for me it didn’t quite have enough of the sour oomph I enjoy with my favorite pad thai. Bit more lime juice next time and will ratchet back the peanut butter–but I very much appreciate having a healthy option for a take out classic!
I made it twice and is very good!
This was awesome!!! I love the veggies!
This was my first time making Chicken Pad Thai, and this was the easiest recipe to follow. It was absolutely delicious! This will be on repeat on our home!
I can’t have peanuts. What could I use instead of the peanut butter in the sauce?
I have only tried this with peanut butter. Cashew butter may work, but I can’t know for sure without trying. I’m sorry!
I have used Sunflower Seed Butter in recipes like this. I look forward to trying this one! (nut-free, of course ;))
Made this recipe last weekend. It’s another winner and will definitely make it again. No need for takeout!
I’ll be making this next week, when we return home.
I’m a huge Pad Thai fan, and this one is something my wife and I will enjoy.
My wife is allergic to certain fish oils, but we found adding a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire Sauce gives that fish taste without causing her any issues.
That is not a medical note for others, it just works out that way for us.
We dig Thai food, and finally found one that is reliable in San Antonio.
Hope you love it!
This definitely hits the spot! I’ve been craving some good pad Thai and this was perfect! I added mushrooms and zucchini as recommended, it superb addition! This will be made again!
My family LOVES this dinner. I make it at least once a month. It is one of the few recipes everyone eats without complaint! Winner winner chicken dinner!
This meal is just a tad more labor Intensive than the others, but man oh man is it worth it!! This tastes like the best take out pad Thai ever, but without feeling the ick afterwards from all the usual grease from take out. This is absolutely so delicious. You can even change up the veggies or add more if you want. I made this for myself for meal prep for lunches. It heated up great and was a lunch I really looked forward to that week. Highly recommend making!
I scoured the internet for a cleaner pad thai recipe and this one is outstanding. So delicious! I actually subbed ACV for the rice vinegar and it was still sooooo so good! This will definitely become a staple in my house. It’s better than my local thai takeout spot.
I double the sauce amount because I like more sauce🙂 but it is so easy and so delicious!
A MUST TRY recipe!!!!!!! Tried this recipe for the 1st time and this will DEFINITELY be in our weekly rotation!!!!! It’s so versatile & a keeper!
This was amazing. We will definitely be making again.
Absolutely delicious and very simple to create.
So glad you liked it!
Love this recipe! Have made it a bunch of times. it’s SO good! Thank you for making this!
Delicious and my whole family loved it!
Thank you so much for trying it!