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!
Just tried this recipe and it was delicious! Since I put 8oz of noodles I made the sauce x1.5. The only issue was it was pretty salty. When I looked at fish sauce nutrition facts there’s more sodium content than soy sauce. Not sure how healthy fish sauce is but if you could explain that’d be great. I’m concerned I just gave my family high blood pressure.
Hi Anon – Glad you liked it! Fish sauce is naturally high in sodium, but other than the fish sauce and coconut aminos, there is no added salt in this recipe. This recipe is much healthier than a traditional pad thai recipe as it is loaded with veggies, lean protein, and less sauce/ingredients with MSG that you would find at a typical pad thai restaurant. One dish isn’t going to give your family high blood pressure 🙂
So easy & delicious 😋 and ww friendly so this recipe is a win at my house. It will definitely be in the meal rotation. Now I just need to find bean sprouts 😂
So glad you liked it, Tana! Bean sprouts can for sure be kind of hard to find at the store.. we usually just sub in zucchini, mushrooms, or whatever veggies we have!
Try this!!!! Even if you don’t have all the ingredients – I had to eliminate the fish sauce and bean sprouts as well as the toppings. I also had to sub green pepper for red pepper. It was still incredible, and even my husband agreed! I think the sauce makes it! I will say by the time I chopped my vegetables and had everything together, it took me more like 45 mins to make, but totally worth it! Enjoy!
So glad you liked it, Angela!! Nice job for subbing in what you have – we’re all about getting creative!
This is SO good!! So delicious and such a healthier/cleaner version! 10/10 would recommend!
Thanks, Alyssa!! So glad you liked it!
I LOVE Pad Thai! I also love that it works great to use up all the extra veggies in the frig. Always a crowd favorite. Thanks of sharing your recipe
Thanks, Brooke! It’s the perfect way to use up extra veggies!
can you use black bean pasta with this recipe?
I’ve never tried this so I’m not sure! I think it would work. Let me know if you try it!
Recipe is so easy to follow and I love that it has clean ingredients. It tastes like take out which is so great because being gluten free limits my take out options!! I will definitely be making this again!!
I’m so glad you liked it, Ashley!
Obsessed with this recipe!! Will definitely be making this over and over again.
Yay! Love to hear that, Morgan! So glad you enjoyed it!
Really good! A great way to get a bunch of veggies into your day and feel satisfied.
Thank you Briana! It’s the perfect recipe to use up any veggies you have in your fridge 🙂
Hi there! So yummy and have made it twice but can get the sauce to look exactly like your (less thick). Any suggestions?
Hi Shannon- If you want to make the sauce thicker, I’d just let it boil for longer, while stirring. Sometimes depending on the exact ingredients/brands you use sauces will thicken/look differently!
Tastes amazing, so easy to make. I forgot to get a lime/lime.juice but it was just as good.
So glad you liked it, Rebecca! The lime juice is really yummy on it though – try it next time 🙂
Loved this recipe! We love Asian food, and it was a real treat to eat pad Thai without all the guilt! My husband had three helpings and won’t stop asking when I’m going to make it again. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Thanks Kelli! I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed it. We always go in for seconds with this recipe too – it’s just too good not to!
Best Thai I have ever had! So glad to know it’s got ingredients that are nourishing to the body. I wish I found this recipe earlier.
Thank you so much, Chanelle! I’m so glad you like it!
Love this recipe!! Super yummy and easy to make too!
Thank you so much, Veronica! I’m so glad you liked it!!
This is SO yummy!! The flavor of the sauce is amazing and it was a filling meal that all of my kids ate—hooray!!! One of my favorite recipes from Liz (whose recipes we use multiple times a week) and we will definitely make this again soon! Oh, and don’t skip the garnishes, they add so much good texture and flavor!!!
Thanks, Hayley!! It makes me so happy that you and your family love this recipe as much as I do 🙂
This recipe is so delicious! I made It once for my boyfriend, and now it’s in our weekly roundup.
Love hearing that 🙂 Thank you!!
I’ve been wanting to make this for so long and finally made it tonight. It was so good!! Easy recipe to follow! And I love that the ingredients are clean! It’s clean “take out” food!
I’m so glad you liked it, Ashley!! It’s my favorite recipe on the site.. I seriously could eat it every night!!
Just made this with spaghetti squash instead of noodles and it was great! I was glad my husband was out of town so I didn’t have to share 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it! I need to try it with the spaghetti squash – that sounds delicious 🙂
This was delicious!
So glad you liked it, Melanie!!
Made the Pad Thai
Whole family loved it, they craved more so the next night they went and brought some pad Thai but it wasn’t the same so I have to make it in bulk this week for all of them lol
Hi Teagan – I’m so glad you liked it!! I feel the same way about it – it always disappears in our house, lol!!
Ok, this was delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again! I used spaghetti squash instead of noodles and I highly recommend! Only thing I could say is it was a little salty, but that might’ve been because I added to much to my chicken…lol. Thank you, thank you for this!
I’m so glad you liked it, Katey! We actually don’t have any salt added to this recipe because fish sauce and coconut aminos are naturally salty – so it probably was because you added it to the chicken! Next time leave it out!! I’m definitely going to try it with spaghetti squash 🙂
We LOVE Pad Thai so I was a bit nervous to try this and it not be up to par. It was really good! We didn’t have coconut aminos so I just used low sodium soy sauce. Once that is gone I’d like to use the coconut stuff instead. My husband isn’t a big fan of fish sauce but still ate 2 helpings. I may try it with 1/8th cup next time and the rest coconut, but I’m not sure. I really liked it the way it was. Even had it cold today as a left over and was so good that way too.
I’m glad you all liked it!! I’m pretty picky about my pad thai too but we love this even more than takeout!! You definitely could make these with the substitutions you mentioned above – the fish sauce isn’t necessary if you’re not a fan!
Sweet potato noodles work well also
Oooh I need to try that!! Sounds yummy!
This is one of my favorite dinner to make at home! It’s very easy and simple to make! You can find everything at Aldi besides the fish sauce and coconut aminos.
I’m so glad you like it Sam!! It’s one of my favs too! I normally get the fish sauce and coconut aminos at Trader Joe’s – I find they have the best prices!!
Can you leave the egg out? They have recently started making me sick ?
Hi Ashley – You totally can leave the egg out and it will be just as delicious! I make it without eggs all the time because I’m personally not a fan of them, but included it in the recipe because usually pad thai has them 🙂