Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Peanut Free, Whole30, Vegetable Loaded, Low Calorie
Inspired by the traditional Thailand dish, this wholesome Paleo Pad Thai replaces rice noodles with zucchini spirals and is coated in an almond butter version of satay sauce. It is vegetable loaded with velvety tender marinaded chicken and fluffy, savory bites of egg. This luscious dish is finished with crunchy cashews and a drizzle of spicy sweet sriracha sauce.
Why I Love This Recipe
Paleo Pad Thai has tender, silky bites of chicken, sweet onion slices, fluffy, savory eggs, and snow peas in a bed of fresh zucchini spirals. This protein and vegetable loaded dish is then coated in a creamy almond butter version of satay sauce. Plus it's a filling, low calorie meal!
Let's talk about the sauce! While most of the components in this recipe are inspired by a beloved Thai dish, the sauce is derived from a common Indonesian peanut sauce. My paleo and Whole30 friendly version is a blend of almond butter, creamy coconut milk, savory coconut aminos, nutty sesame oil, and tangy lime juice and rice vinegar. The result is a silky smooth sauce that is savory, nutty and tangy in flavor!
Let's talk about the chicken marinade! Tangy vinegar helps tenderize the chicken breasts while coconut aminos impart savory flavor. However, don't skip adding the arrowroot starch! It is the secret velveting ingredient that all good stir fry meat has!! It makes the chicken velvety smooth, helps the sauce to thicken and stick to the tender meat in this dish.
Should I use snow or snap peas?
For the sake of a quicker dinner, I used whole trimmed snow peas in the recipe below. However, I have also used snap peas or green beans that are trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise. Because of the additional slicing, using snap peas or green beans takes a little longer, but is still delicious.
Different types of vegetable spiralizers
If you make vegetable noodles on a semi-regular basis, an electric spiralizer is the way to go! This is especially true if you like to spiralize harder vegetables like sweet potatoes, butternut squash or carrots. The one I purchased has gone up in price quite a bit, but this one is similar for a better price and has good ratings. For soft vegetables like the zucchini used in this recipe a hand spiralizer will work fine. Here is a link to a model that is very similar to the manual spiralizer that I own.
Keeping this dish paleo and Whole30 compliant
Additionally, most nuts, including cashews, are paleo and Whole30 compliant. The except is peanuts which are technically a legume and not an actual nut.
Furthermore, make sure to read the label of the sriracha sauce you're choosing if you're trying to be paleo or Whole30 compliant. Some brands will have added sugars or other noncompliant ingredients.
You can substitute arrowroot flour with tapioca starch or potato starch if you have these on hand instead.
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📖 Recipe
Paleo Pad Thai With Sauce {Whole30}
Equipment
- 2 small bowls
- 2 medium bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- 1 spiralizer
- clean hand towels
- fork or whisk
- 1 large deep skillet with a lid
- 1 small skillet
Ingredients
Meat & Marinade
- 1½-2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs bite sized diced
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
Vegetables
- 8 oz snow peas trimmed may substitute snap peas or green beans trimmed and sliced in half
- several pinches salt
- few sprays cooking spray I like to use Primal Kitchen avocado oil cooking spray
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 3-4 large zucchini (about 5 cups) spiralized
Eggs
- 7-8 whole eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
Sauce
- ¼ cup almond butter no sugar added
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup full fat coconut milk
- 1½ tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic powder
Optional Garnish
- 2 handfuls cashews rough chopped
- sriracha sauce Whole30 compliant brand if desired
Instructions
Marinade the chicken.
- Dice chicken into bite sized pieces and add to medium bowl or storage bag.
- In a small bowl or measuring pitcher add rice vinegar, coconut aminos, and arrowroot flour. Mix with a fork until completely smooth. Pour over chicken and refrigerate while you prep and cook the other components: 20 minutes up to 12 hours.
Make the sauce.
- In a small bowl combine coconut aminos, almond butter, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Use a whisk or fork to fully combine ingredients into a silky smooth sauce. Set aside.
Prepare the zucchini.
- Spiralize zucchini. Place in batches on a clean dish towel. Over a sink squeeze as much liquid out as you can. Set aside in a colander or paper towel lined bowl/plate.
Prepare the dish.
- Rinse trimmed snow peas (or green beans/snap peas) under cool running water. Heat a large skillet over MEDIUM and spray lightly with cooking spray. When skillet is warm add wet peas and 2-3 tablespoon of water to the skillet. Stir, cover with lid and reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Allow snow peas to steam until tender, about 3 minutes. If pan becomes dry before peas are tender add water 2 tablespoon at a time and continue to steam. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- While snow peas cook heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a small skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add eggs and coconut aminos to a small bowl and beat with a fork. When pan is hot add egg and amino mixture, reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW and scramble until eggs are still slightly wet but mostly cooked about 3 minutes. Use spatula to break apart into bite sized pieces in pan and set pan with eggs aside (off of heat).
- In the same skillet that steamed the snow peas, drain excess water if any remains. Add 2 tablespoon neutral oil over MEDIUM heat. When pan is very warm add chicken in a single layer and brown 1 minute per side. Remove to a bowl and side aside.
- Add sliced onions to the same pan. Add additional oil if the pan is dry. Sauté until soft about 3-5 minutes scraping up the stuck on bits leftover from the chicken.
- Add zucchini to the same pan with onions and sauté until softened about 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken and accumulated drippings, snow peas, scrambled eggs and sauce. Use kitchen tongs to mix all components thoroughly. Continue to heat over MEDIUM until chicken and eggs are fully cooked and dish is warm and bubbly about 2-3 minutes. Serve warm topped with chopped cashews and a hearty drizzle of sriracha if desired.
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