Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pad Thai is a healthy way to enjoy your favorite Thai recipe at home and was a crowd pleaser at girls’ night! This chicken pad Thai recipe is made gluten-free, dairy-free, and then stuffed in roasted spaghetti squash easy alternative to traditional pad Thai!
Want a few other healthy spaghetti squash recipes? You may also enjoy these Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Boats, this Lasagna Spaghetti Squash, and this Spaghetti Squash Alfredo.
Healthy Chicken Pad Thai Recipe
Once every month or two I gather a group of my closest girlfriends and we enjoy a smorgasbord of good food and great wine.
The most recent girls’ night we gave it a Thai cuisine theme and devoured everything from fresh spring rolls, a crunchy Asian salad, and this spaghetti squash pad Thai recipe.
These nights are so special to me because it is a chance to not only catch up with wonderful friends, but I also get to introduce the most amazing women in my life to each other.
I guess you can say I am kind of like “glue” because I love sticking people together in a room and seeing all of the relationships form!
Do you have a group of friends you meet with regularly? What’s your favorite recipe to make for these special nights?
My Girls Honestly Loved this Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai!
My girls are all incredibly sweet and would probably never tell me if they did not like a recipe.
However, I knew by the rush to get seconds that this spaghetti squash chicken pad Thai recipe was a keeper.
I have made a few other spaghetti squash recipes with chicken (like this Spinach Artichoke Chicken Spaghetti Squash and these Chicken Fajita Spaghetti Squash Boats!), but I think this spaghetti squash pad Thai is my new fave!
It is full of the incredible flavors of traditional pad Thai but is made Paleo and gluten-free with a few simple ingredients swaps.
Also, this chicken pad Thai gets made even healthier by eating it in stuffed spaghetti squash boats. This helps cut down the carb count quite a bit!
Feel free to serve the chicken pad Thai in the halves of the spaghetti squash boats (if serving for 4) or toss your spaghetti squash in the pad thai sauce and serve it on plates for 6.
Now let’s get to learning how to make roasted spaghetti squash and the ingredients found in our gluten-free and Paleo pad Thai sauce recipe.
How to Make Roasted Spaghetti Squash
There are numerous ways you can cook spaghetti squash, and trust me, I have tried them all!
Some recipes will call to add a bit of water, but don’t listen to them! Doing so will make the spaghetti squash way too soggy.
This is the best way to make roasted spaghetti squash:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.
- If you have trouble cutting your spaghetti squash simply put in the microwave for a bit or pop it in the oven while it is preheating for a few minutes. The knife should cut through the spaghetti squash with ease!
- Scoop out all of the seeds until you get to the flesh of the spaghetti squash.
- Drizzle a touch of olive oil and sprinkle a bit of sea salt on the inside halves of the spaghetti squash.
- Place your spaghetti squash halves on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- How long to bake spaghetti squash?
- Bake the spaghetti squash for 40-50 minutes, or until squash shreds into “spaghetti” easily with a fork.
- Smaller spaghetti squash will take less time while bigger squash will take longer.
- Once spaghetti squash is done cooking, shred the squash with a fork and serve with chicken pad Thai sauce or other stuffed spaghetti squash ingredients!
Pad Thai Sauce Recipe
Now that you’ve got your baked spaghetti squash roasting in the oven, it’s time to turn your attention to whipping up a healthy Pad thai sauce.
Traditional pad Thai sauce is made with lime juice, brown or white sugar, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.
In order to make our pad Thai sauce recipe a bit healthier, we are going to be using the following ingredients:
- Coconut sugar instead of refined sugar.
- Coconut aminos (no soy or gluten) or Tamari sauce (no gluten) instead of soy sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar.
- Chili garlic paste (no added sugars!) instead of Sriracha sauce.
You simply add all of your pad Thai sauce ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk them together!
How Many Carbs in Spaghetti Squash?
There are roughly 7 grams of carbohydrates and 1.5 grams of dietary fiber in 1 cup of spaghetti squash.
A 4-pound spaghetti squash will yield about 5 cups of spaghetti squash. So you are looking at around 35 grams of carbohydrates and 27 net carbs per spaghetti squash.
Spaghetti squash is touted for being a great low-carb noodle and pasta replacement. And yes, it definitely is!
But please be aware: it is lower-carb but it is definitely not without carbs. If you are on a strict keto diet be sure to eat it within moderation.
How Can You Evolve this Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipe?
While this spaghetti squash chicken pad Thai recipe is already gluten-free, dairy-free, and lower in carbs, there are a few ways you can change it up:
- Add in even more vegetables! Green beans, bell peppers, and cabbage would taste amazing in here.
- If you’re not Paleo or soy-free, feel free to use gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari sauce.
- All of the pad Thai sauce ingredients can be swapped out for their traditional counterparts you saw above!
Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pad Thai
Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pad Thai is a healthy way to enjoy your favorite Thai recipe at home! This chicken pad Thai recipe is made gluten-free, dairy-free, and then stuffed in roasted spaghetti squash that has been baked in the oven for an easy alternative to traditional pad Thai!
Ingredients
- 2 spaghetti squash or 1 large
- ¼ cup olive oil divided
- 6 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts divided
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 4 eggs whisked
- 1 lb. chicken breasts thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. tapioca starch
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Pad Thai Sauce
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce*
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice fresh
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. chili garlic paste
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Toppings
- Cilantro finely chopped
- Limes
- Bean sprouts optional
- Peanuts optional
- See this recipe in Meal Plan #5
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and drizzle a touch of olive oil on the insides of each half.
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Place spaghetti squash facedown on a large parchment paper or aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until fork tender.
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In a large skillet or wok add 2 tablespoons oil, the white parts of the green onions, crushed garlic, and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
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Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the whisked eggs. Scramble eggs for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, or until cooked through. Mix the eggs in with the vegetables. Remove eggs and vegetables from the skillet and place onto a plate until ready to use later.
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Toss chicken with the starch and pepper in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet and cook chicken over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through.
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While chicken is cooking, whisk together coconut aminos, lime juice, coconut sugar, chili garlic paste, and vinegar in a medium-sized bowl.
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Once chicken is done cooking add sauce to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes.
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When spaghetti squash is done cooking, shred the inside of the halves with a fork. Add equal amounts of the chicken, sauce, veggies, and eggs to each spaghetti squash half.
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You can also remove all of the spaghetti squash and add it to the skillet with the chicken, sauce, veggies and eggs to toss it together.
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Serve spaghetti squash pad Thai with bean sprouts, peanuts, limes and cilantro and enjoy! See this recipe in Meal Plan #5.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Can use gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari if not on a soy-free, Paleo, or Whole30 diet.
- Eliminate bean sprouts and peanuts if on a Paleo and Whole30 diet. Finely chopped almonds can replace the peanuts, if desired.
- Nutritional information is calculated with 2 medium spaghetti squash.
- If on a low-carb diet substitute 2 tablespoons stevia powder for the coconut sugar to bring the carbs/serving down to 19 carbs and 3 grams fiber/serving.
Want more Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipes?
Lasagna Spaghetti Squash Boats with Ground Turkey
Liz zanatta says
I made the chicken Pad Thai using the spaghetti squSh. I added in some diced red peppers for color and actually used Salt & Pepper flavored peanuts…. it cuts out adding any extra sLt. It came out amazing. Thanks for a great and healthy alternative!!@@
London Brazil says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Liz! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Heather says
This was SOOOOO good! My only regret is that I’m full and should stop eating now. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
London Brazil says
LOL. So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Heather. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
Jenn says
Total hit with the family!!! Thank you!
London says
Yay, Jenn! So happy to hear ya’ll enjoyed the recipe so much. Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂
Nina says
Wow this was absolutely incredible! We made it last night and could not stop eating it. It is better than regular pad thai. I used 1.5# of chicken and added onions, red bell pepper and snow peas, so I doubled the sauce and only used 2 tbsp of raw cane sugar to decrease the carbs/sugar. We will be making this regularly from now on. We couldn’t have picked a better first recipe of yours to try.
London says
Yum!! I love all of the veggies you added to it! So happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!
Chastity says
Made this last night and it is delicious!! Also love your fried rice with ground turkey recipe.
Thank you for all of the creative recipes!!
London says
Yay, Chastity!! I am so happy you enjoyed the spaghetti squash and are loving the recipes. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!!
Kat says
An absolute hit in our house. Thanks for the recipe!
London says
You’re so very welcome, Kat!
Karly says
This looks awesome! What at great idea! Thanks for sharing.
London says
Thanks so much!! It’s delicious 🙂
sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net says
Oh this looks absolutely delicious! Trying this our super soon.
London says
Yay!! Can’t wait to hear what you think!!