Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai is an easy way to enjoy an Asian take-out favorite at home but in a healthier, low-carb recipe! This simple dish is surprisingly quick to whip up, and the whole family won’t even miss the traditional rice noodles.
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai Recipe
I have made quite a few spaghetti squash recipes in my day, but I think this Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai is my new fave! (Although these Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash Boats, Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats, and this Spaghetti Squash Carbonara are all incredibly delicious, too!)
It is full of the 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 making 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.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Spaghetti squash. Look for a medium to large spaghetti squash for the best results. Avoid extra large or small ones as they won’t have good flavor or texture.
- Vegetables. Other than the squash, you’ll need chopped green onions and shredded carrots.
- Chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are the leanest option, but you could opt for chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Pad Thai sauce. While you can grab a jar at the store, it’s so much healthier to make your own. You only need soy sauce, fresh lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic paste, and rice vinegar!
How to Make Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.
1. Roast the 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.
For the best results, cut your whole 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 cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a 425℉ preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the insides shred easily. Smaller spaghetti squash will take less time, while bigger squash will take longer.
2. Cook the Veggies and Eggs
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the white parts of the chopped green onions, minced garlic, and shredded carrots. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Push the vegetables to the side of the skillet and add the cracked and whisked eggs. Scramble for 2 to 3 minutes more, still over medium heat.
Mix the veggies and the eggs together, then remove from the skillet to a plate.
3. Cook the Chicken
Toss the thinly sliced chicken breast pieces in the starch or flour and black pepper. Be sure to tap to remove the excess.
Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the skillet, and cook the chicken over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes. It should be cooked through.
4. Make the Pad Thai Sauce
Traditional pad Thai sauce is made with lime juice, brown or white sugar, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.
But if you want to make your pad Thai sauce recipe a bit healthier, you can use 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! Once the chicken is done cooking, add the flavorful sauce to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Fill the Squash
When the spaghetti squash has finished cooking, use a fork to shred the inside until you have “noodles.”
Carefully add equal amounts of the chicken, sauce, veggies, and eggs to each half.
Alternatively, you can add the spaghetti squash noodles to the chicken and sauce, then stir in the veggies and eggs. Toss everything together.
Top this spaghetti squash chicken pad Thai with bean sprouts, chopped crunchy peanuts, fresh lime juice, and chopped cilantro.
FAQs
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. This recipe is a much healthier option than classic pad Thai.
The best way to ensure you get noodle-like spaghetti squash is to avoid adding water to the roasting pan, and use only a little oil. Then, use a fork to gently fluff the insides after baking.
Recipe Tips
- Save time. If you’re in a hurry, grab a bag of shredded carrots and a jar of pad Thai sauce at grocery stores.
- Plus it up. Add in even more vegetables! Green beans, red bell pepper, and cabbage would taste amazing here.
- Make it work. If you’re not Paleo or soy-free, feel free to use gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari sauce.
- Top it off. Don’t forget the toppings—bean sprouts, peanuts, lime, and cilantro round out the flavors of this dish.
- Add some heat. Increase the amount of hot sauce, or include some red pepper flakes.
What to Serve with Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
If you’re looking for something to serve alongside this healthy pad Thai, there are many delicious dishes you can whip up.
Add some veggies, like Chinese Green Beans or Air Fryer Broccoli.
You can’t go wrong with a California Roll or a Philadelphia Roll.
Or keep it light and low carb with an Asian Cucumber Salad.
More Asian Food Favorites
Making your favorite Asian dishes at home is so easy, you’ll be wondering why you ever chose to order in from a Thai place!
- Teriyaki Shrimp
- Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Thai Yellow Chicken Curry
- Ground Chicken Thai Lettuce Wraps
- Thai Quinoa Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- ¼ cup oil olive or avocado, 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 or flour
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Pad Thai Sauce
- ⅓ cup soy sauce gluten-free, or Tamari
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice fresh
- ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. chili garlic paste or Sriracha sauce
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Toppings
- Cilantro finely chopped
- Limes
- Bean sprouts optional
- Peanuts optional
Instructions
- Roast the Squash: Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and drizzle a touch of oil on the insides of each half. 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.1 large spaghetti squash, ¼ cup oil
- Cook the Veggies and Eggs: 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. 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.6 green onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup carrots, 4 eggs
- Cook the Chicken: Toss chicken with the starch/flour and pepper in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same skillet and cook chicken over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through.1 lb. chicken breasts, 2 Tbsp. tapioca starch, ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Make the Sauce: While chicken is cooking, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, chili garlic paste, and vinegar in a medium-sized bowl. Once chicken is done cooking add sauce to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes.⅓ cup soy sauce, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1-2 Tbsp. chili garlic paste, 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- Fill the Squash: 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. 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.
- Cilantro, Limes, Bean sprouts, Peanuts
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Video
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.
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- Save time. If you’re in a hurry, grab a bag of shredded carrots and a jar of pad Thai sauce at grocery stores.
- Plus it up. Add in even more vegetables! Green beans, red bell pepper, and cabbage would taste amazing here.
- Make it work. If you’re not Paleo or soy-free, feel free to use gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari sauce.
- Top it off. Don’t forget the toppings–bean sprouts, peanuts, lime, and cilantro round out the flavors of this dish.
- Add some spice. Increase the amount of hot sauce, or include some red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Want more Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipes?
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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!!@@
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Liz! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This was SOOOOO good! My only regret is that I’m full and should stop eating now. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
LOL. So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Heather. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
Total hit with the family!!! Thank you!
Yay, Jenn! So happy to hear ya’ll enjoyed the recipe so much. Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂
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.
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!
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!!
Yay, Chastity!! I am so happy you enjoyed the spaghetti squash and are loving the recipes. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!!
An absolute hit in our house. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re so very welcome, Kat!
This looks awesome! What at great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much!! It’s delicious 🙂
Oh this looks absolutely delicious! Trying this our super soon.
Yay!! Can’t wait to hear what you think!!