Healthy Chicken Pad Thai

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Finally a healthy Chicken Pad Thai recipe that is fast, easy, and completely delicious. Enjoy a classic restaurant dish in the comfort of your own home made from real ingredients.

Everything in its Place

“Mise en Place” in French cooking means: “Everything in its place.” This principle is especially important for this recipe because once you start cooking, you won’t have time to stop and prep.

The Noodles

You can go many different routes with the noodles for this dish. Traditionally, Pad Thai noodles are flat rice noodles. My favorite noodles of all time are Udon, so that’s typically what I select but I’ve used all kinds. Either way, I’ve found that the ones pre-cooked hold together better for this. These are great: Annie Chun’s Noodles.

If you don’t go the pre-cooked route, just prepare your noodles according to the packaging instructions. Then drain and set aside. Do this before you begin cooking.

Chop, Shred, and Slice

Go ahead and prep the veggies. (All measurements are listed below in the printable recipe.)

Cut the red bell pepper (who else loves eating these just like an apple as much as I do?) into strips and then slice in half.

Shred the carrot on a box grater or cut matchstick style. One large carrot is usually enough to equal the 1.5 cups of carrots needed.

Dice the white portions of the green onions and then cut the green parts into bigger chunks (roughly 1 inch slices).

Peel and mince the garlic. If you have a garlic press like this one, you can wait until you’re adding it to the pot to mince.

Strain any liquid off the sauerkraut. If you’re not a fan of sauerkraut, don’t worry – you really won’t taste it. It does add some natural probiotics to this dish, a bonus. You can also use bean sprouts, cabbage, or omit altogether. Any of these ingredients are present to provide a little “crunch.”

Whisk Wet Ingredients Together

Next, measure and whisk the wet ingredients together: coconut aminos, peanut butter, Sucanat, rice vinegar, lime juice, and fish sauce.

Coconut Aminos is a healthy alternative to soy sauce. Soy is one of those foods you want to avoid for a multitude of reasons. If you still want soy – this is the best alternative I’ve found to the more widely available brands.

Sucanat is a brown sugar substitute that I use constantly. Brown sugar or another sweetener would work just fine. If you use honey, cut the recommended amount in half (roughly 2 tablespoons).

Note: it can be difficult to whisk the peanut butter into the other wet ingredients. If it stays clumpy, don’t fret! It will all blend together when you add it to the warm dish.

Cut the Chicken

Lastly, cut the chicken breasts into strips. You can also substitute 1 lb. of shrimp or simply skip the meat.

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Done with the Prep? Start Cooking.

Break out the Dutch oven. Don’t have one? You should. I use my larger Le Creuset 7.25 qt. Dutch oven for this recipe. Seriously though, you will enjoy cooking from scratch so much more with the right tools. Invest in a Dutch oven if you haven’t already. (And then tell me how much you love it.)

Over medium-high heat, coat the bottom of that Dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot) with olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and sprinkle with salt. Thoroughly cook the chicken, moving it around in the pot to prevent sticking. Remove the cooked chicken from the pot, leaving any oil behind. Set the chicken aside.

To the already hot Dutch oven, add the bell pepper and cook about a minute. You will want to keep the veggies moving throughout these next steps. I use the Zyliss Spatula and I think it makes all the difference.

NOTE: at any point, feel free to drizzle in more olive oil (no more than a tablespoon at a time) or turn down the heat slightly if you notice the veggies sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Then add the carrots, onions (whites and greens), sauerkraut (or cabbage or bean sprouts), and minced garlic. Continue to cook, stirring often.

Once the vegetables are cooked (4-5 minutes), push them to one side of the pot, and crack the eggs in beside them. Softly scramble the eggs and then fold into the veggies.

Pour the liquids (peanut butter blend) into the pot and stir to fully coat the vegetables. Add the noodles and mix together. If you’re using the pre-cooked noodles like I mentioned above, they will loosen and blend in nicely once they’re hot and moist – be patient – and try not to harshly stir because this will break the noodles.

Once the noodles are incorporated, return the chicken to the pot. Allow everything to warm throughout and remove from the heat.

Serve in a large bowl topped with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Red pepper flakes are a great addition if you want a kick of spice.

And you’re done! Enjoy a hearty, flavorful meal with your loved ones and see who can master the chopsticks.

Leave a comment below letting me know if you tried this recipe and what you thought!

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