Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai transforms roasted spaghetti squash into a noodle substitute tossed with tender chicken and sautéed vegetables. The dish features a chili almond sauce made from almond butter, lime, tamari, ginger, garlic, maple syrup, and sambal oelek, adding a nutty, tangy, and mildly spicy flavor. The chicken is cooked until golden, then combined with softened bell pepper, carrot, and onion before mixing in the sauce and spaghetti squash. This recipe delivers a satisfying texture blend of soft squash strands and crisp-tender vegetables, ideal for those seeking a vegetable-forward variation on traditional Pad Thai.
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash approx. 5 cups after roasting, large
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons; or avocado oil
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless
- salt
- black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ginger chopped
- 1 onion chopped; 1/2 cup
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup carrot matchstick cut
- green onions fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish
- 2 Tablespoons almonds optional, chopped, salted
Chili Almond Sauce
- ½ cup almond butter no sugar added, natural
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice fresh
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled, knob
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Cook your spaghetti squash. I like using the ring method outlined in the linked post.
- While squash is roasting, make the chili almond sauce by adding all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and set aside.
- Chop raw chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tablespoon oil. Add chicken to the skillet and liberally season with sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until all sides are golden and chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the same skillet and sauté together ginger, onion, bell pepper and carrots. Cook until the veggies are starting to soften, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add chicken back to the skillet with the veggies. Then add the chili almond sauce and mix everything together thoroughly.
- Add spaghetti squash to the skillet and mix again. If your skillet isn’t large enough, you can put everything in a large bowl to mix instead.
- Serve the spaghetti squash pad Thai immediately with green onions, fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish. Top with chopped almonds.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 456
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/4 of recipe | |
| Calories | 456kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 24g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 36mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 607mg | 25% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.