Healthy carrot noodle pad thai made with frozen carrot noodles, fresh veggies and herbs, chicken, egg, and finished with a homemade peanut sauce. This simple and easy pad thai recipe is nourishing, comforting, and the perfect fix when you’re craving some takeout food.

Carrot Noodle Pad Thai Ingredients

Carrot Noodles: I recommend using frozen carrot noodles for best results. You can find them at most grocery stores, as well as frozen butternut squash noodles or zucchini noodles, which will also work (see recipe note).

Bean Sprouts: Fresh bean sprouts add an extra crunch to pad thai and work perfectly in this recipe. If you aren’t a fan of them, you can omit and the recipe will taste the same.

Bell Pepper: You can use a red, green, or yellow bell pepper for the carrot noodle pad thai. Bell peppers add a little bit of sweetness as well as some crunch.

Spices and Fresh Herbs: The spices and herbs in this recipe are key to its flavor. Season with salt and pepper to bring out the natural flavors, then add the ginger to get the classic pad thai taste. The fresh cilantro is my personal favorite part, but if you don’t like cilantro try parsley.

Eggs: Scrambled eggs not only pack in some extra protein but also add to the various textures of this dish. You could make the recipe vegan by leaving out the eggs and chicken if desired, and replacing the honey with maple syrup.

Chicken: You can use either chicken thighs or chicken breast for this recipe. Fully cook the chicken on the stove top or in the oven before slicing into small pieces for the dish. You could also make the chicken ahead of time. Omit the chicken or try tofu for a vegetarian option.

Peanuts and Peanut Butter: Peanuts are the biggest flavor in pad thai. Be sure to use very creamy peanut butter, ideally with just one ingredient. The peanuts are the last touch that add some crunchy topping and make the bite complete.

Coconut Aminos: If you’ve never used coconut aminos, it tastes just like soy sauce but is made from coconut and has no soy or gluten. I love the taste of coconut aminos but you can use soy sauce instead for the same salty flavor.

Rice Vinegar: Adding rice vinegar to the pad thai peanut sauce will add acidity and compliment the other flavors, especially the peanut butter. You can use a splash of apple cider vinegar if you don’t want to use rice vinegar.

Chili Garlic Sauce: Chili garlic sauce makes the pad thai spicier. If you don’t like spicy things, omit the chili garlic sauce. Alternatively, use a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for some spice.

Honey: The honey adds sweetness to the sauce but is not necessary. You can omit it or use maple syrup as a replacement.

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CARROT NOODLE PAD THAI

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

5.0 from 2 votes

Servings

–

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 package frozen carrot noodles
1.5 cups bean sprouts
1 bell pepper, diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 eggs
1 cup cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
PEANUT SAUCE
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp boiling water

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrot noodles.
Once the carrot noodles have defrosted, add the bean sprouts, bell pepper, spices, green onions, garlic, and about half of the cilantro to the pan. Mix everything together and cook until peppers are tender.
Clear a space in the middle of the pan and crack the eggs into it. Scramble with a fork, let cook for a few minutes, and incorporate into the mixture.
Make the peanut sauce by combining all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar and mix well. Customize for desired thickness by adding more hot water if needed then pour on top of the carrot noodles and mix again.
Add in the cooked chicken then top with the remaining cilantro and the chopped peanuts. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container.

Notes

You can use spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, rice noodles or ramen noodles for the recipe. Follow the same steps but cook the squash or zucchini noodles a bit longer in order to soak up all of the liquid. If using rice or ramen noodles, fully cook the noodles before adding at the same time as the bell pepper.