The Best Gluten-Free Pad Thai with Chicken

This is the best gluten-free pad Thai recipe. It is packed with delicious, healthy ingredients and the creamy peanut sauce gives this pad Thai the most incredible flavour. It's made with chicken, vegetables and rice noodles and is so easy to make so it's perfect for meal prep.

Chicken recipes like my ground chicken meatloaf make for some of the best meals, which is why I can't wait for you to try the recipe I am sharing with you today.

Table of Contents

• Why you will love this recipe:
• Ingredients and substitutions:
• How to make (step-by-step):
• Top tips:
• Variations and add ins:
• How to serve:
• How to store:
• Frequently asked questions:
• Other recipes you will love:
• Recipe

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Rice noodles: traditional pad Thai recipes use thin, flat rice noodles which are perfect for soaking up the delicious peanut sauce. You can use either white rice noodles or brown rice noodles for making this pad Thai.
• Coconut oil: I went with coconut oil because I love it's flavour but you could replace this with any other cooking oil that you like including olive oil or avocado oil. 
• Chicken breasts: to add some protein to this Thai noodle dish and make it a complete meal. I personally love chicken pad Thai but you could easily choose another protein such as beef, shrimp or pork.
• Veggies: I went with carrots, bell pepper and green onion but you can use whatever veggies you prefer. This recipe is a great way to use up vegetables you have in your fridge.
• Peanut sauce: the homemade peanut sauce on this recipe is so good! To make it you will need unsweetened peanut butter, coconut aminos, honey or maple syrup, gluten-free fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ground ginger and chili flakes (red pepper flakes). Instead of coconut aminos you can use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce. You can also swap the peanut butter for another nut butter if you are allergic to peanuts.

How to make (step-by-step):

Step one:

Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions or package instructions, but do not cook them fully as you’ll give them another minute or two in the pan after. Rinse the noodles in cold water, drain them, and set them aside.

Step two:

While the noodles are cooking, place the sauce ingredients into a small bowl or glass measuring cup and stir together until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Then set the sauce aside.

Step three:

Place a large pan or large wok on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is melted add the chopped chicken breasts and cook them for 1-2 minutes per side, until fully cooked.

Step four:

Add the chopped bell peppers, chopped carrots and chopped green onion to the pan with the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Step five:

Add the noodles and sauce to the pan. Stir everything well to combine and heat together for 1-2 more minutes to warm. Then serve and enjoy!

Variations and add ins:

• If you are allergic to peanuts you can use another nut or seed butter such as sunflower seed butter, almond butter or cashew butter.
• Feel free to add more chicken if you want even more protein in your pad Thai.
• If you don't like chicken pad Thai, choose another protein such as pork, beef or even tofu! You will just have to adjust the cooking time accordingly. 
• You can easily add more vegetables or use different vegetables for this recipe.
• If you like hot and spicy pad Thai, add more chili flakes to the peanut sauce.
• If you don't want meat in your pad Thai, simply omit the chicken and substitute for more vegetables. Just note that this is not a vegan pad Thai recipe because of this fish sauce.
• If you want to turn this into a paleo pad Thai, use a grain free noodle and either cashew butter or almond butter to make the sauce.
• Instead of coconut aminos you could use gluten free soy sauce or tamari.

How to serve:

This healthy pad Thai is delicious served as is but you could also add mung bean sprouts for a little extra texture and crunch or you could top it with other ingredients such as chopped fresh cilantro, green onions, peanuts, sesame seeds or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

How to store:

Store any leftover pad Thai in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Simply reheat it when you are ready to eat it again. 

I don't recommend trying to freeze this pad Thai as the rice noodles get rather mushy when you thaw them and reheat them.

Frequently asked questions:

Other recipes you will love:

• Instant Pot Pad Thai
• Healthy Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Gluten Free Meatloaf
• Air Fryer Pork Belly
• Gluten Free Chicken Stir Fry
• Gluten Free Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli

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Recipe