Gluten Free Pad Thai

This Gluten Free Pad Thai recipe is packed with delicious and healthy ingredients that the whole family will love. The luscious peanut sauce gives this pad Thai the most incredible flavour that you won’t be able to get enough of. Made with chicken, vegetables, and rice noodles it is super easy to make and perfect for meal prep. 

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE:

• This healthy pad Thai recipe is has the most incredible flavour.
• It’s comes together quickly and easily.
• Not only is this pad Thai recipe delicious, but it’s healthy and gluten free.
• This pad Thai is perfect for meal prep. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• The peanut sauce can be used for a variety of other dishes as well. Perfect for dipping spring rolls or egg rolls.
• You can use any vegetables you’d like. I used carrots, bell pepper and green onion but you could also use broccoli, baby corn, snap peas, mushrooms, etc.

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS:

• Rice noodles: traditional pad Thai recipes use thin, flat rice noodles. Perfect for soaking up the delicious peanut sauce. 
• Coconut oil: I went with coconut oil because it’s generally healthier than other oils used to make pad Thai and it adds an additional hint of flavour to the dish. You could replace this with any other cooking oil that you like. 
• Chicken breasts: to add some protein to the pad Thai. I personally love chicken pad thai but you could easily choose another protein if you wish. 
• Veggies: I went with carrots, bell pepper and green onion but you can use whatever veggies you prefer.
• For the sauce you will need: peanut butter, coconut aminos, honey or maple syrup, fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ground ginger and chili flakes. Instead of coconut aminos you can use gluten free soy sauce or tamari. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

Step one:

Cook the rice noodles according to the 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 bowl and stir together until smooth. Set the sauce aside.

Step three:

Place a large pan or wok on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil. 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 and enjoy!

CHEF’S TIPS:

• Be sure to use natural, unsweetened peanut butter for this recipe.
• Rice noodles tend to be more fragile than pasta noodles so prepare with care.
• I recommend using white rice noodles for this pad Thai.
• You could make the sauce for this pad Thai ahead of time and store it in the fridge.

VARIATIONS AND ADD INS:

• If you are allergic to peanuts you can use another nut or seed butter such as sunflower seed butter or cashew butter.
• Feel free to add more chicken if you like more protein in your pad Thai.
• If you don’t like chicken pad thai, choose another protein that you like including 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.
• Topping ideas: chopped fresh cilantro, peanuts, sesame seeds or fresh lime juice.
• If you don’t want meat in your pad Thai, simply omit the chicken and substitute for more vegetables.
• Instead of coconut aminos you could use gluten free soy sauce or tamari.

HOW TO STORE:

• Store this meal in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days after it’s cooked. Simply reheat it when you are ready to eat it again. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Is this pad Thai spicy? 

No it’s not. It is a mild pad Thai recipe so if you like a spicier pad Thai, add more chili flakes to the sauce. 

Is all pad Thai gluten free?

Most pad Thai recipes are gluten free because rice noodles are typically used but be sure to double check that your pad Thai is gluten free before consuming, if you are worried about it. 

Why are my rice noodles mushy?

Chances are you’ve left them in hot water for too long. If you rinse your rice noodles with cold water after boiling them this removes extra starch from the surface of the noodles and prevents them from getting mushy. 

Can I use tofu instead of chicken in this pad Thai?

You can absolutely use tofu instead of chicken in this recipe. Just prepare your tofu however you’d like and toss it in once you add the rice noodles to the dish. 

5 from 3 votes

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Gluten Free Pad Thai

You are going to love this Gluten Free Pad Thai. It's full of flavour and is a healthy meal that your whole family will enjoy.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine asian, Thai

Keyword healthy asian food, Healthy pad thai, Peanut pad thai

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 560 kcal

Ingredients

Pad Thai Ingredients

• 454 grams white rice noodles
• 4 tbsp coconut oil (or other cooking oil of choice)
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 sweet bell peppers, chopped
• 1/3 cup green onion, chopped

Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

Instructions

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the 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.

   

2. While the noodles are cooking, place the sauce ingredients into a bowl and stir together until smooth. Set the sauce aside

   

3. Place a large pan or wok on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the chopped chicken breasts and cook them for 1-2 minutes per side, until fully cooked (total of ~8 minutes)

   

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

   

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

   

Recipe Notes

1. This recipe is flexible - feel free to add extra chicken or veggies if you wish
2. Store this pad Thai in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
3. If you are allergic to peanuts you another nut butter such as sunflower seed butter or cashew butter

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Pad Thai

Amount Per Serving

Calories 560 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 73mg24%

Sodium 915mg40%

Potassium 742mg21%

Carbohydrates 67g22%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 6391IU128%

Vitamin C 42mg51%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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