This is the best gluten-free pad Thai recipe. It is packed with delicious, healthy ingredients that the whole family will love. The luscious 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.
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This pad Thai has the most incredible flavour! The luscious peanut sauce is so rich and creamy and is slightly sweet from the addition of honey. Garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes add delicious flavour and just a little heat to the recipe, but don't worry, it isn't spicy. It is seriously the best pad Thai!
Why you will love this recipe:
- If you love Thai food you are going to love this healthy pad Thai recipe. It has the most incredible flavour!
- This homemade chicken pad Thai is quick and easy to make and is perfect for meal prep because it stores really well.
- It has the most delicious pad Thai sauce that can be used for a variety of other dishes as well. It's perfect for dipping spring rolls or egg rolls.
- It's a versatile recipe and 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.
- It's kid friendly and made with simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
- This authentic pad Thai recipe is gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and healthy! Because it's gluten free it's great for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Key ingredients and substitutions:
You should be able to find all of these simple gluten-free ingredients at your local grocery store. For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Rice noodles: traditional pad Thai recipes use thin, flat rice noodles. 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 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 this Thai noodle dish. 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.
- Sauce: the homemade pad Thai 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 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 and stir together until smooth. 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. 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!
Top 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, almond 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.
- 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 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 oil you could use avocado oil or olive oil instead.
- Instead of coconut aminos you could use gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
How to serve:
This Thai dish 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 from lime wedges.
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:
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.
Not all pad Thai is gluten free. It will depend on what ingredients are used to make the pad Thai sauce and whether the dish is made with gluten-free noodles.
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.
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.
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
Gluten Free Pad Thai
Equipment
Ingredients
Pad Thai Ingredients
- 454 grams white rice noodles
- 4 tablespoon 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 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (also known as red pepper flakes)
Instructions
- 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.
- While the noodles are cooking, place the sauce ingredients into a bowl and stir together until smooth. Set the sauce aside
- 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)
- 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
- Add the noodles and sauce to the pan. Stir everything well to combine and heat together for 1-2 more minutes. Then enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is flexible - feel free to add extra chicken or veggies if you wish.
- Store this pad Thai in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If you are allergic to peanuts you another nut butter such as sunflower seed butter or cashew butter.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
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