Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai Bowls {Low-Carb}

Name: Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai Bowls {Low-Carb}
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil; 1 small yellow onion, diced; 1 lb chicken breasts; 4 zucchini, spiralized or cut into matchsticks; 1 cup Carrot matchsticks; 1 cup red cabbage, thinly chopped; 2 scallions, sliced; 2 tbsp chopped peanuts; 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro; 1/4 cup tamarind paste; 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari; 1 tbsp peanut butter; 2 cloves garlic minced; 2 tsp fish sauce; 2 tsp lime juice

These Spiralized Zucchini Pad Thai Bowls are a low-carb meal prep option made with chicken, fresh veggies and Pad Thai sauce.

These Spiralized Pad Thai Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are a healthier, low-carb version of Thai takeout with spiralized zucchini, matchstick carrots, red cabbage and an easy sauce!

Ingredients and substitutions

Coconut oil – olive oil, vegetable oil or grapeseed oil would also work.
Yellow onion – swap out for white onion, shallots or even red onion.
Chicken breast – chicken thighs are a great alternative and provide a juicier cut of meat.
Zucchini – any other vegetable that can be spiralized can be used in place of zucchini like carrots.
Carrot – replace with another veggie of your choice such as celery, cucumber, etc.
Red cabbage – use another type of cabbage or leafy green if you don’t have red cabbage on hand.
Peanuts – leave these out altogether if you’re not a fan of peanuts.
Cilantro – you could also try garnishing these bowls with some fresh parsley.
Green onions – chives would also be good here.

Pad Thai sauce

Tamarind paste – use a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, rice vinegar and brown sugar to replace the tamarind paste.
Soy sauce –tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
Peanut butter – if you have a peanut allergy, try another nut or seed butter.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
Fish sauce – oyster sauce is a great substitute for fish sauce. Additional soy sauce would also work.
Lime juice – use fresh or bottled lime juice.

How to make this recipe

Make the Pad Thai sauce.
Sauté the onions.
Cook the chicken with the Pad Thai sauce.
Add the zucchini noodles.
Assemble your bowls and enjoy!

How to spiralize zucchini

Zucchini noodles (also known as zoodles) are a great low-carb option that can be used in place of traditional pasta or rice noodles. They’re super healthy with way less calories and carbs.

When it comes to actually spiralizing zucchini, you can often find pre-spiralized noodles at the grocery store in the produce section, which will help you cut down on prep time.

If you need to spiralize your own zucchini, I recommend using a tabletop or handheld spiralizer, a julienne peeler, a mandoline or even a vegetable peeler. A spiralizer will save you a ton of time and is a great kitchen tool if you’re going to be spiralizing a lot of veggies!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make spiralized zucchini not watery?

To make sure your spiralized zucchini doesn’t get all watery, sprinkle some salt over top of the zucchini after you’ve spiralized it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The salt will absorb the excess water with no extra work required!

Should zucchini be peeled before spiralizing?

No, I don’t recommend peeling zucchini before spiralizing. If you take off the skin, the water from the zucchini will start to seep out and you’ll end up with soggy and mushy zucchini noodles, which aren’t super appetizing. Plus, the zucchini skin is full of good nutrients like vitamin C.

What is chicken Pad Thai made of?

Chicken Pad Thai usually consists of a sweet and savoury sauce, cooked chicken breast, veggies, rice noodles and often scrambled eggs. For this recipe, I used spiralized zucchini instead of rice noodles to make the dish low-carb and low-calorie.

Can you freeze zucchini noodles?

I don't recommend freezing zucchini noodles. When frozen, zucchini noodles tend to lose their flavour and become really soggy. They only take a few seconds to cook and can be bought pre-spiralized so it’s best to use them fresh instead of freezing them for later.

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Storing and reheating

This recipe is the perfect meal prep option because it can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. After cooking the dish, divide it up into individual serving sizes in glass meal prep containers and you’ve got your lunches for the week!

When you’re ready to enjoy your bowl, you can reheat everything in the microwave for 1 minute, in a skillet on the stovetop or just eat your bowl cold. Make sure you don’t warm up this dish for too long or the zoodles will start to get soggy.

Freezing the chicken

You can’t freeze these zucchini bowls as a whole, but you can freeze the chicken! Freeze the raw chicken in Pad Thai sauce or the cooked chicken in an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. All you have to do is let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight then cook or reheat as normal.

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Meal prep tools for this recipe

Get your square glass meal prep bowls here!
This is the brand of tamari I like, and I love this low-sodium soy sauce.
And of course I get all my free-range chicken breasts from Butcher Box.