Here is an easy spaghetti squash pad Thai made with chicken! It's a delicious spicy Asian-inspired dish that's made low carb and gluten-free.
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I was in the mood for a lo mein style Asian dish, so I picked up a couple of spaghetti squashes to use for the noodles!
Although I thought about making my favorite Filipino pancit version, I decided to try something different.
Thai food is really popular, so I went looking for a Thailand-based dish made with noodles. The first thing that came up was Pad Thai, so I thought I'd give it a try.
The traditional dish uses dried shrimp, but I opted to use chicken in my spaghetti squash Pad thai. I thought about replacing the fish sauce as well. However, I chose to use it!
My father used to always have a bottle of patis in his kitchen. It's the Filipino version of fish sauce.
I'll admit- it wasn't my favorite condiment when I was a kid. Now that I'm older and my tastebuds are more refined, I'm open to using the salty fish sauce.
It must be pretty popular because it wasn't hard to find in the grocery store!
I'll admit that I made this spaghetti squash Pad thai to suit my own tastes. I loosely based the recipe on one I found at Thai Table.
💛 Why you'll love it
Have you ever had a serious craving for takeout but want to stick to your keto diet? Pad Thai is one of the most popular Asian takeout meals, and this recipe shows you how to make it low-carb!
I love spaghetti squash. It's a high-fiber noodle replacement with incredible flavor. It's also really high in vitamin C and other nutrients that will fuel your body and keep it functioning at its best.
You won't even miss the rice noodles in this classic "noodle" recipe!
The pad Thai sauce has the perfect balance of creaminess and pepper heat. This is one of my favorite spaghetti squash recipes for good reason.
I'll share all my secrets - including how to make it spicier or milder. Make your favorite Thai takeout, just the way you like it.
📋 Ingredients
I used only whole ingredients when I make this low-carb recipe. It is what made the sauce so aromatic and flavorful. Here's what you need!
Oil, Garlic, And Scallions
Use your favorite type of cooking oil - I like either olive oil or avocado oil. Then, use some fresh garlic and a green onion. This is what gives the sauce the boldest and most amazing flavor.
Egg
The recipe uses two scrambled eggs! These add more protein to the dish.
Fish Sauce
The flavor of the fish sauce was certainly noticeable. However, I liked the taste it gave to the dish. I'm definitely glad I left it in.
Nappa Cabbage
Shred up your favorite type of cabbage. Nappa cabbage is easy to find, but you could also use green cabbage.
Chicken
Any type of chicken will work for this recipe. To save time, you could even use shredded chicken and some leftover rotisserie chicken.
Spaghetti Squash
For the noodles, you could use zucchini noodles, but I really like how the spaghetti squash tastes!
Lemon Juice
Of course, fresh-squeezed lemon juice will have a bolder flavor but jarred lemon juice can also work in a pinch.
For a sweeter flavor, use some lime juice!
Sweetener
Sugar or tamarind paste is usually added to the sauce to enhance the flavor. I added in some SweetLeaf stevia drops instead.
Feel free to change that with your preferred sweetener or just leave it out!
Red Pepper Flakes
The red pepper flakes added a nice amount of spice to the spaghetti squash Pad thai. You definitely don't want to leave that out!
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
💭 Tips
- Cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot. You can cook it however you want, but cooking spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot is my favorite method.
- You can use cooked chicken to speed up the entire recipe.
- Pre-cook the spaghetti squash to save even more prep time. You can store cooked spaghetti squash in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
🔪 Instructions
This recipe is as easy to make as cooking the spaghetti squash, prepping the sauce, and then mixing it all together!
Cook The Spaghetti Squash
First, either cook spaghetti squash in a crock pot, oven, or Instant Pot for cooking the spaghetti squash. Remove the noodles from the squash and set them aside.
Cook The Aromatics
In a skillet, cook the garlic and green onions in your favorite cooking oil.
Scramble The Eggs
Add the eggs to the skillet and scramble them with the garlic and onions. This will really help them mix together well.
Saute The Cabbage
Chop the cabbage and then add it to the skillet with the eggs and onion. Cook it until the cabbage wilts.
Cook The Chicken
Next, add the uncooked chicken to the skillet and saute it until it is fully cooked through, without any pink.
Add The Sauce Ingredients
Finally, add the sauce ingredients to the skillet, along with the spaghetti squash noodles. Keep stirring it and heating it until they are all nice and hot!
🍽️ Serving suggestions
This spaghetti squash pad thai is delicious as is but there are a few toppings you can add to really take it to the next level! After serving it in a dish, I like to add some fresh cilantro, bean sprouts, and fresh lime wedges.
So yum!
This low-carb pad Thai is also a very filling meal, but there are some keto side dishes that you can add to it.
If you want something crispy, then make these incredible keto zucchini fritters. They have a mild flavor that pairs perfectly with this noodle dish.
Start out the meal with some cold and refreshing Asian chopped salad. It has a bold and zesty flavor!
🙋 FAQs
Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about how to make it.
Although I've seen tamarind sold in my regular store, they didn't have it when I was shopping for ingredients. So, I used some lemon to provide a sour taste.
Being a legume, tamarind probably isn't the best ingredient for a low-carb keto diet anyway. Peanuts aren't either, so I left those out as well. I could have used cashews, but they add some carbs.
The taste of this dish reminded me a little of the Korean beef that I've made. It had a similar salty, sweet, and sour flavor.
Since I'm sensitive to egg whites, I probably should have left the scrambled eggs out. I suppose I could have just used the yolks mixed with some aquafaba.
📚 Related recipes
If you enjoyed this spaghetti squash pad thai recipe, here are some more low-carb dinner recipes you should try next. They are some of my favorites, and everyone loves them.
- Chinese Salt And Pepper Chicken is a super-simple recipe that you can make in a skillet.
- Eggplant Parmesan Casserole is a cheesy dish that will feed your entire family.
- Keto Pot Roast can be made in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker - either way it turns out perfectly.
- Unstuffed Pepper Casserole is another cheesy and delicious casserole that is one of my favorite comfort foods.
- Keto Shredded Teriyaki Chicken is an Asian-inspired recipe that will soon become a regular on your weekly menu.
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📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 small napa cabbage chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 ½ pounds boneless/skinless chicken sliced (or meat of choice)
- 1 medium spaghetti squash noodles squeeze moisture out with towel
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
- ¼ teaspoon SweetLeaf stevia drops
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
Instructions
- Cook and roast spaghetti squash noodles using preferred cooking method. I like to use the Instant Pot method so they are not overcooked.
- Heat cooking oil in large pot or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and scallions. Cook for a couple minutes until fragrant.
- Push garlic and scallions to side and add in beaten eggs. Scramble them and cook until no longer runny.
- Add in chopped cabbage. Stir and cook until it starts to wilt down.
- Put chicken into pan and stir fry until it is no longer pink.
- Add in spaghetti squash noodles, fish sauce, lemon juice, and stevia. Stir to ensure liquid is evenly mixed into noodles, cabbage, and meat. Continue to cook and stir for a few more minutes to ensure everything is fully cooked.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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First Published: September 22, 2017… Last Updated: February 3, 2022, with new photos and additional recipe information.
Emily Kemp
What a delicious way to use spaghetti squash, so great!