We’re in the thick of the holiday season and the urge to eat baked goods for every meal of the day is very real at the moment. I’ve seen several ginger molasses and snickerdoodle cookie recipes on social media that I’d arm wrestle Santa for. Can you relate? That said, I’ve been even more intentional than usual about cooking healthy meals at home so I don’t have to think twice about indulging a little extra over the next month or so.
In addition to my Christmas cookie cravings, I’ve also been dreaming about a big bowl of gluten free Pad Thai from my favorite Thai restaurant here in town. In the spirit of making healthy choices though, I decided to make a healthy, Pad Thai(ish) dish at home. Thai Peanut Chicken Sweet Potato Noodles swaps rice noodles for vitamin-rich sweet potato noodles, and will curb your craving for take out in just 15 minutes!
Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodles
If you’ve been on the fence about ordering a spiralizer, or asking for one for the holidays, this dish is going to send you over the edge. It. Is. Incredible! Skinny spiralized sweet potatoes are sauteed with broccoli and chopped chicken then tossed with an easy peanut sauce made with fridge and pantry staples.
Like I said, this dish goes from skillet to bowl in 15 minutes, which is a fraction of the time it takes to pick up take out or wait for the delivery driver to arrive – plus it’s a TON healthier.
If you’re like me and wanting to indulge without the guilt this holiday season, whip up this light and tasty dish tonight – and fight your dining partner for the leftovers to take for lunch the next day. Trust me when I say, if you don’t, you’ll regret it!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by whisking together the Thai peanut sauce ingredients. You’ll need:
- Peanut butter
- Chicken broth
- Low sodium gluten free Tamari
- Rice vinegar
- Chili garlic sauce
- Sesame oil
- Ground ginger
- Minced garlic
Set the sauce aside then peel and trim 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, and then send them through z spiralizer fitted with the skinnest noodle blade.
Time to cook! Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat then add chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper then saute until cooked through, and then scoop the chicken onto a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat down a touch then add more extra virgin olive oil to the skillet. Add the sweet potato noodles plus broccoli florets, season with salt and pepper, then saute for 5 minutes.
Next drizzle in a little water to help soften the noodles and continue sauting, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato noodles are al dente, another 3-5 minutes. If you want your sweet potato noodles on the softer side, continue cooking, but just know they might break up into smaller pieces.
Last step is to add the chicken back into the skillet along with the Thai peanut sauce then toss until everything is well coated and heated through.
Scoop the noodles into bowls then top with tons of chopped peanuts and green onions. Totally easy, right? And trust me, totally DELISH! Hope you love this lighter take out fake out recipe!
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Thai Peanut Chicken Sweet Potato Noodles
Description
Thai Peanut Chicken Sweet Potato Noodles are a healthy, gluten free twist on your favorite Thai takeout order. Easy, colorful, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 chicken breasts (14oz,) cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and pepper
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled then spiralized using thinnest blade, noodles slightly trimmed
- 2 cups (4oz) broccoli florets
- 1/4 cup water
- Toppings: chopped peanuts, green onions, chopped cilantro
- For the Thai peanut sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 3 Tablespoons gluten-free chicken broth
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons low-sodium gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce
- 1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free chili garlic sauce (or more)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Directions
- Whisk together Thai peanut sauce ingredients then set aside.
- Add 1/2 Tablespoon oil to a large, 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken then season with salt and pepper and saute until cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate then set aside.
- Turn heat down to a little above medium then add remaining 2 Tablespoons oil. Add sweet potato noodles and broccoli, season with salt and pepper, then saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water then saute until noodles are al dente, another 3-5 minutes (if you like a softer sweet potato continue cooking but know that the noodles will break up a bit.) Add chicken back into the skillet along with the Thai peanut sauce then toss until the noodles are well coated and everything is heated through. Scoop into bowls then serve with toppings.
Notes
- I use a Paderno Spiralizer >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
This is the best peanut sauce I have ever had!!! Love the sweet potato noodles too. I made without chicken since I’m vegan. I may add mushrooms next time. Thanks for the great recipe!
Made this for the first time tonight – and it was a hit with our family. We could have used a bit more sauce – our sweet potatoes were probably considered large rather than medium. Next time I will probably make 1.5 times the sauce. There will definately be many more dinners made following the recipe. I especially liked that the recipe specified the order in which to make each of the dinner components.
Currently scarfing down a bowl of this! I used some precooked frozen shrimp because I am just a little burned out on chicken. This is a keeper!
When I pinned this, it was a lightened up Pad Thai that used cabbage…. Where can I find that recipe?
Here you go!
Lightened Up Pad Thai
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 Tablespoons low-sodium gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
1-1/2 Tablespoons gluten-free fish sauce (I used Red Boat brand)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4lb (12oz) chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper
4 teaspoons high heat cooking oil, divided
1 jumbo shallot, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, seeded then thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tablespoons finely chopped peanuts
lime wedges
Directions:
1. Stir together chicken broth, tamari, fish sauce, sugar, and cornstarch/GF flour in a small dish then set aside. Whisk eggs together in another small dish then set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, then stir fry until cooked through and remove to a plate.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons cooking oil in skillet then add shallots and peppers. Season with salt and pepper then stir fry until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic then stir fry for 30 more seconds. Remove vegetables to plate with chicken.
4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons cooking oil in skillet then add cabbage. Season with pepper only then stir fry until just barely crisp tender, 3-4 minutes (it will continue to cook and soften in the sauce.) Add eggs then cook until set, 1-2 minutes. Add the tamari sauce mixture then bring to a bubble and boil until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from heat then stir in chopped cilantro. Divide Pad Thai between plates then top with chopped peanuts and drizzle with fresh lime juice.
I saw several request for nutritional information but after looking through the comments I didn’t see a reply. Did I miss it? The recipe looks amazing and easily customizable but I would really like to know where I’m starting at and what I need to substitute to make it low carb and keto friendly. Thank you!
Hi Cherie! I’m sorry – I must have missed earlier comments asking for nutritional info! I don’t currently provide that information because results can vary WIDELY depending on what service is used and I’d hate to steer someone who is eating with a medical issue (diabetes, for example) wrong.
Do you still have the recipe for “Lighten Up Pad Thai?” If so, could you share it? That was one of our favorites!
You bet! Here’s that recipe for you:
Lightened Up Pad Thai
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chicken broth
1-1/2 Tablespoons low-sodium gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
1-1/2 Tablespoons gluten-free fish sauce (I used Red Boat brand)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4lb (12oz) chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
salt and pepper
4 teaspoons high heat cooking oil, divided
1 jumbo shallot, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, seeded then thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tablespoons finely chopped peanuts
lime wedges
Directions:
1. Stir together chicken broth, tamari, fish sauce, sugar, and cornstarch/GF flour in a small dish then set aside. Whisk eggs together in another small dish then set aside.
2. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, then stir fry until cooked through and remove to a plate.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons cooking oil in skillet then add shallots and peppers. Season with salt and pepper then stir fry until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic then stir fry for 30 more seconds. Remove vegetables to plate with chicken.
4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons cooking oil in skillet then add cabbage. Season with pepper only then stir fry until just barely crisp tender, 3-4 minutes (it will continue to cook and soften in the sauce.) Add eggs then cook until set, 1-2 minutes. Add the tamari sauce mixture then bring to a bubble and boil until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from heat then stir in chopped cilantro. Divide Pad Thai between plates then top with chopped peanuts and drizzle with fresh lime juice.
Just made this without garlic sauce and added edamame for protein a vegan meal.
Love the addition of edamame! Will have to try that.
This is SOOO tasty. I’ve made it 3 times already! I subbed tofu/veggie stock to make it vegetarian. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it never turns out well when I try to saute veggie noodles so I actually just steamed them and it turned out great!
I am so excited to try this. Do you happen to have the nutrition information for it?