This healthier spaghetti squash pad thai is easy to make at home and packed with veggies, chicken, and a flavorful sauce. It comes together in 30 minutes and the leftovers are perfect for lunches the next day! Paleo, Whole30, family friendly and low carb.
Wanna know a secret? I’ve never loved spaghetti squash. It needs to be extra super special for me to want to dig in.
Plus, it has to be perfectly al dente. Not even a touch overcooked, or it drives me nuts.
In the past, I’ve tossed entire spaghetti squash recipes without hesitating when the squash was overcooked.
Or, the sauce wasn’t flavorful enough or it just didn’t WOW me the way a new recipe should.
This one took me twice to get right. The first time around the spaghetti squash was cooked a few minutes too long and the sauce was a little too thick for my taste.
The second time – love at first bite! Let’s get into the details so you can make it ASAP!
What You Need to Make This Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
I separated the ingredients into those you need for the sauce and the remaining recipe.
Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the pad thai and sauce:
Sauce:
- medjool dates, pitted
- smooth almond butter
- rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- lime juice
- coconut aminos
- fish sauce
- sesame oil
- fresh ginger
- garlic cloves
- red pepper flakes
Pad Thai:
- med-large spaghetti squash
- avocado oil or olive oil
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Sea salt and black pepper
- onion
- garlic cloves
- eggs
- shredded purple cabbage
- shredded carrots
- red bell pepper
- cashews, for garnish
- scallions, for garnish
- red pepper flakes, for garnish
How to Bake Spaghetti Squash
Preheat your oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Spray with avocado oil spray or brush with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Place squash face down on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the squash is slightly tender when pushed.
(For al dente spaghetti squash, be careful not to overbake!)
How To Make Paleo Pad Thai
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender (I used a Nutribullet) until very smooth, set aside.
Cut the chicken thighs into strips or bite size pieces and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat and add the avocado oil.
Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, to brown and cook through – about 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium and push the chicken to the side of the skillet. You can also remove the chicken to a plate if you prefer.
Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, then push to the side of the skillet.
Whisk the eggs and pour into the skillet. Allow them to cook nearly through, then flip (like an omelette) and use a spatula to break into bite size pieces, then push to the side of the skillet.
Add the cabbage, carrots, and pepper and cook just 30-45 seconds to soften slightly. Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir, then add the sauce and stir to combine. Cook another 30 seconds to blend flavors, then remove from heat.
Scrape the spaghetti squash with a fork to let the strands loose, then toss with the pad thai mixture. Garnish with cashews, scallions, and crushed red pepper.
Tips for Easy Cooking
Since this is essentially a stir fry, I highly recommend you have everything prepped and ready to go once you start cooking.
You’ll have to add each ingredient quickly once you start. Overcooking veggies in a stir fry is a nightmare for me, so I like to make sure I have everything right by my side!
This is one of those meals that you can easily prep ahead of time as well.
Cook the squash and prep the sauce, and store separately in a container in the refrigerator, then gently reheat to serve.
The veggies can also be prepped before cooking. With prep, the meal should come together fast!
I know you’re going to love this one! Preheat you oven and grab your ingredients because it’s time to cook – let’s go!
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 medjool dates pitted and softened if necessary by soaking in very hot water for 5 minutes*
- 1/4 cup smooth almond butter a drippy almond butter works best
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled and chopped, or 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped, or 1 tsp garlic powder
- Large pinch red pepper flakes
Pad Thai:
- 1 med-large spaghetti squash
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Sea salt and pepper for the chicken
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cashews for garnish
- 1 bunch scallions sliced, for garnish
- More red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
-
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Spray with avocado oil spray or brush with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place squash face down on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the squash is slightly tender when pushed. For al dente spaghetti squash, be careful not to overbake.
-
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender (I used a Nutribulleuntil very smooth, set aside.
-
Cut the chicken thighs into strips or bite size pieces and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat and add the avocado oil. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, to brown and cook through - about 5 minutes.
-
Lower the heat to medium and push the chicken to the side of the skillet. You can also remove the chicken to a plate if you prefer. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, then push to the side of the skillet. Give the eggs a good whisk and pour into the skillet. Allow them to cook nearly through, then flip (like an omelettand use a spatula to break into bite size pieces, then push to the side of the skillet.
-
Add the cabbage, carrots, and pepper and cook just 30-45 seconds to soften slightly. Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir, then add the sauce and stir to combine. Cook another 30 seconds to blend flavors, then remove from heat.
-
Scrape the spaghetti squash with a fork to let the strands loose, then toss with the pad thai mixture. Garnish with cashews, scallions, and crushed red pepper if desired. Serve right away and store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Alternatively, for a non-Whole30 version, you can use 1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup in place of the dates.
Nutrition
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Want More Takeout Inspired Whole30 Recipes? Try One of These!
Egg Roll in a Bowl with Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken in the Instant Pot
Breakfast Cauliflower Fried Rice
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hi love the ingredients, can’t wait to make this. I question the potassium 749mg. Looking up the of then nothing sees like it is high in potassium. I was wondering where the potassium is coming from.
I am watching potassium that’s why I interested in understanding.
I am watching potassium in my diet. All the ingredients sound so good. You list the potassium @ 749mg per serving. I am curious which ingrediants are contributing? I looked up the spaghetti squash and it looked great for lower potassium.
Love that you used spaghetti squash in this! It sounds amazing!
This was so good, we could not stop eating it. Will be on the fav’s list for sure!
Are the nutrition facts for the whole recipe or per serving?
This was fabulous but I too would like to know the calorie count per serving and how large is the servin
At the top it says it makes 6 servings, so the whole dish would be approximately 2,310 kcal
Super yummy! I will definitely be making it again. Thanks so much!
So Delicious!
Thank you for saving my relationship with spaghetti squash! I’ve tried many recipes before and wanted to love it so much but everything I made it with was horrible! But THIS! Omg you are one talented recipe creator! Made this tonight and even my two year old ate it! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with food!
The pad Thai sauce is perfect!!! It’s packed with Unami flavor!! I made mine with no meat and It was still filling and delicious!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! I have made another Pad Thai recipe before but it wasn’t as good as this. I didn’t have the lime juice or fish sauce.
We made this last night and absolutely loved it!! That sauce was incredible.
Amazing recipe!
I used chicken breast instead of thigh, unsweetened peanut butter instead of almond, and olive oil instead of sesame & avocado.
I also used an immersion blender instead of a regular blender.
Sooooooo good!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! ❤️
ESPECIALLY the spaghetti squash tips!! I realize now that I haven’t ever cooked it right!
I experimented a bit to make it my own-
I used chicken breast instead of thigh.
I used half the nut butter, and half the sesame oil, and replaced the dates with 2 tsp of raw honey.
I managed to shave off 100 calories per serving, and it was still filling! ?
It was AMAZING. My whole family (including my picky 5 year old) gobbled it up!
Hands down the best whole30 recipe I’ve ever made. I cant help but lick the bowl clean!
Hands down the best whole30 recipe I’ve ever made. I cant help but lick the bowl clean!
Made this the other day and I’ve been eating it for lunch all week. I’m bummed that today’s my last day to enjoy it, and will run to the store this weekend to prep it for next week too!! Thank you 🙂
I didnt even use fish sauce because I didnt have it on hand and it was delicious! Will def be adding to our regular rotation!
This recipe was so great! I & my husband (who does not have a restricted diet) both loved it—I’ll definitely be making it again
This recipe is a keeper! Reminding me of my childhood without all the toxic ingredients!
Made this tonight
It had soooo much flavor
Wasn’t sure if I liked spaghetti sauce but it soaked up the sauce and was delicious ?
Thanks for the great recipe
Made tonight, loved it. Great recipe! 🙂
This was delicious. My husband said MAKE AGAIN! I did not use the dates though. All I had in the kitchen was some natural Peanut butter. So, that is what I used. My question is, how would I track this as smart points for weight watchers? All the other commercial Pad Thai recipes or restaurant tracings rate from 12 to a whopping 37 points. Any idea?
This turned out delicious. My husband said it was definitely a make again. I did not use the dates and I only had natural peanut butter so that is what we used. My question is how do you track this for Weight Watchers Smart points? All of the pad thai they have in their list is anywhere from twelve points per cup to a hefty 37 points for Noodles & Company pad thai. Any ideas? Thank you.
our family really liked this recipe as a top paleo/whole30 recipe!! 10/10 recommend!
This was so flavourful! It was the first Whole30 recipe I made (day 1) and I was very happy 🙂 I will say though, the purple cabbage made everything…purple. It was not the most beautiful dish but the taste was spot on!
Is the Sesame oil normal oil, or TOASTED sesame oil? Thanks for any help!
Easiest way to cook whole spaghetti squash is in crock pot on high. When you can stick a fork in it, it’s done.
Amazing Blog and really writer has choosen the unique quality of content.
This was absolutely delicous! I made the recipe exactly as is besides the sesame oil because my boyfriend is very sensitive to it. I definitely want to make this again but BOY was it a lot of work. I homecook maybe 90% of our meals and this was out there. I think it took about an hour and a half total of chopping, cooking, and roasting. Thats the only reason for the 4 stars. If I make this again I’ll definitely need to enlist a buddy.
Ummmmmm, this was amazing! I’m doing whole30 and made this last night for dinner. I was planning on left overs for lunch the next day but my husband and I finished it up. This was my first recipe from your site and after that one it won’t be my last!
This was a family favorite. Everybody ate it! Very flavorful sauce!
So yummy! Thanks for sharing with us.
I’ve never liked spaghetti squash until now. Cooked 20 min and it was PERFECT! Never missed having noodles. Everything about this recipe is 5 star. Highly recommend!
This is delicious! I am halfway through a whole30 and I was getting bored. I tried a packaged W30 thai almond sauce. It was not good. This is literally perfect. Creamy, tangy with the perfect amount of spice. Another great recipe!
would this work without the coconut aminos? looks incredible
This is the best recipe so far that I’ve made off of your website! The sauce is drinkable! Lol
Absolutely delicious! Took a ton of pans and ingredients, but perfect for a Sunday when we weren’t in a rush. Will make again.
I just made this and it is fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing such a lovely Paleo Pad Thai recipe.
This recipe was sooooo easy to make and so good! It was really good on day one, but tbh it might have been even better the next day as leftovers? It’s easy, and also it’s filling! This recipe is being added to our regular rotation at my house.
A little time consuming but very good!
So yummy! Definitely going into the rotation. Wish I would have made the sauce and chopped the veggies earlier to save some time, but didn’t take too long to come together. I did add more coconut aminos to the sauce but that was just a taste preference. Extremely pro-rice and pro-pasta husband that I constantly have to trick into eating vegetables had two bowlfuls and told me to save this recipe.
This recipe was delicious! We’ve added it to the regular rotation of meals. There are two of us and we were able to get 3 meals out of it. This would be a great meal to prep for over the weekend as it did take some time to prepare the ingredients. Thank you.
This recipe is packed with flavor. So good!
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The recipe turned out even better than I expected!
The cooking time and temperature were spot on, resulting in perfectly cooked food.
This dish is perfect for serving to guests, as it’s impressive and delicious.
The use of seasonal ingredients really enhances the flavor and freshness of this recipe.
I love that this recipe is both vegetarian and gluten-free, making it accessible to more people.
The combination of spices in this recipe is spot on.
The finished product looks just like the picture, which is very satisfying.
This recipe is a new favorite in my household!
The prep work for this recipe was minimal, making it a great option for a quick and easy meal.
I appreciate the tips and tricks for making this recipe turn out perfectly.
The pictures are really helpful for understanding the steps involved.
Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe with the world. Your Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with Chicken is truly a masterpiece that deserves to be celebrated
As a crazy noodle fan, this recipe is going to be my go to one!
Amazing! My fiancé said this was the best pad Thai, even better than what we’ve had from the Thai restaurant
Nice job
Very good recipe. Not sure if it’s been said before but I also garnished with Thai basil
Very nice Post
Best recipe
Pizza my favourite junk food thanks for
Amazing!
I made this last night and it was amazing! I used cashews softened in hot water instead of almond butter, and shrimp instead of chicken, but other than that followed the recipe. It’s more of a peanut sauce type dish than a pad thai (which is garnished with nuts but a tamarind sauce) but still very very good. My boyfriend who is not doing whole 30 and can be somewhat picky requested the leftover for his lunch today. 100% will make again.
I made this recipe and it immediately went to my top 10 favorites. My tweak was to add coconut milk to the sauce. It made it spread more easily into the other ingredients and kept right in line with the Thai flavor profile.
This Pad Thai recipe is amazing!! You will not regret making it.
Just made this tonight and it was huge hit with all of us… (me, my husband, my twin boys (20) and my daughter (22)). Your recipes are always so flavorful and we have loved everything we have tried. I’m so glad I found your site! Thank you so much for providing tasty recipes that are also good for you!! ❤️
This was amazing! We have been eating paleo for a few weeks now and it’s hard to find enjoyable and filling meals for my very active blue collar husband. He loved this!! The sauce was amazing and the perfect balance of sweet and savory. One thing I did have to do was simmer the whole dish on low for a bit to get rid of some of the moisture from all the veggies after the sauce was poured in.
All I can say is WOW! Super delicious! This is better that traditional Pad Thai because not only does it taste great but it’s healthy too! It’s a win-win! If you are reading these reviews, listen, you’ve got to make this recipe!
This was wonderful. I Only skipped the cabbage. I used 2 tbs of coconut sugar instead of dates because I didn’t have any on hand. I completely forgot to add my coco aminos..hehe my 9 year old was like mom make this again make this again.
honestly, it’s amazing! The spaghetti squash is a great low-carb substitute for noodles. The sauce is spot on and the chicken adds a nice protein boost.
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This Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with Chicken is a delightful, healthy dish perfect for any meal. Packed with veggies and a flavorful sauce, it’s ready in just 30 minutes! Plus, it’s Paleo and Whole30 compliant. As you enjoy cooking, why not take a break and play a quick round of Wordle? It’s a fun way to challenge your mind while waiting for your delicious creation to bake!
Absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it. We added basil as a garnish, paired perfectly. The only thing I would say negative is that it took way longer to cook and prepare but that is pretty standard for me.