Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
101
Published May 27, 2020, Updated Dec 12, 2021
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This healthy spaghetti squash Pad Thai uses spaghetti squash strands instead of rice noodles for a veggie-packed dish that’s lower in carbs and super satisfying.
Pad Thai is probably one of the most well-known Thai dishes, but if you’re unfamiliar it’s traditionally a stir-fried noodle dish originating from Thailand. It’s typically made with rice noodles, but since I’m a spaghetti squash lover through and through, I had to try it with squash noodles instead. Authentic Pad Thai is made with a sauce that consists of fish sauce, vinegar, tamarind paste and sugar. For this untraditional Pad Thai we’re using a sweet chili almond sauce that doesn’t use fish sauce, but still has a ton of flavor and makes this dish absolutely delicious.
While I never want to imply that spaghetti squash noodles are exact healthy dupes for regular noodles, they are a really great substitute for this Pad Thai dish! I find that while the texture is super similar, spaghetti squash has a firmer texture than cooked noodles and of course, they are thinner than the traditional rice noodles used for Pad Thai. You will know you’re eating vegetables instead of rice noodles, but I love the extra texture in this dish!
Spaghetti squash has a hint of sweetness to it, but overall it’s pretty mild in taste so it takes on the flavors of the dish. In this case there are a lot of delicious flavors happening (especially from the almond sauce) so you don’t have to worry about it tasting bland.
Ingredients Needed:
There are two main components of this recipe: the sauce and everything else. I’m obsessed with the chili almond sauce, which is inspired by my chili almond dressing.
Chili Almond Sauce Ingredients:
- natural almond butter – look for one with just almonds or almonds + salt
- fresh lime juice
- low sodium tamari or coconut aminos – I love the sweetness coconut aminos add to this dish but either option works and in a pinch soy sauce works as well
- fresh ginger – you could certainly try ground ginger if you don’t have fresh, but fresh ginger gives this sauce so much flavor
- garlic cloves
- maple syrup
- sambal oelek or crushed red pepper
Pai Thai Ingredients:
- spaghetti squash – either one large one or two small
- olive or avocado oil – whichever you have in the pantry works
- chicken breast – you could swap this for tofu or shrimp if you don’t eat meat
- Sea salt and ground pepper
- chopped ginger
- chopped yellow onion
- red bell pepper
- matchstick carrots
- green onions, fresh cilantro and limes, for garnish
- salted almonds (optional)
How to Prep Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
There are a lot of methods you could use to cook spaghetti squash, but my personal favorite is to cook it in rings. Check out my blog post for the full details, but the cliff notes are: you preheat your oven to 400º F and then cut your spaghetti squash into 1 1/2 inch thick rings. Gently scrape out the seeds in the middle of each ring, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping about 15 minutes in. You’ll be left with perfectly cooked spaghetti squash strands that are long and not watery at all.
After you cook the spaghetti squash and whip up the sauce in your food processor or blender, this recipe is straight forward – just lots of sautéing! First you’ll cook the chicken, then the veggies and then you mix everything together for serving. And if your sauté pan isn’t large enough, you can do the mixing in a large bowl.
Once everything is combined, simply serve with green onions, cilantro, lime and chopped almonds for garnish!
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes to Try:
- 20+ Healthy Spaghetti Squash Recipes
- Spaghetti Squash Tuna Noodle Casserole Boats
- Almond Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp
- Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust
- Spaghetti Squash Taco Bake
- Vegan Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls
More Healthy Pad Thai Inspired Dishes:
If you make this spaghetti squash Pad Thai, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating down below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 1 large spaghetti squash, approx. 5 cups after roasting
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- Sea salt and ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 ⁄2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 sliced red bell pepper
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- Green onions, fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish
- 2 Tablespoons chopped salted almonds, optional
Chili Almond Sauce
- ½ cup natural almond butter, no sugar added
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti squash in rings using instructions from my spaghetti squash post.
- Allow squash rings to cool for about 15 minutes, then peel the skin away and use a fork to separate the strands.
- While squash is roasting, make the chili almond sauce by adding all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and set aside.
- Chop raw chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tablespoon oil. Add chicken to the skillet and liberally season with sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until all sides are golden and chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the same skillet and sauté together ginger, onion, bell pepper and carrots. Cook until the veggies are starting to soften, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add chicken back to the skillet with the veggies. Then add the chili almond sauce and mix everything together thoroughly.
- Add spaghetti squash to the skillet and mix again. If your skillet isn’t large enough, you can put everything in a large bowl to mix instead.
- Serve the spaghetti squash pad Thai immediately with green onions, fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish. Top with chopped almonds.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for sharing these information i love to see your post
I’m so happy to have found a delicious, low-carb alternative to one of my favorite dishes. I’m curious if you’ve ever tried this with peanuts? Thanks!
Hey Lori! I think it’d be delicious to sub the almond butter / almonds with peanuts and peanut butter. 🙂
Awesome! I’m adding these ingredients to my shopping list now. Thanks so much!
Ahh yay!! Let me know what you think of it when you make it, Lori. 🙂
My husband made this for dinner tonight. It’s delish! Another great recipe, Brittany!
I made this for dinner tonight with tofu and it was so delicious – I used my instant pot to cook the squash as I didn’t want to add more heat to my house during a heatwave and the texture was still great. Will be making it again!
A-MA-ZING!!
Made this for the family this week and it was a huge hit. Our family is LOVING all your recipes and I’m loving how simple they are to make.
Our family is LOVING all your recipes and I’m loving how simple they are to make. Made this for the family this week and it was a huge hit.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Crista!! So glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Oooh! This looks delicious! Bookmarking. The nutrition/macros are balanced, too. I’ve got to try it.
This recipe really packs a punch on flavor. It was simple and easy to make and I will definitely be making it again very soon. I substituted honey for maple syrup because that’s what I had on hand and cooked the spaghetti squash in a crock pot.
Ahh I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Clare!! Thanks so much for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
This was easy, healthy, delicious and loved by my kiddos – can’t beat that combo!!
Ahh yay!! So glad this dish was a hit with your kids, Maren! Always a win! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
LOVED this healthy twist on one of our favorite dishes. We’re always craving Thai & I can tell this will be a new staple for us! We subbed tofu for chicken to keep it vegetarian & it worked great! Delish!
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks so much for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Made this the other night, and it was so delicious. The almond sauce is sooo yummy– definitely a MUST to add extra lime and cilantro for garnish. Thank you for a wonderful, healthy dinner go-to that my husband has already requested to be in the weekly rotation 🙂
Woot woot!! So glad you guys enjoyed this dish. Thanks for making it and for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I really appreciate it. 🙂
Phenomenal and spicy-just the way we like it! Better than our takeout normal pad Thai.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Kylie!! I’m so glad this dish was a hit. Thanks so much for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
Another amazing recipe! I don’t think there is anything I have tried that I haven’t loved. We subbed out the almond/ almond butter for peanuts and peanut butter and added extra Sambal Oelek for some more heat. My husband devoured it and the smell drove my poor beagle crazy.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Ally!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. 🙂
This was amazing!! I was apprehensive at first because I love pad Thai and wasn’t sure how this would compare, but it is even better! Just finished my leftovers and already planning to make it again.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Jasmine!! So glad this dish was a hit. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂
So delicious and really simple! I’d been looking for something new to try that didn’t take too much time, this was it! I love that I was able to easily prep for this meal during my baby’s nap time, then could quickly cook it up for dinner. Even the picky eaters in my family enjoyed it!
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Carly. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I usually don’t fall in love with spaghetti squash, but this was absolutely amazing. So flavorful. 100% a make-again! I don’t even notice the spaghetti squash not being noodles. I doubled the sauce and I’m glad I did, but this was amazing.
Loved this!! Amazing flavors. I loved it with almond butter, but I want to try with PB next time to compare. Really, really good. My husband loved it, too.
Ahh yay!! So glad this dish was a hit, Jen! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it.
She has outdone herself again with this recipe. I can’t stop eating it. Even my meat eater man loves it!! Such a knock out of the park with this one.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Emily!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it.
Really good!!!! We absolutely loved it. I was a little scare about using the ginger and the crushed red pepper. But it is awesome. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Vanessa. So glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Made this for my family for dinner last night and everyone loved it! It was even dad approved who was hesitant as soon as he heard “spaghetti squash” lol.
Such a great recipe and healthier alternative to one of my favourite meals!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Heather. I’m so glad this dish was a hit with your family. 🙂 Thanks so much for giving it a try and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
Really tasty. Would certainly make again. I made it as directed (other than using tempeh in place of chicken, as we don’t eat meat). We added red chili flakes, as we love spice!! For the sauce proportions, we found it needed more lime to “cut” the almond butter; we would also reduce the amount of almond butter as we found it a bit too much. Rating this a 4, but really it is a 4.5. Definitely prefer it to a noodle version.
This was sooooo good. I accidentally bought sugar added almond butter which I know I could have used but I wasn’t in to it and I had regular PB and then I used Tofu instead of chicken. This was sooooooo gooooooood. I’m making it for the 3rd time in a month tonight, haha.
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Joy! I’m so glad this recipe has been a hit. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂
SO GOOD! I had sweetened almond butter, so I just omitted the maple syrup and added some vegetable stock to thin it a little. I don’t eat meat, but I scrambled 3 eggs and added that in and it was perfect! Definitely will be making this again!
Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Anna. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I have made lots of your recipes and always enjoy them. This one was my absolute favorite so far, and my husband also loved it!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Amber! So glad you guys are loving the recipes. 🙂 I really appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me.
We made this last night and loved it! It was just what we were craving. We’re likely going to be putting that almond chili sauce on everything now 🙂 Thank you!
This recipe 🙌🏼🙌🏼 So easy to prep, absolutely delicious, and a family favorite! Seriously, the hardest part is cutting the spaghetti squash.
Woot woot! So pumped you’re loving this recipe, Carly. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I appreciate it. 🙂
This was SO good. I didn’t have almond butter on hand, so I used regular peanut butter, cut out the maple syrup, and added additional sambal, coconut aminos, water (to thin it out and cut some of the sweetness with more heat). Topped with some honey roasted peanuts. Seriously SO good. Going to be a regular in our house!!
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear, Katie. I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating and share the subs you made. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it’s amazing!!!! I’m so impressed and so full! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for making it + for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Laci. <3
Delicious! The “noodles” came out perfect. I usually put my spaghetti squash in the microwave, but this way led to much tastier, firmer noodles. The sauce is delicious. I’m not vegan, so I added some fish sauce and a little rice vinegar and topped with chopped peanuts. Definitely adding this to my rotation.
Yay!! So glad this recipe was a hit. And I’m pumped to hear that the spaghetti squash noodles turned out for you. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating, Leslie. I so appreciate it!
O.M.G. This was FANTASTIC
Turned out delicious!!! At first I thought the steps sounded pretty long and complicated, but everything went real easy! I love the different way to cook spag squash, it was like a revelation for me! Lol. And I used some fake chicken to make the meal vegan. Perfection!
So glad you loved this recipe, Beth!! Thanks for giving it a try and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it. 🙂
This recipe turned out to yield a phenomenal dish. Definitely a crowd pleaser. I’d say makes for great leftovers, but there almost weren’t any left, just because of how popular it was. I just discovered this recipe about a week and a half ago, and I’ve already made it twice. Will be using this recipe for upcoming Christmas potlucks.
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Shauna. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂
Delicious!!!!
This was a delicious meal. I’m so glad I tried it. Will definitely be making again.
Yay!! I’m glad you tried it and loved it, Jenn. 🙂
Love, love, love this dish!!! It’s one of those recipes that you make and crave it days later. I’ve never cooked with spaghetti squash until this dish, and I’m so glad I gave it a go. Great recipe!
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Yum! I don’t usually take time to comment but this dish is a winner. I’ve leaned hard away from spaghetti squash in recent years because it’s time consuming. The method sighted here is a keeper, though it still takes some time. But… it’s a pandemic, so I’ve got time certainly. I made more squash than I needed so will be back for more recipe inspiration. I like a saucy & spicy pad thai so ended up increase the saucey 50% and adding more sambal. Even better the next day! Thanks for this great recipe.
Ahh yay, that makes me so happy to hear!! I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Emily. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I SO appreciate it!
Smelled so amazing cooking that everyone was really excited to try it! Didn’t have red pepper so used cabbage, sweet onions, and carrots. Sautéed in sesame oil. Used coconut aminos in the sauce but it turned out a tad sweet so added soy at the end and also added some extra chili flakes. Topped with sliced green onions, chopped peanuts, and sriracha. Didn’t have cilantro but that would have been a perfect touch.Rave reviews from my skeptical diners- will definitely make again!
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear. I’m glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
A top 5 Whole 30 meal and we’ve done Whole 30 at least 8x! Skipped maple syrup and carrots. 4 chicken breasts. Could use a second red pepper but slightly less cayenne. Make the spaghetti squash exactly as she says! Not soggy at all… delicious meal!!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad you’ve been loving this recipe. Thanks for much for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Made this for dinner today and it was actually amazing. Probably my favorite recipe from EBF so far! The sauce is great even without the chili flakes and it doesn’t leave you feeling heavy. Can’t wait to have my leftovers tomorrow!
Ahh!! I’m so glad this dish surprised you with being so good, Ariana. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating too. I really appreciate it!
Hello! I am so excited to try this! Am I able to omit the Tamari or coconut aminos part?
Hi Katie, you could but I would use something as a sub if possible. Do you have soy sauce? If so, use that. Without tamari, coconut aminos or soy sauce the dish will likely be lacking some flavor.
Made this recipe last night – it was delicious – I couldn’t get any spaghetti squash so substituted wholewheat noodles instead. So easy, thanks!
Woo!! So glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
made this last night for dinner. used the coconut aminos & the sambal oelek (~1/2 tsp as my audience not big on the heat). It came out well. I thought it was tasty & flavorful. I’m a spaghetti squash fan (and the veggies). My son liked it & said he would eat it again (highest compliment on what i make)!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear!! I’m pumped this recipe was a hit with your family. Thanks for the review. 🙂
So yum and so easy!!! This is a keeper! We had left over spaghetti squash, frozen, we thawed. Came out great and even easier. I added some soy sauce to the sauce also. We didn’t have chicken, so substituted shrimp and scrambled eggs. Amazing, thank you
So glad you loved this recipe, Janet! I bet it was delicious with shrimp. 🙂
Omg! This is sooo good! Better than the real thing… I will be making again and again. Thank you!
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear, Tracey. I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me. 🙂
Loved this so much! I used peanut butter instead, but it was amazing and a lot lighter without noodles! Definitely will make again!!
So glad you loved this recipe, Ali. Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
This dish is so good!! The sauce is amazing!
So glad you loved this dish, Maggie. Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
Amazing! Can’t believe how great this turned out. Husband and I loved it. Definitely worth cooking the spaghetti squash in rings like suggested. The final texture was like noodles – I haven’t been able to achieve this when cooking the standard way by cutting squash in half. Sauce is sooo good too. Thanks for the wonderful recipe! Will make again!
So glad this recipe was a hit!! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
This was my first time making a recipe from your site. It was amazing. My whole family loved this recipe. Full of flavor. I made all the components ahead of time and my hubby even put it together. I can’t wait to try another recipe!
Ah yay!! This makes me so happy to hear. I’m so thrilled everyone enjoyed this recipe, Elissa! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
So, so, so good! Everytime! I have made several times. WFPB so I leave out chicken and add cauliflower & finely chopped greens. Even your pickiest eater will love. Like many other reviews, I crave this recipe days later. Thanks for a winner Brittany!
Yay! So glad this recipe was a hit, Leisa! Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate it!
AMAZING healthy version of pad thai! So tasty and also husband approved 🙂 I substituted powdered peanut butter for the almond butter and it lowered the calories a little while keeping the taste of the sauce. Otherwise kept everything else the same. Also loved roasting the spaghetti squash in spirals- so easy and fast! Will definitely make this recipe again- thanks EBF for another great recipe!
I was very confused about the chile almond sauce because there’s a bullet next to the title/name in the recipe which implied it was an ingredient on its own!!! If you take away the bullet point that would be very helpful to those of us following the recipe. Thanks!!!
Thank you so much for pointing out this mistake! The Chile Almond Sauce is supposed to be a heading for the sauce ingredients. Just updated it!!
Got to use my new food processor for this and the sauce was so addictive. The spaghetti squash cooking method was also a game changer. Can’t wait to make this for some friends soon!
At the top you listed sambal oelek as an ingredient but I don’t see it listed in the ingredients for the sauce, just if that was intentional or not. I love sambal oelek, so I’ll probably add it anyway ;)! Love you recipes and website!
Hi Mark! It’s in the chili almond sauce. I love it too!
this was FANTASTIC! I whipped this up in my wok and it was so easy and very flavorful. Another EFB fav!!
So glad you loved this recipe, Caroline. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Delicious! Made it with shrimp instead , and added coconut milk to the sauce to make it creamy. Loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
YUM! Sounds so amazing, love adding shrimp to this one. Glad you’re enjoying it and this recipe turned out great for you, Natalie. Thank you for your review & star rating, it means the world to me!