A homemade dinner in 20 minutes? It’s possible with this easy Thai chicken recipe! With juicy pan-seared chicken, loads of fresh veggies, and a zesty peanut sauce, this one’s guaranteed to be a favorite.
One of my basic rules of life is that if a recipe involves peanut sauce, it’s going to be good. This rule hasn’t let me down yet, and it’s definitely true when it comes to this Thai chicken recipe. I took some inspiration from my Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodle Salad and Shrimp Stir Fry with Zucchini Noodles, tossing the tender chicken and homemade peanut sauce with zucchini noodles. Because zucchini noodles don’t have the long cooking time that rice does, it means dinner’s on the table ready to eat in just 20 minutes!
Why This Thai Chicken Beats the Rest
In a world with countless Thai peanut chicken recipes, here’s what makes this one a standout:
- A sauce that’s more savory than sweet. Some peanut sauces are so sweet, you can hardly taste the peanut. I think peanut butter is sweet enough, so I skipped the usual sugar, which allows the peanut flavor to shine through.
- White meat chicken. Because peanut sauce is so rich, I decided not to use chicken thighs and opted for chicken tenders instead. A quick pan-sear keeps them nice and juicy.
- Packed with veggies. Zucchini noodles, carrot, red pepper, and green onions make this a filling meal.
What You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this Thai chicken recipe.
For the Chicken and Vegetables:
- Grapeseed oil – Or another neutral oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil.
- Chicken tenders – Boneless skinless chicken breasts would also work.
- Zucchini – If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can usually find packages of zucchini noodles at the grocery store.
- Carrots and red bell pepper – These add color and crisp texture, but they also add sweetness to the dish.
- Cilantro and green onions – For fresh flavor.
- Sesame seeds – Or you can add chopped dry roasted peanuts for a little more crunch.
For the Spicy Peanut Sauce:
- Garlic – For savory flavor.
- Peanut butter – I like to use natural peanut butter that only has peanuts or peanuts and salt on the ingredient list.
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice perks up the flavor of the sauce with bright citrus and tangy acidity.
- Coconut aminos – Or 2 tablespoons of tamari, if you prefer.
- Cilantro – Mince this so it mixes smoothly into the sauce.
- Ground ginger – For a subtle warmth.
- Red pepper flakes – Feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
How to Make Thai Chicken with Zucchini Noodles
Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved in making this recipe.
- Make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, cilantro, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes until smooth.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil, then cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from the heat.
- Combine everything. Add the zucchini noodles, chicken, carrots, red bell pepper, and peanut sauce to a large bowl. Using tongs, gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Finish with fresh herbs. Toss in the cilantro and green onions.
- Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
Variation Ideas
I love this Thai peanut chicken recipe exactly as written, but if you want to switch things up a bit, here’s some inspiration.
- Add other vegetables. Snap peas, shredded cabbage, broccoli, or edamame are all delicious additions.
- Make it nut-free. Substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter.
- Serve it over rice. Not a fan of zucchini noodles? Try Instant Pot jasmine rice instead.
- Sweeten it up. Stir honey or coconut sugar into the sauce if you want it a little sweeter.
Serving Suggestions
With the Thai chicken and all the vegetables, you really don’t need to add anything else to make this recipe a meal. But if you do want to add a side, try this Asian cucumber salad or fresh summer rolls.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover Thai chicken and veggies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. The zucchini noodles will soften a bit more as they reheat, but they’ll still taste good. You can also use the microwave, but the chicken is more likely to get tough.
More Thai Chicken Recipes
Thai Chicken With Zucchini Noodles
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
With juicy pan-seared Thai chicken, loads of fresh veggies, and a zesty peanut sauce, this 20-minute dinner is guaranteed to be a favorite!
Ingredients
Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodles:
- 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil
- 1 lb. of chicken tenders, cut into cubes
- 2 zucchini, spiralized
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/4 cup of green onions, diced
- sesame seeds (for garnish)
Spicy Peanut Sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 tablespoons of peanut butter
- juice of 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons of coconut aminos (or tamari sauce)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, peanut butter, coconut aminos or tamari, lime juice, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil and chicken tenders. Saute each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit.
- To a large bowl add raw zucchini noodles, chicken, carrots, red pepper and sauce. Using a tongs, gently toss them together.
- Next, add fresh cilantro and green onions to the bowl and give it another toss.
- Serve and garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
If you use tamari sauce, use 2 tablespoons instead of 3.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 256
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 901 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 65 g
119 comments on “Thai Chicken with Zucchini Noodles”
Natural or conventional PB?
you could use either
I’m so looking forward to trying this, minus the chicken, for a side dish with separately prepared Thai chicken. I notice you updated this in January 2023. Are you recommending olive or avocado oil instead of grape seed oil?
This may have been addressed in the comments, but….115 comments…don’t want to read them all!
The recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of oil and then a couple of ingredients later, 1 Tbsp of oil. Is this an error or is the other oil to be used elsewhere?
Thanks!
oh no, yes that was definitely an error. I updated the recipe, it should just be the 2 tbsp of oil, so disregard the 1 tbsp of oil. Thanks for catching that!
Made this last night. It was amazing can’t wait to make it again. So easy an wow what great flavors!
That Peanut Sauce is life changing!! I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe!!
Excellent recipe and delicious dish! I added cubes of tofu and sliced sugar snap peas and will definitely be making this again and again💚
Can the red pepper and green onion be stir fried with the zucchini noodles and carrots?
the red pepper could, I wouldn’t do the green onion but that’s just me. I find it gets bitter when it’s cooked.
This is my GO TO zucchini noodle recipe! I don’t change a thing, except when I’m out of aminos I use soy sauce. My boyfriend requests this constantly. Thank you so much for this recipe!
This recipe is amazing! Thank you for sharing it! My boyfriend and I have decided to put it into our weekly rotation! We add a jalapeno or serrano pepper to kick up the spice!
oh… love the serrano pepper idea! Sounds awesome!
This looks like it would make for a good cold salad… have you ever done that? I need a dish for a salad potluck, and have to have a cold one because of timing.
yes i have! it’s great for lunch the next day.
It looks so yum.thanks for sharing!
This looks great and I’m excited to give it a try! One question – any idea on the fiber count? I’d like to figure the net carbs. Thanks!!
Yup! Just updated it!
Girl, God bless you! This was the best recipe I’ve made all year! This was great for me bf and I who are trying to eat less carbs. I’m also a super busy girl so the cooking time was just right.
Thanks for restoring my confidence in myself for cooking!
ohhhh hurray! that just made my day, pumped you liked the recipe and your passion for cooking is restored! 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I made it for my boyfriend last night. The leftovers tasted just as good as it did last night. I used shrimp instead of chicken and olive oil instead of grape seed oil because that’s what I had in my pantry.
woohoo! love the shrimp change up too! Sounds delicious!
What would the approx. carb count be per serving:?
Hey Jo, it’s about 18 g per serving.
Ok absolutely obsessed with this recipe. My husband and I both love it! Packed with flavor. This will go in our regular rotation and will definitely be made again soon. Only my second go with my new spiralizer – I’m inspired to do much more!!
Woohoo! So glad to hear you and the hubbie loved it! I love it when you try and new recipe and it blows you away. 🙂 Hope you have lots more inspiralizer recipes ahead of you.
That looks delicious. I’m dying to try zoodles especially since I eat low carb. I’m sure I can find a low carb Pad Thai sauce to use in the recipe . Thank you.
ohhh absolutely! You’ll love it Sophia!
This was an incredible dish. Simple, healthy, and so flavorful. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Lindy, so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
To do List: Buy Spiralizer!
haha… YES!
OMG!!! Thank you!! I absolutely LOVE this! I am diabetic and have been trying to eat more low carb and this was fantastic!!
Ohhh hurray! So glad you liked it Lori! If you like that one you need to try the Pesto Zucchini Noodles with grilled chicken and burst tomatoes. It’s so tasty! 🙂
What else can I use besides the Grape Seed Oil? And also for the peanut sauce, on a rate 1 to 10 how spicy? I need to be careful on spicy things so it doesn’t trigger off a migraine. I’ve had peanut sauce before but not spicy.
You could use canola oil instead of the grape seed oil, it doesn’t have a lot of flavor which is what you want. 🙂
As far as the peanut sauce it’s not too spicy. But if you’d like you could use 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes just to be safe. I definitely feel ya on the migraines.. they are no bueno!!
This looks SO GOOD! Quick question…I can’t tell if the chicken in the pictures has breading on it…can you help me out with that?
sure can, it does not have breading on it. 🙂
I used the sauce from this recipe in my own Asian meatball zoodle recipe. Thanks for the inspiration! It is delicious and I look forward to trying other recipes of yours.
Thanks Gab! So glad you enjoyed it!
Loved this recipe, except next time I think I would make it without the chicken! It was plenty filling as a vegan dish! I especially liked that the veggies and peanut butter were plenty sweet on their own without any added sweetener.
It really is.. and it would be good with beef or even shrimp. So glad you liked it Ashley! 🙂
I’m making this for the second time tonight–it’s our new favorite recipe. My kitchenaid spiralizer attachment makes the prep super easy and the results are fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe!
Woohoo! so glad to hear it Michelle! It’s one of our favorites too! That sauce is down right addicting!
Just wondering how many SmartPoints? I could figure it out, but there is no Sat. fat count listed.
Thanks,
Lori
Hmm… I’m not sure how to calculate the SmartPoints so I’ll give you the sat. fat count… it’s 1 g. Hope that helps. If you need anything else let me know!
I made your Thai Chicken Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce for company last night. It was a huge hit! A lot of times when we have company, I can’t really judge the food until I’m more relaxed the next day when I eat leftovers (if any). But from the first bite last night I thought, “Wow, this is really good!” Great dinner!
Hurray! Brave girl on making it for the first time when companies comes! (you sound like me) So glad you enjoyed it and that it was a hit. Totally just made my day Barbara!
My sauce was so salty! Do coconut aminos have more sodium in them??
I added honey and more ginger, and called it good :0) thanks for the recipe!
It doesn’t have more sodium but it does have a stronger fermented taste that soy sauce. Glad you were able to compensate for the salty by adding the honey, good call. 🙂
The sauce was very salty for me, too. I used gluten-free tamari soy sauce. Going to toss it out and start over. This recipe has potential!
Hey Lauren, I’ve made this a couple times and have noticed that when I use tamari as opposed to coconut aminos the tamari turns out to be alot more salty. So maybe use a little less or add more honey and lime juice to balance out the flavors. 🙂
This looks delish! I’m sure you’ve been asked this before, but what type of spiralizer do you use? Went to Amazon for a look at them and there are SO MANY! Any recommendations? Thank you!!
Hey Kristy, this is the one I normally recommend: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0007Y9WHQ&linkCode=as2&tag=joyheaeat-20&linkId=6L7TWTMSFN2B4NUI its the one I have. 🙂
Just made this for dinner tonight and it is DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much for the recipe.
Oh.. hurray! So glad you liked it Kesha!
Hi Krista, can’t wait to try this!!! It looks sooooooo yum. One quick question: do yo serve the peanut sauce on the side? Or is it stirred in with the noodles? Thanks for sharing!
Hey Kathi, You’ll love it! I stir it in with the noodles but you could serve it on the side if you want. Can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
This recipe was so good that I just had to leave a comment. Since I’m a vegetarian, I swapped out chicken for mushrooms and broccoli. It was incredible. This is the first time I’ve used my spiralizer, and it was so easy! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hurray! You just made my day and I love that you made it vegetarian! So glad you liked it Courtney!
This looks delicious! Do you think almond butter would work in place of peanut butter? I am on Whole30 right now.
Yes I definitely think it would work. It would have a different flavor but it would still work in the recipe. 🙂
I would use almond butter instead of peanut butter
You could definitely do that if you’d like Mae! They both are good! 🙂
Looks yummy! What kind of PB do you use?? I made a Thai dish years ago and it had pasta and PB and snow peas. We hated it…it was just too much PB or the wrong kind. I want to try this!!😀
I just use Jiffy creamy, I have also used Peanut Butter & Co Natural version.
I don’t feel like this dish is overly peanut buttery, but if you’re worried about it I would recommend you try a smaller amount in the dressing part and if you want more than add it. 🙂
I tried this recipe a couple nights ago and it was a HUGE hit!! My whole family had seconds and we were sad when it was all gone. That’s really saying something when my picky 6, 5, 3 and 20 month old all loved it. I will have to double the recipe next time 🙂
Yeah!!!! So excited to hear that Nancy, totally just made my day! And yes, double batch this bad boy always!
Tonight was my first foray into the exciting world of zoodling with this recipe, and it was so exciting and delicious! I used my mandoline for the zucchini and a julienne peeler for the carrots. Next time I’ll serve with lime wedges, crushed peanuts, and incorporate some hot pepper slices for my spice-loving family. We loved it!
Ohhh… love it Jessica! The peanuts will add a nice texture change and the hot pepper slices will definitely take it up a notch. 🙂 Thanks for stopping in to leave a note! Welcome to the world of zoodling! 🙂
Just made this, only modified to include zoodles and red peppers (because that’s all that’s in the fridge). I also used liquid aminos for a GF option. Quite tasty! Thanks for sharing!
hurray! Glad you were able to adapt it to what you had! So pumped that you enjoyed this recipe Jen! 🙂
My husband and I just made this recipe and LOVED it! He said this needs to go in a bi-weekly rotation and I have to agree. Only change I made was adding siracha sauce and thinly sliced jalapeños…bc we like to kick the heat up. Next time I will double the recipe for more leftovers! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m now going to stalk your other dinner ideas!
Oh… love the change up! Great way to add in the heat! This recipe is definitely double batch worthy, we actually finished all ours the first time I made it and didn’t have any leftovers… so I learned for the next time. 🙂
And stalk away… haha.. recipe related… not me personally.. ok… i’m done! 🙂 hehe
Made this today for lunch and it was a big hit. I love zoodles but get tired of just making Italian dishes with them. Everyone loves Thai in my family, so this worked out well. Will definitely make this again.
EXACTLY! I’m sick of the italian ones too, which is exactly why I made this one. So glad you enjoyed it Maria!
Great recipe! I am skeptical of healthy recipes, especially when found on pinterest. But this was a home run!
HURRAY!!!! So glad you liked it Erika! And I feel ya… pinterest recipes can be hit or miss sometimes.. I know i’ve had my fair share!
This recipe was AMAZING. I omitted the bean sprouts, cilantro and green onions (simply because I did not have them!) and also substituted the soy sauce for coconut aminos to make it soy free. My husband was literally laughing at me because I was scarfing it down- I’ve already been sharing the recipe the last few days. Can’t wait to make this again!!!
haha… love it Kristin! So glad you and the hubs enjoyed it even minus a couple ingredients! Makes my day!
This recipe was amazing! we will be making again and again
So glad to hear it Jessica! 🙂 Makes my day!
This sounds so good! I love zoodles and peanut butter so I know already that this one’s a winner. I will be making it for sure!
Awesome Kristen! You will fall in love with it like we did!
I pinned this recipe last week and finally made it today. I was a little skeptical that I would like the sauce because I usually like sweeter peanut sauce. I loved it and my kids ate it all even though they weren’t thrilled about the zoodles. “I guess it was okay” is high praise from my 11 year old.
haha… Hurray!!! The zoodles definitely can throw a kiddo off, it did mine but the peanut sauce sucked him right back in.
So glad you liked it Christi! Thanks for coming back and letting me know.. always appreciate feedback whether good or bad!
Made this recipe TWICE yesterday, lunch and dinner, so yum!
haha.. hurray! So glad you like it Dina! Totally made my day!
Is that right ??363 carbs ? It is a beautiful dish.
sorry its confusing when you look at it sometimes, the calories are 363, the carbs are 18g (theres just no comma so sometimes it looks like it runs together in the nutritional facts) 🙂
Sorry! Just read it wrong. I am an idiot 🙂
hehe… no problem Ali. Happens to me all the time! 🙂
Hi! I am looking forward to making this tonight. I am a registered dietitian and I think there may be a typo or two in your nutrition facts. Some of the nutrients and amounts seem to be mixed up. Thanks for such a lovely recipe!
If only I had Pinterest when I got married. This is a gorgeous dish, sharing now!
haha.. I know right! 🙂 Thanks so much Amy, and for sharing! You rock!
ha! I always joke wiht my husband “Don’t make me mad! I already have my next wedding planned on Pinterest!” We eloped so I totally want a redo. At least with a ridiculously expensive dress!
I’m making this ASAP. It looks so good!
hahah!!! I love it! Ridiculous expensive dress … yes!
can’t wait to hear what you think of this dish!
I love that you made the sauce spicy! Usually you only see non-spicy peanut sauces, so I look forward to trying this!
ohh thanks Shelby, if you like it spicy you could probably even add more pepper flakes than it calls for! Spice it up girl!
This looks soooo delicious! I really do need to test out my spiralizer, I’ve had it for two weeks :-\
YES! Whip that thing out girl!
Colorful dinners are so much more fun to eat! This one looks great!
Right! 🙂
I may feel the same in 9 years on wanting to get married again…but I would just like to relive the day 😉 And choose a different dress! ha. But the whole planning part stressed me out! What wouldn’t stress me out is this meal. I need as it is everything I love! Pinned!
haha… from what I’ve seen yours was gorgeous!
Thanks for the pin chica, hope you get a chance to try it soon!
Mmmmm this sounds and looks fantastic!!
Thanks Stephanie!!!
I could go for this right now!! 5 years ago we got married in our house, really simple. I think I am the only person who wanted an even SMALLER wedding, lol. But one thing I would change is the food. And I would totally make my own cake now!
haha… so funny how looking back now we would tweak little things here or there… and make your own cake.. girl! I’m impressed!
I could not have planned my wedding with out my very helpful Pinterest boards. I still have them all and love going back and looking at them. This dish looks perfect for crazy busy weeknight dinners…yum!
Ughh… so jealous you had pinterest. But how fun to be able to look back at all those cute little details that you pinned a couple years ago. 🙂
I’m right there with you. Why didn’t we have all these fabulous options when we got married?! The dress, the planning the EVERYTHING! I just got my spiralizer and I need to test it out with this recipe!
haha… right!?
Yeah for inspiralizers can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe and the recipes you have coming up in the pipeline on your blog. 🙂
I totally get it. We have our 8th anniversary coming up in July, and our wedding was so simple — I would love to do it again! But then there’s the planning… and the money…. and maybe I’d even just take a kidless holiday instead! Lol. Love these zoodles! The flavors look phenomenal — pinned!
haha… kidless holiday is always a bonus. Silence… yes please!
Thanks for the pin chica!
This is such a gorgeous recipe. I can taste it through the screen 🙂
Ohhh.. thanks Melissa! 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it!
Is there really 363 g of carbs in this?
no that is the calorie count Courney, there are 18 g of carbs in this dish
How about fat??