Keto Chicken Pad Thai has all the flavors of the traditional rice noodle dish but with just a fraction of the carbs! An authentic and flavorful keto chicken pad thai! Sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, this pad thai will hit all of your taste buds. A super easy meal for 4 and ready in just 30 minutes!
Hey there! This is Kailey from Living Fresh Daily. I'm super excited to be sharing my keto pad thai recipe for my first guest post. It's quick, easy, and full of flavor and is one of my go-to recipes for those busy nights.
Why order takeout when you can have an authentic and delicious pad thai ready in just 30 minutes?
Make sure to try these Rainbow Spring Rolls too!
What Noodles Do You Use For A Keto Pad Thai?
I use Shirataki noodles (aka miracle noodles) for my keto pad thai. These noodles are popular in Asian dishes and are made from ground konjac yams.
If you haven't heard of Shirataki noodles yet, then let me introduce you to your new best friend!
Shirataki noodles are 97% water and 3% fiber and that means they are 0 net carbs per serving and near 0 calories per serving. They are the perfect weight loss noodle.
Where Can You Buy Keto Pad Thai Noodles?
Shirataki noodles might seem like an obscure ingredient, but they're actually pretty easy to find! Any world market or Asian market will have them.
They are also becoming increasingly available in health food grocery stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. I even saw Shirataki noodles at my local Walmart! Learn more about shirataki noodles here.
What Do Shirataki Noodles Taste Like?
Shirataki noodles are virtually tasteless which makes them perfect for the flavorful sauce in this keto pad thai. The noodles come in a package with water and when first opened you might notice an unpleasant odor, but fear not!
Simply drain then thoroughly rinse the noodles to remove the odor. Cook the noodles in a wok or pan with no oil to completely remove the excess water and to give them a more familiar noodle-like texture.
How To Make Keto Pad Thai In Less Than 30 Minutes
Step 1: Prep Fresh Produce
Start by washing and drying the fresh produce. Thinly slice the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Remove cilantro leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop until you have about ⅓ cup. Peel and mince garlic and ginger.
Step 2: Cut Chicken
Butterfly the chicken breasts in half to make them thinner and then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts and your personal preferences, you can skip the butterflying, but I find it gives the chicken a more traditional pad thai feel and helps it to cook faster.
Step 3: Mix Keto Pad Thai Sauce
Add the fish sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, coconut aminos, lime juice, and stevia to a small bowl. Add up to 1 tbsp of Sambal Oelek (or other chili paste) depending on how spicy you like your pad thai. Whisk the sauce together until smooth and well combined.
*Note: You can substitute soy sauce for the coconut aminos. They have a similar flavor, but I prefer the added sweetness that the coconut aminos provides.
Step 4: Stir Fry Keto Pad Thai Base
Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil (I used sesame oil), then stir fry the minced garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir continuously so that the garlic doesn't burn.
After 30 seconds, add 1 tbsp of Sambal Oelek and the sliced scallion whites. Continue stir frying for 2-3 minutes until the scallions have softened.
This base is packed with flavor and allows us to get away with a lighter (and lower carb) sauce while still keeping the dish flavorful!
Step 5: Stir Fry Chicken
Once the base has cooked, add the chicken to the wok or pan and stir fry with the keto pad thai base for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken has seared on the outsides and cooked through.
Step 6: Beat Eggs & Prep Noodles
While the chicken cooks, beat two eggs using a whisk or fork until well combined. Drain and thoroughly rinse the Shirataki noodles with hot water for about 2 minutes or until their package odor is gone and they have a bland/tasteless flavor.
Step 7: Cook Shirataki Noodles
Once the chicken is done cooking completely empty the chicken/base mixture from the wok and set aside. Add the noodles to the empty wok (without using any oil) and dry fry them over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes to remove all excess water.
You want the noodles to have a firm and noodle-like texture. Be careful not to overcook the noodles or you will lose this texture.
Step 8: Stir Fry Eggs
Once the noodles have cooked, stir in the beaten eggs and scramble/stir fry them with the noodles until they are cooked, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 9: Mix Keto Pad Thai
Once the eggs have cooked, add the chicken/base mixture back to the wok with the eggs and noodles. Add the bean sprouts and stir in the pad thai sauce. Continue stir-frying and mixing for 2-3 minutes until everything is well combined and heated through.
Top the keto pad thai with the scallion greens, cilantro, and chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
There you go, a super easy and delicious keto chicken pad thai all in under 30 minutes. It makes 4-6 large servings so you have enough for the whole family + some extra leftovers!
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Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek (chili paste, use 1 tsp if you prefer less heat)
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 5 drops stevia
Keto Pad Thai
- 1 16 oz package shirataki noodles
- 1 lb chicken breast, butterflied and cut into bit sized pieces
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large scallions, thinly sliced, keep whites and greens separate
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 ½ cups bean sprouts
Toppings
- ¼ cup peanuts, chopped
- ⅓ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Wash and dry fresh produce. Thinly slice scallions, keeping whites and greens separated. Peel and mince ginger and garlic. Roughly chop cilantro leaves.
- Butterfly the chicken breast then cut into small bite sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until well combined and smooth.
- Heat a drizzle of oil (I used sesame oil) in a wok or large pan over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds), stirring frequently. Add scallion whites and 1 tbsp sambal oelek to wok with ginger and garlic and continue stir frying until scallions have softened about 2-3 minutes.
- Once scallion whites have softened, add chicken to wok with the ginger, garlic, scallions, and sambal oelek. Stir fry chicken for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
- While chicken cooks, beat 2 eggs until well combined. Drain and rinse shirataki noodles thoroughly under hot water for about 2 minutes.
- Once chicken has finished, remove the chicken stir fry the wok or pan and set aside. Add shiratki noodles to the wok and stir fry noodles until firm, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once noodles have cooked, add the beaten eggs to the wok with the noodles and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the eggs have cooked. Stir frequently to break up/scramble the eggs.
- Once eggs have cooked, add the chicken stir fry, pad thai sauce, and bean sprouts to the wok. Continue stir frying for about 2 minutes until all ingredients are well combined.
- Top with scallion greens, crushed peanuts, and cilantro to serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Looking for more unique Keto Dinner Ideas? Try these:
Chicken Tikka Masala Slow Cooker Recipe
Victoria says
I love this recipe! It’s so easy to make and tastes amazing! Since I am working on lowering my cholesterol I skipped the chicken and added tofu instead! Thank you so much for this recipe, I have officially put it on my recipe rotation 💖
Nick H says
Loved it! Thanks for this easy translation to the Keto world! It was pretty much like take out.
I have been doing keto for a few yrs so felt pretty comfortable with these ingredients. Honestly, shiragaki stinks out of the package, but the hot water rinse and dry fry were essential to rid the smell and get the yummy Thai taste. I wouldn't have noticed they were shiragaki if it was served to me!
Gayle says
I follow the recipe exactly and this was very good. Hit the spot for Keto/low card diet. I am gluten free so have gotten over the texture issue of the Shirataki noodles. I love your other suggestions, maybe cauliflower rice would be good to!
Kevin says
Oh my, thank you so much for this recipe! I knew nothing about this noodle and it is awesome. But back to the pad thai, thank you thank you! I missed it so much starting keto at the beginning of the year. The kids even liked it! Great job!
Thanks,
The Schroder family
Erin says
Could I use Hearts of Palm noodles instead? I have some of those in my pantry.
Taryn says
Yes
Lindy Price says
I will make sure to have cilantro next time I make it and a few more chopped peanuts. Yum!
Ariana Photakis says
The flavor was great but be aware that the smell is strong!! Fish sauce imparts a ton of flavor but stinks to high heaven lol!
Thanks for making a tasty recipe that can be used in/out of Keto based diets
Kiki says
Since being on Keto, I haven’t had one of my favorite dishes, pad Thai. Thanks to you, now I can! I’ve had the noodles one time before and the texture/smell was awful, I didn’t dare go near them again, but decided to give them a chance again with this recipe. I’m glad I did! I’ll be pan frying these noodles every time I use them now. I’m so excited to have found a go to pad Thai recipe! Thank you!
Michelle Diaz says
I made this for my first keto recipe. I followed it as written except I used regular soy sauce instead of coconut aminoes because that it what I had on hand the kiddos 10 & 12 did not think it had enough flavor. Maybe next time I will try marinating the chicken to see if that gives it more of the bolder flavor we are looking for. It is very easy to make though.
Kim says
Love this recipe!! My husband also loves it as well, and he’s not on keto, so it’s a bonus.
Thank you for sharing a great recipe that takes care of my Thai craving.
Yaniz Ramos Da Silva says
Can you please tell me what I can substitute the stevia for? I have Monkfruit granular, swerve confectioners and Monkfruit drops.
Thank you
Taryn says
Any of those will work. The monk fruit drops may be your best choice but really you can just add a little of any to taste. Start slowly. It's easy to add more but impossible to remove them if you make it too sweet.
Daffy says
Nope. Shiritaki noodles are disgusting. They are slimy and obsorb zero flavor. Its like half cooked egg whites. How these are popular in low carb is beyond me. Keto and low carb must have zero expectations culinary wise.
Taryn says
Leaving one star on my recipe because you don't like shirataki noodles is not a very nice thing to do. I would be happy to offer suggestions instead. You could try this with hearts of palm noodles, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or just with extra protein and vegetables and skip the pasta sub all together.
Julie says
I don’t like shiratake noodles either but that has nothing to do with your recipe! I put it over riced cauliflower. Yum! Consider Daffy’s name. 😂
Erika Demars says
I think I died and went to heaven!!! I absolutely love pad Thai and eating Keto was worried that I wouldn’t miss it so much and fall off the wagon
This recipe is FANTASTIC!!!! Just as good as restaurant pad Thai. Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try your other recipes
Lyn says
Amazing! I rarely do this, but I actually followed recipe to a "T", with the exception of adding a bit of tamarind paste to the sauce. So delicious.
Brittani says
Ok to start out with the only negative: I didn’t like the noodles, I’d never had them and it was the texture that threw me off l, but I didn’t want to subtract stars from that because that’s my own preference on a store bought item.
Everything else was SO good. This family is big on Thai so the only thing I had to buy was a lower carb peanut butter and the rest I had I hand. I want to incorporate the sauce on so many other things because it was a hit. Next time I think I’ll just use the bean sprouts and call them noodles and I’ll love it. Thanks!
debby says
me too... I tossed out a box of them. First the texture of the package, then the smell, then in spite of trying all the things they "said" would make them tolerable - NOPE!
Jen says
This recipe was amazing! I didn't end up using coconut aminos since I didn't have any but just subbed it for soy sauce which worked well! Really really delicious and the method of cooking the 'noodles' made them taste amazing! Already made this twice this week and will keep making it! Thanks so much Taryn!
Sandra Shaffer says
30 minute meal and low carb? YUM! This is just the kind of dish I need for mid week meals. That sauce is spot on with flavor. Do the shirataki noodles re-heat ok if I was to make this in advance for my lunches?
Taryn says
Yes, you can reheat.
Candi Elm says
I have never made these noodles, but they sound delicious. I like the peanuts on top and that you can make in under 30 minutes.
Sandi says
My kids love Pad Thai but I never thought to try to make it. Awesome recipe.
Natalie says
I had shirataki noodles before and wasn't a fan but I think it's because I tried frying them in oil and they got mushy. LOVE these directions! So easy to follow and they turned out perfectly! Amazing with the other flavors and definitely a recipe I'll be adding to my favorites!
Cindy B. says
What is actual weight of a serving.
Taryn says
I'm sorry, I don't have that information. You could weigh the whole batch and then just the weight by 4. I just scoop equal portions in 4 bowls.
April says
I love Thai anything and this was sooooooo good. Will definitely make again!
Krystle says
I love getting Thai takeout. This looks just as tasty, but much healthier!