Pad Thai Zoodles
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Pad Thai Zoodles recipe is going to knock your socks off! This dish stacks up to any Thai restaurant you’ve ever been to but without the calories! Perfectly spiralized zoodles and loaded with flavor – you cannot say no to this!
I’m pretty certain that Pad Thai is one of the world’s most beloved noodle dishes. I’m not kidding, it’s definitely one of my favorites! Not only does this recipe stack up to your favorite Thai takeout, but you also don’t need to hunt the deep dark corners of Asian grocery stores to find the ingredients you need!
These Pad Thai zoodles are absolutely an everyday recipe. Not just because of its simplicity, but also because once you make it, I’m pretty certain it is going into your weekly rotation. I love the bold flavors of Asian cuisine – and when I get to create dishes where I can incorporate them, it makes me really excited!
What is Pad Thai?
Pad Thai is a stir-fried rice noddle dish, that originated in Thailand. It’s a common street food loaded with variations of meat, veggies, sprouts, noodles, scrambled egg, peanuts, and tofu – and don’t let me forget the crazy addictive sauce!
What the heck are Zoodles?
Now I understand that the sound of zucchini pasta doesn’t exactly entice most people’s appetites. But don’t judge a book by its cover you guys! Zoodles are a noodle made from zucchini and are one of the best pasta substitutions, for those looking to cut back on the bad carbs! Super simple to make – you can literally use them in any pasta dish you can imagine. You cannot go wrong with these babies!
Ingredients
For Pad Thai Sauce
- Brown sugar – For some sweetness in our sauce.
- Lime juice – We need the juice from 1 fresh lime.
- Vinegar – I used white vinegar today
- Fish sauce – You’re welcome to use a soy sauce instead. I always go for low sodium options!
- Sriracha – Or your favorite hot sauce!
For Pad Thai
- Zucchini – I used 2 large zucchinis.
- Peanut oil – If you can’t find any, you can also use vegetable oil or sesame oil.
- Tofu – Cut into small cubes.
- Shrimp – Large shrimp, shells off and deveined ( meaning removing the central vein) OR you can go ahead and buy them prepared this way!
- Garlic – Minced. Remember the golden rule when using jarred garlic; 1 1/2 teaspoons is equal to 1 fresh clove.
- Eggs – 2 large eggs is all we need today.
- Bean sprouts – A must for any Pad Thai recipe.
- Onion – I’m using green onions today, roughly chopped.
- Peanuts – Chopped.
How to make Pad Thai Zoodles
- Create the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, and sriracha; set aside.
- Make the zoodles: Using a spiralizer or a grater, make the noodle strands out of both zucchinis; place into a bowl and set aside.
- Cook the protein: Add the peanut oil to a wok or sauce pan and heat over high heat. Next, add the tofu and shrimp and cook until tofu is lightly browned and shrimp is pink on both sides. Next, add the garlic and toss everything together. Continue cooking for another minute. (If you’re finding the heat is too high, turn to medium high).
- Cook the eggs: Using a spatula, push the tofu and shrimp to one side of the wok, and crack the eggs in the other side – break the eggs as they cook, when finished they should look like scrambled eggs.
- Add the mixings: Add half the bean sprouts, half the peanuts and half the green onions to the wok. Next, pour the prepared sauce into the wok. Toss all the ingredients together and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Finish the dish: Finally, add the zoodles to the wok, and toss everything together. Once well combined, turn off the heat.
- Serve: Garnish with remaining bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts and serve warm!
What equipment will I Need
You’re going to need to use a spiralizer for this recipe! And if you don’t own one, I promise it’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make! Not only is it for zucchini, but it can be used for so many other vegetables such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and cucumbers – the possibilities are endless. And your noodles are going to come out perfect every single time!
Note: If you don’t have a spiralizer and still really want to create this dish – a shredder will also work!
Do I have to make this recipe with shrimp?
Absolutely not! You can use any type of protein that you like! Common meats found in pad Thai dishes are pork, chicken, and even beef. Please go ahead and use whichever you think is best. Or just load it full of veggies and eliminate the meat altogether!
Note: Cook times will vary for different varieties of protein!
Leftovers
Pad Thai can be tricky! Once stored away and reheated it can be really tough to get the texture and consistency back to where it was in the beginning! You may find that because of the heavy sauces in the dish it may taste bad before it actually goes bad – just something to be aware of!
Fridge:
In the fridge pad Thai will last up to 3 days when stored in a sealed airtight container.
Freezer:
To extend the shelf life of this this dish, store in a sealed airtight container and it will last in the freezer for up to 4 months.
How To Reheat
I definitely recommend reheating pad Thai zoodles in a sauce pan or in a wok over low heat. Add a splash of water and cook until you’ve reached a desired temperature!
Looking for more great recipes?
- Asian Style Pepper Steak
- Pad Thai
- Thai Chicken Ramen
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Baba Ganoush
- Pad See Ew
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Pad Thai Zoodles
Ingredients
For Pad Thai Sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- juice from one lime (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (if you don’t have fish sauce, use soy sauce instead)
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
For Pad Thai
- 2 large zucchini
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 6 ounce firm tofu (about 1 cup, cut into small cubes)
- 8 ounce large shrimp (shells off and deveined)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 5 green onions (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup peanuts (chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Create the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, and sriracha; set aside.
- Make the zoodles: Using a spiralizer or a grater, make the noodle strands out of both zucchinis; place into a bowl and set aside.
- Cook the protein: Add the peanut oil to a wok or sauce pan and heat over high heat. Next, add the tofu and shrimp and cook until tofu is lightly browned and shrimp is pink on both sides. Next, add the garlic and toss everything together. Continue cooking for another minute. (If you're finding the heat is too high, turn to medium high).
- Cook the eggs: Using a spatula, push the tofu and shrimp to one side of the wok, and crack the eggs in the other side – break the eggs as they cook, when finished they should look like scrambled eggs.
- Add the mixings: Add half the bean sprouts, half the peanuts and half the green onions to the wok. Next, pour the prepared sauce into the wok. Toss all the ingredients together and continue cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Finish the dish: Finally, add the zoodles to the wok, and toss everything together. Once well combined, turn off the heat.
- Serve: Garnish with remaining bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts and serve warm!
Notes
- If you don’t have a spiralizer, use a shredder to shred the zucchini.
- You can use vegetable oil of sesame oil if you don’t have peanut oil.
- You can make this with chicken.
- If you don’t have sriracha, any chili garlic style hot sauce will work.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Here are some items you may need to make this dish:
