Healthy Chicken Pad Thai

A big bowl of Healthy Chicken Pad Thai. It’s packed with lots of protein and extra veggies!

Hello, Y’all! Well, it happened in Denver this past weekend. We got a proper snow storm. Yep, snow that accumulated more than an inch. We actually got a solid 8 inches at my house. Super exciting considering how dry it’s been. I love it, my dog Tommy, not so much…

This weeks craving was Pad Thai. I seriously had a hankering for a sweet and sour, umami-rich dish. I was dreaming of noodles, lots and lots of noodles. Instead of hitting up my local Thai restaurant and indulging on a massive carb loaded overly salted plate of pure heaven, I chose to stay at home and make my own version of a healthy chicken pad thai instead.

My version of pad thai is definitely Americanized to accommodate what ingredients that we have available at our grocery stores. In a traditional pad thai, one would use tamarind paste as the sour component of the dish. After visits to 3 different stores with no luck finding it, I decided that it was a fruitless task. If I can’t buy it in the land of everything at your fingertips, then there is no way that it would be easily accessible for others. I used rice wine vinegar and a bit of brown sugar as a substitute. (Plum sugar doesn’t exist in my area as well). Lol!

Now that I am really changing things up, I might as well mention bean sprouts.  They don’t sell them here either. The produce manager says they spoil to quick, so they don’t stock them. I included them as an optional ingredient on the list. If you can get them, it would be a nice addition.

Finally, I made this pad thai super healthy by loading it up with a ton of non-traditional ingredients such as peppers, chilies, cabbage, and carrots. I also upped the eggs and added more chicken for extra lean protein, as well as, cutting down the number of noodles that would a traditional pad thai would be made with. All and all, I think that I succeeded in making a super flavorful pad thai that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating.

Next time that you are craving a delicious pad thai takeout, try making this instead. You can certainly make it faster than the delivery guy can make it to your house. Your waistline and belly will thank you!

Enjoy!

When making pad thai it’s easiest to pre-chop everything. The cooking process is pretty quick, so this step will make it a bit easier. Go ahead and chop away!

To avoid dried out chicken, cook it to this stage and then add the vegetables.

After the chicken and veggies have cooked, push them aside and put the eggs in the middle. Gently swirl the eggs around until they set. Then toss together with the mix!

Once the eggs are cooked through and mixed in, toss in the noodles, peanuts and green onions. Now it just needs the sauce and it’s ready to serve.

Healthy Chicken Pad Thai is one of my favorite go-to dinners! Go figure, it makes for great leftovers too!

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Healthy Chicken Pad Thai

A big bowl of Healthy Chicken Pad Thai. It's packed with lots of protein and extra veggies! A great weeknight dinner and makes for great leftovers! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Asian Food

Servings 4 people

Author Heather Blake

Ingredients

For the Pad Thai Sauce

• 4 tablespoons low sodium tamari (soy sauce)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce adjust to taste
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

For the Pad Thai

• 8 ounces pad Thai noodles (
• 2 tablespoons high heat oil like canola
• 1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 thinly sliced red pepper
• 1-2 Serrano peppers, thinly sliced optional
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 cups shredded cabbage a prepackaged slaw mix works great!
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts optional
• 1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• lime wedges for serving optional
• cilantro for serving optional

Instructions

For the Pad Thai Sauce

• In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, fish sauce, garlic sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside. 

To make the Pad Thai

• Bring a large of salted pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and remove from the heat. Let sit for 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are soft but a little firm to the bite. They will cook more in the second stage. Drain and rinse the noodles. Set aside. 
• In a large saute pan over medium heat, add the oil. Add the chicken to the warmed pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until its starting to cook through but still a little pink. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. 
  
• Add the carrots, peppers, garlic, and chilies (if using) and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in the cabbage. 
• In a small bowl add the eggs and a splash of water (1 tablespoon). Whisk together with a fork. 
• Push the veggie and to the side and pour the eggs in the middle. Cook until the eggs begin to set then stir in to combine. 
  
• Toss in the cooked noodles and pour in the sauce. Add about 1/4 cup of peanuts and 1/4 cup green onions. Add the bean sprouts if using. Combine well and cook for about 2 minutes or until the noodles are soft and some of the sauce has absorbed. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper if necessary. 
  
• Serve hot with the additional chopped peanuts, green onions, lime wedges, and chopped fresh cilantro if you wish. 

Notes

To thinly slice the chicken, try putting it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before cutting. It will firm up just enough to make slicing easier.