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This Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai is low-carb healthier version of the classic take-out dish! It’s so flavorful, full of veggies and a nice mix of textures! It’s a dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, keto and whole30 friendly option that is going to be a sure hit.
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
This Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai recipe is one everyone is going to love! It has such an amazing combination of flavors and textures. This healthier version of the classic take-out dish is lower carb thanks to the spaghetti squash swap. We included extra veggies here for some added nutrients, but you can feel free to omit or swap with what you have on hand.
This recipe is a breeze to make once you have the spaghetti squash, so if you’re planning to make this for a quick weeknight dinner you can roast the spaghetti squash ahead of time (or try it in the instant pot, instructions below) to have this healthy dinner on the table quick.
Want to make this vegetarian? We used chicken and shrimp in this recipe, but feel free to add in some extra veggies and omit the meat / seafood to make it vegetarian. If you tolerate soy, you can also add in tofu here.
How to Roast Spaghetti Squash
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.
- Scoop out seeds.
- Brush inside with oil.
- Place facedown on baking sheet and adding water to the baking sheet.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until you can pierce with a fork.
- Simply scrape out “spaghetti” with a fork and Enjoy!
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Instant Pot
- Cut 3lb. spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot.
- Stack the spaghetti squash on top of each other (cut-side up).
- Close the lid and make sure the knob is turned to sealing.
- Set to manual high-pressure for 10 minutes (increase if your squash is larger than 3lb.)
- When the timer goes off, turn the vent on the top of the lid to venting to release the steam.
- Once the venting knob has dropped, open the lid and shred the spaghetti squash with two forks to turn squash into spaghetti-like noodles!
Want more spaghetti squash recipes? Try these hits:
- Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
- Spaghetti Squash Primavera
- Spaghetti Squash Italian Casserole Bake
If you like this healthier take-out recipe, check out these others:
- Paleo Mongolian Beef
- Paleo Chicken and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Crock-Pot Asian Beef
- Mini Deep Dish Pizza
- Ultimate Fried Chicken
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash about 3-4 lbs
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lb. chicken breasts about 2, diced
- 12 large shrimps cleaned and deveined
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 3 eggs scrambled
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar optional, omit for Whole30 or keto
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- chopped peanuts for garnish
- lime for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roast spaghetti squash: Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Brush inside with oil. Place facedown on baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until you can pierce with a fork. Simply scrape out “spaghetti” with a fork.
- When the squash is about 15 minutes away from finishing in the oven, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot add chicken, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove from pan.
- Add shrimp and sear until cooked through, about 1 minutes. Remove from pan.
- Add another splash of oil to the now empty pan and then add garlic, onion, carrots and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add in bean sprouts, 1/2 of the scallions, 3 cups of the cooked spaghetti squash and the cooked chicken and shrimp. Stir to combine and then create a well in the center of your pan and add eggs. Let cook and mix well, so that the eggs are scrambled and incorporated.
- Low the heat and add coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, coconut sugar, red pepper and garlic and stir to combine.
- Taste and adjust spices as needed.
- Serve immediately and add the optional garnishes of lime, remaining scallions, and peanuts.
Traditional pad thai does have peanuts on the top. Will add cashews since I’m doing a Whole30. Thais use fish sauce in everything, so I added a dash of that, too. Also, I cook a lot and use tons of different recipes and never have seen anyone say “ground garlic.” Are you meaning garlic powder?
The recipe looks good and I am excited to try it out. One thing I did notice and thought you should be aware about is one of the pictures on your post. In many Asian cultures it is considered very bad form and disrespectful to have chopsticks sticking out/standing in the bowl as it resembles incense being burned at a funeral and other funeral rituals. I just thought you should be aware.
This wasn’t the prettiest dish I’ve ever made, but it was very flavorful. I skipped the homemade sauce and just bought a clean Pad Thai sauce. It wasn’t nearly spicy enough for me either, so i added quite a bit more red pepper. Overall, good recipe. And lots of leftovers!
ANYONE HAVE THE CARB COUNT IN THIS????? I see the question asked several times but no reply 🙁
Hi Celeste! Feel free to enter it into myfitnesspal! 🙂
I just got done making this, and it was delicious!! So easy, this is definitely going into my recipe rotation.
How long do you roast the squash at 350? Do you cut it in half to roast?
Yes! http://lexiscleankitchen.com/2013/06/04/how-to-roast-spaghetti-squash/
This recipe was a total disaster for me. A warning to those of you that might make this: if you overbake the squash, it’s not going to work. Mine turned into a liquid-y clump when I added it to the veggies. It just got worse as I cooked everything and once the sauce was added it was entirely flavorless. A real bummer.
This is definitely NOT pad Thai. I made it exactly to the recipes specifications and it is my first whole 30 failure. My entire kitchen smells like stinky fish. Will be tossing and starting over with something else tonight. Ugh. That’s a lot of fresh produce to waste.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience. Everyone really likes this recipe! I’m wondering why it smelled like fish, since you are using only pre-cooked shrimp in it?
Where can you buy coconut amino acids?
Amazon!
Made the dish tonight – loved it and will definitely make it again. We mixed the eggs ups before pouring them into the hole. Once they cooked up I stirred to mix them in. We used oyster sauce instead of the coconut aminos.
can u explain what to do with the egg? I’m doing whiole30 too what can we use instead of rice vinegar? Thx!!
Hey Lexi!
I’m really excited about this recipe! Just curious though… I’m in the middle of a whole30. Do you have a suggestion for a substitute for the seasoned vinegar which has sugar? Thanks!
Yummy – will make again! I did modify double the sauce and it turned out great.
Mmmmm, pad thai. I told my hubby that we are going to start eating spaghetti squash and zucchini and we both LOVE pad thai! This could be the recipe to convince him that it’s worth the swap!
Hi! A friend linked me to your site! I’m allergic to soy, peanuts, and tree nuts, what would you recommend I sub into the sauce? Thanks!
Mmmmm, looks good. I’m always on the lookout for tasty Thai recipes. I’m thinking I’d beat the eggs up, add some fish sauce and almond butter, but full speed ahead with the shrimp and chicken!
Tried this tonight and it was delicious. I modified to use two tablespoons of peanut butter. My fiance and I loved it and will be making it again!! Thank you!
wow delicious! This is my very first spaghetti squash endeavor and I don’t know if I’ll ever use pasta again! Even my manly fiancé loved it – said it was better than actual pad Thai 🙂 my only modification was a bit of peanut oil mixed in with the olive, zucchini instead of carrot ( because I had no carrot and the zucchini was on the way out) and red bell pepper. Thanks so much for putting this recipe out there!
This was wonderful! I like mine on the drier side, so I just left it on the stove to cook off some of the liquid. I didn’t have seasoned rice vinegar either, so I just added some salt! Thank you for this recipe! Definitely cured my hankering for Asian food!
Made tonight and loved it. When I make it next time I’m going to try cutting back on the rice vinegar.