Healthy Gluten-Free Pad Thai with Ground Chicken

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This gluten-free chicken Pad Thai is a balanced, flavorful twist on the classic dish—made with lean ground chicken, rice noodles, and a tangy, slightly sweet sauce. Packed with veggies and protein, it’s a satisfying meal. It’s quick, easy, and perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner!

As a Registered Dietitian, it is important to me to fuel my family. This is one of our go-to meals! It might not be traditional pad thai, but it offers a fun twist on a classic with sweet-savory-umami notes and tons of flavor in every bite.

Plus, it's also way easier to make than other versions since it uses simple ingredients you can find in your local grocery store, like fresh vegetables, eggs, and ground chicken. I love that it's naturally gluten-free, so it's safe for my readers with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. What's not to love?

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Ingredients
How to Make Gluten-Free Pad Thai
Substitutions
Variations
Nutrition
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related Recipes
Pairing
Healthy Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients

Gluten-free rice noodles: These flat rice noodles are naturally gluten-free and are increasingly available in regular grocery stores.
Ground chicken: Ground chicken is packed with protein, and you don't have to fuss with slicing chicken breasts into strips. It makes it all so much simpler!
Avocado oil: Avocado oil has a high smoke point, making it an ideal oil to cook the veggies over high heat.
Sesame oil: For a nutty, rich flavor.
Vegetables: Load up on lots of vegetables, like bell peppers, carrots, white onion, and fresh garlic.
Eggs: These add extra protein and soak up so much of the sauce.
Garnishes: Garnish with lots of fresh herbs, like green onions and fresh cilantro, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

For the Sauce:

Gluten-free soy sauce: To keep this recipe gluten-free, you'll want to use gluten-free soy sauce, like wheat-free tamari, or coconut aminos. When possible, opt for low-sodium soy sauce as well.
Honey: For just enough sweetness. If not available, try using maple syrup instead.
Lime juice: I like to add lime juice to the sauce and to garnish with fresh lime wedges, too.
Peanut butter: Look for a natural peanut butter without added sugar. Almond butter works, too.
Rice vinegar: For a subtle acidity with a mild, sweet flavor.
Gochujang: This is a spicy fermented chili paste that adds incredible depth of flavor and a little extra sweetness.
Ginger paste: Instead of peeling or mincing ginger, just squeeze a tube of ginger paste for lots of flavor with minimal effort.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Gluten-Free Pad Thai

Brown the chicken. Heat up the avocado oil and brown the ground chicken in a large skillet over medium heat.

Boil the noodles. While the ground chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.

Assemble the sauce. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set to the side. If vegetables are not chopped, then chop them.

Remove chicken from heat. Once the ground chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set it in a large bowl.

Cook vegetables. Add sesame oil to the pan. Sautee the peppers, carrots, onion, and garlic for about 10-15 minutes. Move the vegetables to one side of the pan and crack the eggs into the pan and scramble.

Assemble ingredients. Mix the vegetables and eggs together and add in the cooked rice noodles, cooked ground chicken, and sauce. Mix until well combined.

Garnish and serve. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Substitutions

Gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free thanks to the rice noodles and soy sauce. Be sure to use certified gluten-free ingredients whenever possible to avoid cross-contamination.
Nut-free: Instead of peanut butter or almond butter, try using sunflower seed butter.
Vegetarian: Feel free to replace the chicken and eggs with cubed extra firm tofu or your favorite plant-based crumbles.
Dairy-free: This recipe contains no dairy products and is naturally dairy-free.

Variations

Adjust the meat: If you would prefer to use sliced chicken breasts, feel free to do so. Just be sure to slice the strips evenly and brown them before preparing the other components. You can also use ground turkey or pork instead of chicken.

Load up on vegetables: This is a great way to add even more vegetables to your diet! Feel free to use whichever vegetables are fresh and in season, like mushrooms, zucchini, crunchy bean sprouts, and more.

Add fish sauce: Authentic pad thai is usually made a few ingredients that can be harder to find in the US, like fish sauce and tamarind paste. If you have fish sauce on hand, it's a great way to add a rich, umami flavor and you only need a splash!

Spice it up: Gochujang adds a nice heat but if you normally order your pad thai with 2 or 3 stars, you may want more. You can also add some red pepper flakes or a drizzle of sriracha over your plate before serving.

Nutrition

Most versions of pad thai are packed with sodium, oils, and sugar, which taste great but don't tend to leave you feeling satisfied.

To support your overall health and provide long-lasting energy, this gluten-free pad thai recipe offers significant amounts of protein from the chicken and eggs as well as lots of veggies.

The homemade pad thai sauce is naturally sweetened with honey, so it's still plenty sweet, and the whole thing is formulated to be low in sodium. This is a great way to enjoy those take-out flavors while eating well and sticking to a gluten-free diet!

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days with any toppings on the side. Reheat by microwaving for several minutes or until steaming hot, then top with fresh garnishes and serve.

Top tip

There are many different types of rice noodles out there. To make this healthy pad thai even more satiating, look for brown rice noodles. They contain extra fiber to help keep you feeling full!

FAQ

Are all brands of rice noodles gluten-free?

Technically, yes, but you always want to double-check the labels to avoid cross-contamination. The rice grains may come into contact with wheat during harvesting, which can affect people with celiac disease. Many brands will indicate if they are gluten-free, like a Taste of Thai and Thai Kitchen, but always double-check the package.

Is pad thai healthy?

Like most of our restaurant favorites, many pad thai recipes are doctored to be extra delicious using more oils and sugar than you actually need to get all those fresh flavors. They also usually contain a smaller amount of protein than you may need to feel satisfied, so it's easy to feel like you need a lot to fill up! It's completely fine to enjoy in moderation. I recommend trying to make it at home so you can enjoy it more often while offering your body plenty of protein and veggies.

How do you make pad thai more filling?

If you've ever eaten a dish with rice noodles and found yourself hungry almost instantly, then you understand why this question comes up! Those pad thai noodles digest quickly, offering a quick boost of energy but not a lot of substance to keep you full. I highly recommend adding lean protein, like ground chicken, eggs, or shrimp, and extra veggies to keep you full for longer. It can also help to use brown rice noodles, which have slightly more fiber than regular white noodles.

Looking for more healthy dinner recipes like this? Try these: