Published: Feb 16, 2021 by Carolyn

Keto Pad Thai

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This keto pad thai is made with cabbage noodles. A delicious and healthy alternative to the classic Thai dish. Sugar free and it only takes 25 minutes to make!

Titled image of keto pad thai in a black bowl with chopsticks.

Who’s hungry for some Thai food? Because this keto pad thai has all the flavor of the original, with a tiny fraction of the carbs. That’s a huge win in my books.

Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, and I love creating healthier Thai recipes, such as Keto Thai Chicken Soup or Thai Cucumber Salad.

But classic Thai takeout is not really a great option for the keto diet. There is a strong emphasis on combining savory with sweet, so many Thai dishes have quite a bit of added sugar.

There’s also a strong emphasis on noodle based dishes, which make it tough for people watching their carbs. So what’s a Thai Food lover to do?

A hand adding peanuts to a skillet full of keto pad thai

Pad Thai with Veggie Noodles

Replacing the noodles is the first step in making keto pad thai, and you have a number of options.

You can try zucchini noodles, but I find that they release too much moisture. This can make the sauce too watery and it dilutes the flavor.

Another option is to use shiritaki noodles, but many people object to the flavor and the rubbery consistency.

Today, however, we’re going to use cabbage noodles. Which, let’s face it, is really just shredded cabbage. But it works really well as a healthier noodle replacement in Asian style dishes.

Shredded cabbage is a standard in the ever popular egg roll in a bowl and keto crack slaw. So I figured why not use it in keto pad thai?

Sugar-Free Pad Thai Sauce

The sauce used in classic pad thai also has quite a bit of sugar in it. So it’s time to whip up our own sugar-free version. You will need:

Sweetener (I like Swerve Brown for recipes like this)
Tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos
Fish sauce (Red Boat is sugar-free!)
lime juice
peanut butter
red pepper flakes (optional)

Many people feel that coconut aminos are more “keto” than soy sauce. But the reality is that coconut aminos is actually higher in carbs. It also has less of that unique umami flavor so you need to use more of it.

My preference is for tamari, which is a kind of gluten-free soy sauce. It has much more bang for your buck than coconut aminos.

Top down image of a bowl of keto pad thai with a bowl of peanuts

Tips for making keto pad thai

Once you have the sauce whisked together, this healthy cabbage pad thai is quick and easy to make. A few tips to get you started:

Slice the chicken thinly

Thinly sliced chicken thighs will cook through faster and more evenly. One bonus tip is to slice the chicken when it’s still semi-frozen but not rock hard. It’s much easier to get uniform slices that way.

Cook the chicken first

The chicken should be fully cooked through before you proceed to the vegetables. Once it’s done, transfer to a plate or a bowl and drain off any liquid in the pan.

Sauté the vegetables

To keep the carbs down, I stuck with some garlic and a little thinly sliced red pepper. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant, then add in the cabbage.

The cabbage may seem like too much for your skillet. Don’t worry, it cooks down so just keep tossing it a bit until it is reduced.

Add the eggs

Push all the veggies to one side of the pan and add the eggs. Stir them until they are nicely scrambled but not dry.

Toss it all together

Now add everything back into the pan and toss well to combine the ingredients.

Garnish with green onion, peanuts, and lime

And now you’re ready to enjoy some delicious keto pad thai!

A black bowl filled with keto pad thai, garnished with peanuts and a slice of lime.

More delicious keto thai recipes

Keto Cabbage Pad Thai

This keto pad thai is made with cabbage noodles. A delicious and healthy alternative to the classic Thai dish. Sugar free and it only takes 25 minutes to make!

4.97 from 27 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: keto pad thai

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 333kcal

Ingredients

Pad Thai Sauce

3 tablespoon Swerve Brown
3 tablespoon tamari
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pad Thai

¼ cup avocado oil, divided (can also use coconut oil)
2 lb chicken thighs, thinly sliced (boneless, skinless thighs)
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups shredded cabbage (about ½ a large head)
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 medium green onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup salted peanuts, chopped
Lime wedges for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Pad Thai

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a bowl.
Drain off any liquid in the pan, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add the red pepper and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes.
Add the shredded cabbage to the pan and sauté until tender, another 3 to 5 minutes. Push the veggies to one side and add the eggs to the cleared side of the pan. Cook, stirring often, until scrambled, about 1 minute.
Add the chicken back to the pan, pour in the sauce, and stir everything together until combined and warmed through. Remove from heat.
Top with the chopped onion and peanuts, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Cabbage Pad Thai

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = ⅙th of recipe (about 1 cup))

Calories 333 Calories from Fat 181

% Daily Value*

Fat 20.1g31%

Carbohydrates 8.1g3%

Fiber 2.5g10%

Protein 32.7g65%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

4.97 from 27 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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