A smoky, grilled Thai Chicken Zoodles Recipe that has lean protein, spiralized veggies and loads of flavor! This light, healthy recipe is ready in 23 minutes from start to finish.
Thai Chicken Zoodles
The summer is heating up! We had a magical spring and early summer here in Brooklyn, but it seems as though the July steam has set in and may just stay a while.
I crave two things when the mercury climbs into the stratosphere: the flavors of Thai food – and making recipes that are light and healthy.
Luckily for me, this Thai chicken zoodles recipe ticks both of those boxes without any fuss!
It’s obvious that I’m on a bit of a zoodles kick this summer. I love the idea that veggies can mimic noodles. It frees me up to healthify dishes for summer that would normally rely on carbs, without sacrificing the full flavors normally associated with my favorite foods. Plus, on a purely tactile level, there’s something incredibly satisfying about transforming solid vegetables into long ribbons meant to be slurped like pasta.
Ever turn Play Doh into ‘linguini’ when you were a kid? It’s like that – but better (and infinitely more tasty)!
If you’re anything like me, dinner prep for this Thai chicken zoodles recipe will be your favorite task of the long, summer day.
The secret to getting the Thai chicken in this zoodles dish just right is marinating the meat in a tangy, spicy, savory and smoky mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, Thai chili and sesame oil.
The short 30 minute soak the chicken gets before hitting the grill pan will ensure that the meat takes on a ton of flavor. And something approaching delicious sorcery happens when chicken gets caramelized grill marks on the outside.
Yum!
A real time saver to this healthy Thai chicken recipe is that the zoodles get the same dressing as the marinade you made for the chicken.
You only have to whip up one flavor element for the entire dish and split it half-and-half between the Thai chicken and veggies. However, both the protein and zoodles manage to stand on their own taste wise.
When I lived in Thailand, it was almost always hot. Some of my favorite memories from that time involve me dunking super flavorful food into fish sauce and Thai chilis at street-stalls in the tropical heat. Therefore, it’s not surprising that I’ve come to associate the flavors of Thai cuisine with summer.
Don’t get me wrong, this Thai chicken zoodles recipe would still be a zingy, satisfying treat in December – but the mixture of spicy, healthy zoodles and smoky, grilled Thai chicken just screams July and August!
I love indulging in a satisfying, delicious meal that also happens to keep me light on my toes. Everyone wants to feel their best, and it’s a relief that we can eat full-flavored food and still fit into our bikinis and boardshorts when that summer trip the whole family has been waiting for finally comes up.
And, like I said, there’s nothing more fun than dinner prep with this Thai chicken recipe. Making zoodles is just as playful and satisfying as preparing pasta with your Play Doh Fun Factory was years ago – just way more productive and delicious!
Other simple, healthy and delicious summer recipes:
- Soba Noodle Salad with Tangy Citrus Dressing
- Mango and Watermelon Chicken Salad
- Cold Shirataki Noodle Soup (Naengmyeon)
- Daikon Noodles with Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Summer Rainbow Salad
Did you like this Thai Chicken Zoodles Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Thai Chicken Zoodles
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
A smoky, grilled Thai Chicken Zoodles Recipe that has lean protein, spiralized veggies and loads of flavor! This light, healthy recipe is ready in 23 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound skinless (boneless chicken breast)
- 1/2 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 zucchini (spiralized)
- 1 carrot (spiralized)
- 2 cups cabbage (spiralized)
Marinade
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 Thai chili (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and stir.
- Place chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and pour half the marinade into the bag. Squeeze air out of the bag and seal. Briefly massage the chicken so the marinade evenly coats the breasts. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place spiralized zucchini in a bowl lined with paper towels. Place paper towel on top and gently squeeze excess water from zucchini.
- Put zucchini, carrot and cabbage in a bowl and mix all veggies with your fingers. Pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables, toss well and set aside.
- In a grill pan or barbecue or sauté pan, brush with oil and add the chicken. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes or until cooked through.
- Divide vegetables among two plates and top with chicken breast. Serve.
Notes
This Thai Chicken Zoodles Recipe is:
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 1530.5 mg
- Fat: 9.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.1 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 124.1 mg
Made this multiple times already. Delicious, light, crunchy, juicy and tangy. A new fave!
I am trying this recipe and zoodles for the first time today. I hope it’s good!
Are the zucchini spirals cooked or uncooked??
Hi Katie!
The zucchini spirals are uncooked. They add a nice, healthy crunch to the dish! 🙂