One of the things I miss most now that I’m committed to Paleolithic nutrition is ethnic foods—especially the ease of takeout!
This has me experimenting more and more with Paleo versions of some of our favorites. Since one of the best parts about takeout is the fact that it requires so little time and effort, I save some work in this pad thai by using broccoli slaw and julienned carrots. They also do a great job of replacing the traditional noodles! I buy my broccoli slaw at Trader Joe’s, but I’ve also seen it in my regular grocery store next to the bagged salads.
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Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients:
- 1½ lb chicken meat, cut into small 1” chunks
- 4-5 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (more if you use breast meat, less if you use thigh meat)
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos (or use 1 more Tbsp fish sauce)
- 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice (or use a good quality bottled Lime Juice)
- ½ Tbsp Coconut Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar would work too)
- 5 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 4-5 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 12oz package of broccoli slaw
- 2 medium carrots, cut into thin julienne strips
- Optional: add 2 Tbsp chopped cashews
(or use 1 more Tbsp fish sauce)
)
(
would work too)1. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic, cook about 1 minute.
2. Add chicken and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
3. Add fish sauce, coconut aminos, lime juice and vinegar. Cook at a rapid simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Add broccoli slaw and julienned carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft but still firm, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Toss or garnish with green onion and cilantro. Enjoy your pad thai!
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This look delish! Question, what kind of vinegar do you use?
I used coconut vinegar, but apple cider vinegar would work too. Thanks for pointing out the ambiguity (I’ve edited the post to fix this).
What can you substitute for the Fish Sauce? Have some fish allergy and afraid to try it. Thanks.
Too bad! I love the fish sauce in this dish! I guess I would either try tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos, or maybe half and half. Let me know how it works!
Hi, so sorry to ask a question here – I can’t seem to find another way to post general questions 🙁 I have decided to go paleo and am getting myself sorted to start – am really excited. Then I heard about Whole30 which seems good too – I’m just a bit confused about which to do. Can you point me in the right direction to find out more about comparing the two so that I can decide which might suit me better? Sorry again to post here. Karen (in England) xx
Whole 30 essentially is Paleo, but with no Paleo treats or added sugar. You could try doing Paleo and then try Whole 30 if you aren’t seeing the results you want, or some people will start with the Whole 30 and then ease back to a normal Paleo diet. You really can’t go wrong either way. -Kiersten
I tried a recipe like this, and the fish sauce ruined everything. I would never use it again.
Thanks for this recipe! I follow Atkins and I have been missing pad thai so much! I think I’ll top mine with crushed peanuts.
We had this for dinner tonight. Soooo good! Even to the toddler ate it!
Hi. How many does this serve? Thanks!
Sorry! that information should have been in the recipe. It serves 3-4 depending on your appetites (we get 2 adult dinners, 2 kid dinners and 1 lunch out of it, so probably closer to 3 adult servings the way we like to eat).
Why no tamarind paste? Is it not Paleo for some reason?
I just based this recipe on a recipe from a thai cookbook that did not use tamarind paste. If you want to add it you can. 🙂
I though tamarind was a legume… Am I way off?
We don’t eat the pod, just the flesh, which is fine. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
This looks SO yum! Must try it. Regarding the tamarind paste question… there seem to be so many variations of Pad Thai… familial preferences and what not… I have made so many recipes with some even calling for ketchup, and from a Thai family. All are unique but have the wonderful sweet/sour appeal. This one is very much like my favorite one. LOOOOVE fish sauce.
I made this tonight and my husband went for seconds! This is superr rare!!! This will be going in the rotation 🙂 thanks for a super recipe.
This is the second recipe that my husband and I have tried of yours; again it didn’t disappoint!
We did add some ingredients to fit more into our definition of Pad Thai. We added chopped cashews in lieu of peanuts and at the end we added an egg. Just push the Pad Thai aside in the pan to create an open space down to the surface of the pan. Crack, scramble and cook the egg like you are making scramble eggs. Once it is fully cook, mix it in with the rest of the Pad Thai.
I like my thai food spicy where as my husband not so much. After trying this recipe I think I am going to add some crush cayenne pepper next time for a kick!
Very good, but top with crushed cashews and it is Excellent!
I can vouch for that!
Cashews bring this dish to a new level of flavor!
Hi – Im in Australia and havent heard of “Broccoli Slaw” It is just Broccoli or is it presented differently, other vege’s??? Thanks
It is broccoli stems cut in long julienne slices. I’m sure you could make your own with a mandoline slicer or some patience and sharp knife. 🙂
I am in Oz Rebecca. I have seen this in Coles & Woolies, but a mix of broccoli and carrot. I made this for lunch today and I used my Pandeno Spiralizer and made carrot, broccoli zoodles. I also added bok choy & pak choy. I added a red chilli diced with the onion and sliced shallots to serve. This was a fabulous meal!
Hi Louise
Do you have any more hot tips on where to get AIP fish sauce in Oz?! I can’t find the Red Boat brand recommended in the recipe.
Thanks! : )
Anna
Made this tonight and while my kids picked at it (they are having a tough transition to Paleo), my husband and I loved it. I added some toasted almonds to mine but will try cashews next time and maybe a bit of nut butter in the sauce. I used a package of Mann’s Rainbow Salad from Walmart (it has julienned cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and red cabbage, which saved a bunch of time on the veggies prep.) Some slivered snap peas would also be good on it. We have enough left over for one small lunch tomorrow. Thank you!
Hi! New here. I made this for my family tonight and everyone loved it, including my PICKY six-year-old, who has decided he doesn’t like anything. Ever. We ate it all and I had to make a second batch for my husband’s lunches! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sounds great, can it freeze ? Im looking for freezerable meals for our freezer club, Have any great items in mind ?
Thank ~
I haven’t tried, but I think it would… maybe undercook the broccoli slaw a little so it doesn’t get mushy on reheating?
Just ordered the fish sauce, that looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try the recipe 🙂
I tried this the other night. Didn’t have coconut aminos so used more fish sauce as suggested. Instead of ‘broccoli slaw’, I used a broccoli salad recipe I have as I needed to use up my broccoli, (head of broccoli, 100g carrot, 1/2 onion, juice 1/2 lemon, 100g yoghurt/kefir, all processed together). This was a hit with the family.
Is there anything I can use instead of coconut aminos for the same or similar flavor? (I’m allergic to coconut). Thanks!!!
You could use tamari soy sauce if you can handle a little soy, or just replace with more fish sauce.
I just had to stop by and tell you how much I LOVE this recipe. In fact, all my family members do – and that is a rarity! Besides the taste (which is like, out of this world!), it is so quick to put together. Thanks, Sarah!
Totally totally totally delish! What a great recipe! Rock on!
I tried to make this recipe the other night and the smell from the fish sauce was so overwhelming that it literally left me gagging, I couldn’t finish cooking the dish and we ended up going out for dinner. I used 4 tablespoons of the Fish Sauce (I didn’t have Coconut Aminos). Where did I go wrong?
What brand fish sauce were you using?
Thai Kitchen was the brand
Hrm, that’s the one I use. I think the only thing I can recommend is to replace some with lime juice to suit your palate.
I tried to make something else with Thai Kitchen and we had the same problem! We were running around trying to figure out where there was a dead rat in our cupboards because of the smell! I had used it a crock pot meal not but a few weeks before and it was fine. I think maybe it’s a higher heat issue? Since my boyfriend banned it from our kitchen, I’m hoping I can use Worchestshire sauce in this recipe tomorrow night. I used to replace the other way around… and it’s still fish!
I used a vidalia chop wizard to julienne broccoli stems that would normally go to waste. I was worried that they weren’t quite fine enough, but it turned out great, and I am thrilled that I can be more frugal with my broccoli. Great suggestion from earlier posters to add chopped cashews. I also may add a little cayenne for some zing, but overall, I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I just cooked this up tonight for dinner and was a little worried by the smell of fish sauce cooking. My daughter was making gagging gestures the entire time it was on the stove. Lol. Well, everything turned out great and once again your recipe came through. We all loved it!! I love pad Thai but can never order it due to peanut sensitivity. What a treat to find a delicious recipe with no peanuts in site. Thank you!
I made this tonight with scallops instead of chicken and it was great. Only thing is I had quite a bit of liquid in the pan, anyone else have this?
Just made this – it was delish! I adapted it slightly; I added some fresh ginger, a dollop of sunbutter, no aminos so I added salt, and about a dozen drops of sriracha for heat. Next time I’m adding the scrabbled egg like Valerie! Great GREAT dish!
Was a bit too tangy for me. Like too much lime??
yes, we found that also. I reduced the lime juice by half (2 tbsp) and it is great now. it is a great hit with our family now. even my husband, who won’t touch most veggies, goes back for seconds even though he knows he is getting broccoli.
Really yummy. Mine tasted a bit salty, and I didn’t add any salt. Is that from the fish sauce? Othewise, really liked it. I like the idea of adding snap peas and cashews.
Yes, fish sauce is naturally very salty. You can use a little less next time and a little more lime juice if you like.
Where do you buy broccoli slaw?
You may find it in the frozen section or you can make your own by slicing broccoli, carrots, and any other veggies you like into think strips. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
Made this tonight for the first time and it was delicious. My son and husband both loved it too. I wish I’d read more of the comments beforehand – love the idea of adding the egg. I’ll have to try that next time. I did reduce the oil to just 3 tbsp and even thougt that was a lot. Could the recipe possibly be a typo and it shoud be tsp instead of tbsp? If not, I may just go with 2 next time. Thanks for the yummy and healthy recipe!!!
I love this recipe. Thank you! It was really easy to make and my family devoured it.
Is the fish sauce aip?
Red Boat fish sauce is AIP. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
I used garlic ramps for the green onion regular pre packages cut coleslaw bits and it was killer.
Nutritional facts?
You can generate your own estimate at sites like nutritiondata.self.com. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
I love this dish! I’ve been AIP for 4 months now. I have relied heavily on the Auto Immune Paleo Cookbook, but have recently been searching for new recipes online. Instead of broccoli slaw, I used zoodles. I really wanted to try spiralized zucchini noodles and it turned out great! I love the flavor. Can’t wait until my Paleo Approach Cookbook comes!
I’ll be trying this recipe soon.
Being Paleo for some years – although not perfect – I’m tired, really tired, of the taste of coconut oil. Even the smell is getting to me. Any suggestions? Is there a brand that doesn’t taste like coconut?
Could you use avocado oil instead?
Omega Nutrition has an aroma free coconut oil. I was tired of my eggs tasting like coconuts, so this has been a great addition to my kitchen!
I’m in Australia and just wondering what broccoli slaw is, and how I might be able to make it at home? Thanks
It is julienned broccoli and carrots. – Christina, Sarah’s assistant
I had planned to make this exact recipe and still plan to do that… However, I bought a bag of TJs seafood blend (shrimp, calimari and scallops) and needed to cook them AIP style.. I could not find a recipe for them and wanted to do a stir fry when I remembered this one so I pretty much followed it with all the ingredients except I didn’t have green onions so I chopped up a med/lg reg yellow onion and sauteed that and then the garlic and added all the ingredients above with the substitution on the seafood for the chicken. It did not smell too good cooking with the fish sauce, aminos and seafood but I have to tell you it turned out fabulous! Absolutely delicious! I will be making it again and again!!
Do you have a recommendation for tamarind paste?
What are the nutrition facts for this? I’m concerned about carbs, fiber, sugar particularly.
Thanks!
I like the recipe as a whole but I found the fish sauce to be overpowering and salty. What can you substitute for the fish sauce? Thanks.
There isn’t really a sub for fish sauce. I would recommend either reducing the amount, or leaving it out entirely. -Kiersten