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Home Blog Course Main Course

Whole30 Thai Chicken Zoodle Bowl (With “Peanut” Sauce, Paleo, Low Carb)

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 05/15/18 Updated: 12/13/21
4.89
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12 Comments
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DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free P Paleo 30 Whole30

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Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowls with "peanut sauce" in a bowl with garnishes

This Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowl with “peanut” sauce is light yet filling, refreshing, and full of flavor. Perfect for spring and summer! Low carb and paleo, this Whole03 Thai chicken zoodle bowl have a rich “peanut” sauce (that’s peanut-free, of course!), marinaded chicken, fresh mango, crunchy red cabbage, and refreshing zoodles. The ultimate Whole30 zoodle bowl!

Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowls with "peanut sauce" in a bowl with garnishes

I’ve said it before: I’m not the world’s biggest Thai fan. Sure, I love a good curry from time to time, but my obsession with Thai food can honestly be boiled down to two key dishes: tom kha and peanut sauce. I just can’t live my life without them.

Or, well, if hyperbole isn’t your thing, then let’s say, I’d really, really rather not live my life without them.

It’s easy to understand the tom kha Thai coconut soup (And my Whole30 Thai coconut chicken soup recipe will be coming out shortly, so make sure you subscribe to my new posts!): creamy, salty, spicy, sour, sweet, savory, and filling? It’s literally everything your mouth can even experience, all in one dish. One bite and I was done.

Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowls with "peanut sauce" in a bowl with garnishes

The Thai peanut sauce, though? It’s something else. I can’t even quite explain it, how peanut butter blends with coconut milk and palm sugar and chiles and lime juice to create this otherworldly sauce. In fact, it might just be the same genius as tom kha: it’s everything all at once! Creamy and sweet and spicy and salty and a tiny bit bright and sour.

All I know is… I want it on everything. And I had an amazing recipe for it until recently! I used brown sugar and soy sauce and peanut butter, and it was oh so sweet, salty, and rich. Then, of course, we did a Whole30, realized it was absolutely the missing piece for us, and stayed paleo after that. In other words? No más peanuts, man. Or brown sugar. Or soy sauce.

Whole30 peanut sauce
But that’s OK. Pretty much everything else about our lives post-Whole30 makes it worth it.

So a while back, I shared my peanut-free chicken satay recipe (Whole30 + paleo!), having stumbled upon a way to mimic the peanut flavor without the peanut funkiness. In fact, I think I even like it better than peanut sauce, and not just for health reasons! The combination of rich almonds with sesame oil creates a complexity that you simply don’t get with plain peanuts, and I’m so into it.

I decided to take the same sauce and create a Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowl with my Whole30 peanut sauce (or “peanut sauce,” if you prefer): something light yet filling and flavorful and bright and bursting with freshness. Perfect for the warmer weather.

Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowls with "peanut sauce" in a bowl with garnishes

This Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowl has everything good I could think of loaded into one bowl: tender chicken marinaded in my Whole30 peanut sauce then broiled for a nice, smoky char; chunks of sweet mango; refreshing zoodles; crunchy red cabbage. And if you’re fancy? Microgreens! Not required, but hey, they’re especially Instagram-worthy, right?

You’ll love this Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowl because it’s the ultimate Whole30 zoodle bowl. The zoodle bowl with everything, yet all of the flavors somehow blend so beautifully. It’s light but filling, which I’m all about during spring and summer.

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowls with "peanut sauce" in a bowl with garnishes
4.89 from 9 votes

Whole30 Thai Chicken Zoodle Bowls (With "Peanut" Sauce, Low Carb, Paleo)

Prep:20 minutes
Cook:17 minutes
Total:37 minutes
This Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowl with "peanut" sauce is light yet filling, refreshing and full of flavor. Perfect for spring and summer! Low carb and paleo, this Whole03 Thai chicken zoodle bowl has a rich "peanut" sauce (that's peanut-free, of course!), marinaded chicken, fresh mango, crunchy red cabbage, and refreshing zoodles. The ultimate Whole30 zoodle bowl!
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2 bowls

Ingredients

Whole30 "Peanut Sauce"

  • 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice juice of about 1 lime
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp. dried ground ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

Whole30 Zoodle Bowls

  • 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 small zucchinis spiralized
  • 1 cup red cabbage shaved
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 large mango peeled, pitted, and diced
  • fresh cilantro for garnish
  • microgreens for garnish
  • chopped almonds for garnish

Instructions 

  • Make your Whole30 "peanut sauce": combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until very smooth. Pour 1/4 cup sauce in a large plastic bag or medium bowl; transfer the remainder to a jar and chill while you make the rest of the dish.
  • Season the chicken breast with plenty of salt and lots of black pepper. Place chicken breast in bag or bowl with the 1/4 cup peanut sauce and turn to coat. Marinate for 15 minutes while you prep other ingredients.
  • In a medium bowl, combine shaved red cabbage, lime juice, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Massage cabbage until softened - the cabbage should look almost pickled and uniformly fuschia.
  • After marinating the chicken for 15 minutes, preheat broiler. Remove chicken breast from marinade and place on a baking sheet. Broil 6 minutes, then carefully turn chicken breast. Broil another 6 or 7 minutes, or until surface is browned and beginning to darken in spot. Move chicken breast to middle rack and bake another 4-6 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 161º F. Remove from oven, transfer to cutting board, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2" slices against the grain.
  • Assemble your Whole30 Thai chicken zoodle bowls: place half of spiralized zucchini on one side of an individual serving bowl. Place half of cabbage in the other half. Top with half of sliced chicken down the middle of the bowl, then arrange half of mango to the side of chicken. Garnish with plenty of fresh cilantro, microgreens, and chopped almonds. Serve with lots of chilled sauce. Repeat for remaining bowl.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 560kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 728mg, Potassium: 1091mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 1702IU, Vitamin C: 68mg, Calcium: 161mg, Iron: 4mg, Net Carbs: 27g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

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  1. Kathy says

    Posted on 6/10/22 at 4:25 pm

    Wow. What a treat. This is fabulous — and so filling. I omitted the mangoes and added matchstick cucumbers and carrots. Honestly, I could eat that dressing on shredded paper it’s so good.Thank you!5 stars

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 6/12/22 at 4:38 pm

      So glad you have enjoyed this recipe, Kathy! This dressing really is the bomb!

      Reply
  2. Lauren Boyer says

    Posted on 2/27/20 at 6:45 pm

    Do you cook the spiralized zucchini at all or is just raw?

    Reply
    • Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 2/25/21 at 9:30 am

      You can prepare it either way!5 stars

      Reply
  3. Staci says

    Posted on 10/29/18 at 1:31 pm

    This was amazing! I added a little coconut sugar to sauce and a little apple cider vinegar to the cabbage and it turned out amazing! I also added some sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots to the bowl because I needed to use them up, but 10/10 will definitely make again!5 stars

    Reply
  4. Rachel says

    Posted on 9/15/18 at 4:38 pm

    YUM! I am having a bowl as I type. I omitted the mango just because I’m not a big fan, added jalapeno and green onion. So delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 9/27/18 at 2:29 pm

      Those sound like great additions!! So glad you liked it 🙂5 stars

      Reply
  5. Mags says

    Posted on 8/22/18 at 9:02 pm

    OH MY GOODNESS, this is one of the best recipes on your site!! I’ve been trying your recipes for a while now, and they are usually delicious, but this one just completely blew me away. It’s everything a healthy meal should be; colorful, nourishing, and absolutely delicious!
    I also brought it for lunch to work the next day, and it was still just as good the second day.
    Wow, wow, WOW!!5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 2/27/19 at 11:12 am

      Wow indeed. Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  6. m says

    Posted on 5/19/18 at 10:09 pm

    This was so delicious! This was the perfect dinner to get me back on the healthy-eating train. My family loved it too – no leftovers!5 stars

    Reply
  7. All That I'm Eating says

    Posted on 5/18/18 at 5:58 am

    The colours in this are so vibrant, it sounds delicious. Perfect for lunch!

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 5/18/18 at 8:39 am

      Yes! So nourishing!5 stars

      Reply

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