This Spicy Thai Chicken Zoodle Salad is a dead-simple, low carb, Whole30-friendly, colorful, and super satisfying paleo meal that you can get from fridge to mouth in 10 minutes or less.
Are you neglecting your own needs ’cause you’re always looking after someone else’s—say, your sniffly kids or a needy partner? Take a breather!
Seriously: it’s time you treated yourself to a dead-simple, colorful, and super satisfying meal that you can get from fridge to mouth in 10 minutes or less. Use the extra time you save to flop on the couch and watch a trashy episode of your favorite Real Housewives franchise. (Me? I like to savor my no-cook zoodle bowl with the ladies from Hotlanta.)
What’s The Best Spiralizer?
I have three different spiralizers I love that transform zucchini into noodles (a.k.a. zoodles) in a jiffy. My favorite one is The Inspiralizer because it is lightweight, suctions to the counter, and leaves minimal waste. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available for sale! The Oxo Tabletop Spiralizer is also great— it’s easier to clean than the Inspiralizer, but you end up with a little more veggie waste at the core. If you’re not going to make veggie noodles all the time, you can just buy an inexpensive julienne peeler or an Oxo handheld spiralizer.
Can You Make This Dish Ahead?
Not really. The zoodles can get watery if you leave them in the dressing too long. However, you don’t really need to make it ahead because this salad is so quick to throw together! If you want to pack it for lunch, don’t mix in the dressing until you’re ready to eat it.
Time to make Spicy Thai Chicken Zoodle Salad!
Serves 1
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter or your favorite nut butter
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Juice from ½ lime
- Pinch of salt
Salad:
- 1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
- 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup leftover cooked chicken, shredded
- ¼ avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Equipment
- All my favorite tools are listed here.
- Here are my recommended spiralizers: The Inspiralizer, Oxo Tabletop Spiralizer, Oxo Handheld Spiralizer, or julienne peeler.
Method
Make the dressing in a large bowl by combining the sunflower seed butter, sriracha, lime juice, and a pinch of salt.
Whisk well to blend a thick sauce. Ta-dah!
Now go grab your veggies and leftover cooked chicken from the fridge.
Grab your vegetable spiralizer and make your zoodles.
Finish dicing and chopping your other veggies and herbs.
Dump the raw zoodles into the bowl of dressing…
…and add the julienned carrots and chicken.
Toss well to combine.
If you’re feeling fancy, transfer the salad to a clean bowl and top with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds.
Go ahead and eat. You deserve it!
Have a ton of zucchini to cook up? Make my delicious and simple Instant Pot Zucchini Bolognese recipe!
[Originally posted on March 16, 2016. Updated with new details and photos on September 7, 2020.]
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Spicy Thai Chicken Zoodle Salad (Whole30, Gluten Free, Low Carb)
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter or your favorite nut butter
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Juice from ½ lime
- Pinch of salt
Salad
- 1 medium zucchini ends trimmed
- 1 small carrot peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup leftover cooked chicken shredded
- ¼ avocado peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small scallion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing in a large bowl by combining the sunflower seed butter, sriracha, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well to blend a thick sauce. Ta-dah!
- Now go grab your veggies and leftover cooked chicken from the fridge. Get your vegetable spiralizer and make your zoodles.
- Finish dicing and chopping your other veggies and herbs.
- Dump the raw zoodles into the bowl of dressing and add the julienned carrots and chicken. Toss well to combine.
- If you’re feeling fancy, transfer the salad to a clean bowl and top with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. Eat immediately.
Wendi says
This looks amazing!
Mandy Bloom says
So good! My husband made it tonight for dinner with your Pho recipe!
Jennifer says
This is a keeper! I didn’t have chicken so I subbed prawns – yum 🙂
Kim says
Hi Michelle.
Is this still worth making, in your opinion, if the sriracha has to be left out for specific dietary restrictions? Also is there anything you can suggest to replace the sriracha for added flavor but not necessarily heat?