Full GAPS Thai Chicken Stir-Fry with Zucchini Noodles

This Full GAPS Thai chicken stir-fry has two vegetable bases to choose from: salted zucchini strands or roasted spaghetti squash. Cooked chicken and fresh vegetables go into a ginger-garlic sauce made with homemade coconut milk and a properly prepared nut or seed butter. Lime or lemon brightens the sauce, and red-pepper flakes bring the heat.

My weekdays run from homeschool and work on the blog and other projects to dinner before second shift, unless something is already made. This meal is easier to finish when the chicken is cooked ahead. The sauce can blend while the zucchini drains, so the stove work stays focused on the vegetables, eggs if you want them, and noodles.

Choose A Noodle Base And Sauce Butter

For a firmer, lightly sweet vegetable base, use six medium zucchini. A julienne peeler or spiralizer makes long strands. Salt them in a colander for 20 to 30 minutes, rinse, drain, and pat dry. They should feel dry on the outside before they go into the pan. If they are still dripping, they will thin the sauce.

For a softer base, use four cups roasted spaghetti squash. Have the squash roasted and scraped into strands before you start. The separate Baked Spaghetti Squash for Full GAPS recipe shows that preparation. The squash only needs to warm through with the vegetables. The zucchini and spaghetti squash are alternatives. Use one base for this four-serving batch.

The sauce uses one-half cup of properly prepared almond, peanut, or sunflower seed butter. The standard almond option is homemade fermented almond butter. For peanut or sunflower butter, choose a plain version without additives and follow the preparation guidance in Nuts and Seeds on GAPS. Use a butter made from a food you have already introduced.

Use one-half cup homemade coconut milk for the sauce. This version uses plain, unsweetened coconut milk for savory cooking rather than a canned product with extra ingredients.

Where This Fits On GAPS

This is a Full GAPS recipe, not an Intro recipe. It includes a nut or seed butter and homemade coconut milk, so choose a butter made from foods already introduced and properly prepared for your current stage. The noodle choices, optional eggs, and three sauce-butter choices keep the recipe in Full GAPS; they do not make it an earlier-stage dish.

The chicken should be cooked and diced before it goes into the stir-fry. If you are starting with raw chicken, cook it separately to 165°F, measured in the thickest piece, then dice it. The USDA temperature chart lists 165°F for poultry.

Blend The Coconut-Nut Sauce

Pulse one-half tablespoon fresh ginger and two garlic cloves until finely minced. Add the selected nut or seed butter, four tablespoons lime or lemon juice, two tablespoons homemade chicken or beef meat stock or filtered water, one teaspoon apple cider vinegar, one teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, a dash of cayenne if you want more heat, and sea salt to taste. Process until the mixture looks even, then add one-half cup homemade coconut milk and blend until smooth.

The finished sauce should pour in a thick ribbon and coat the back of a spoon. It will taste sharp from the citrus, savory from the ginger and garlic, and warm from the red-pepper flakes. Cayenne adds another layer of heat, so leave it out for less spice. If you use stock, choose homemade chicken meat stock or homemade beef meat stock. Filtered water is the other measured option.

Cook The Stir-Fry

Heat one tablespoon of homemade ghee, animal fat, or coconut oil in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add one chopped onion and two cups fresh stir-fry vegetables, such as broccoli, green beans, peas, asparagus, or carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.

If you are adding the optional two to four eggs, move the vegetables to the sides of the pan. Add one teaspoon cooking fat to the open space and pour in the eggs. Stir quickly until soft curds form and no liquid egg remains. Fold the eggs through the vegetables, then add one pound cooked diced chicken and turn until it is hot.

For zucchini noodles, use a second skillet. Melt one-half to one tablespoon cooking fat and add the rinsed, dried zucchini strands. Toss until they are just barely no longer crunchy. Do not cook them until limp. If you chose roasted spaghetti squash, add the four cups to the vegetable pan and toss only until the strands are hot.

Transfer the chicken, vegetables, eggs if using, and noodle base to a large serving bowl. Pour in the full sauce batch and toss until the strands are evenly coated. Add the sauce while the ingredients are hot, then serve right away with optional green onion tops and one-quarter cup properly prepared sunflower seeds or chopped salt-soaked crispy almonds.

Serve, Store, And Reheat

This makes four servings. The zucchini version has more bite; the spaghetti squash version is softer and already roasted before the stir-fry starts. For a larger chicken-and-vegetable dinner without this nut-butter sauce, Large-Batch Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry uses two pounds of chicken and a wider mix of vegetables.

This stir-fry is separate from the two Pad Thai recipes on the site. Chicken Pad Thai with Sesame Almond Sauce uses zucchini strands and egg-pancake ribbons. Pork Pad Thai with Zucchini Noodles uses pork, tamarind, and fish sauce. Each has its own ingredients and recipe card.

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours in a covered container and use them within three to four days. Reheat the chicken and vegetables to 165°F. If the sauce thickens in the refrigerator, stir in a small splash of homemade coconut milk or filtered water while reheating. The USDA leftovers guide covers cooling and reheating cooked food.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Spaghetti Squash Instead Of Zucchini?

Yes. Use four cups of roasted spaghetti squash instead of six zucchini. It is already cooked, so add it near the end and toss just until hot.

Can I Use Peanut Butter?

Yes, if peanut butter is already part of your Full GAPS food route. Choose a plain butter without added sugar, oils, or other additives. The recipe also gives a homemade fermented almond butter option and a properly prepared sunflower-seed option.

Can I Use Canned Coconut Milk?

This recipe is written for plain homemade coconut milk. Use the linked recipe, which makes an unsweetened batch for savory cooking.

Can I Make The Sauce Ahead?

Yes. Blend it before cooking and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Stir it before pouring because the nut or seed butter may settle or firm as it chills.

Recommended Equipment

A julienne peeler or spiralizer makes the zucchini strands, and a colander gives them room to drain. For this sauce quantity, the owner’s Ninja BN801 Kitchen System can use its 24-ounce cup. The 64-ounce processor bowl also works for mincing the ginger and garlic before blending.

A large sauté pan gives the onion and vegetables room to cook without sitting in a deep pile. The Le Creuset Signature skillet in Artichaut is a useful choice for cooking zucchini strands in batches. Use an instant-read thermometer for the chicken and a large bowl for tossing everything with the sauce.

If one-pan dinners make weeknights easier, the upcoming One-Pot & Sheet Pan Cookbook is being built around dinners with fewer dishes and clear GAPS labels. It will be available in the WFLI shop when it is ready.