Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (2024)

by Traci ·

4.99 from 79 votes

Total 20 minutes minutes

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Thai Peanut Zoodles are zucchini noodles sauteed with simple, fresh vegetables tossed in a delectable Thai peanut sauce. Thai zoodles are mildly spicy and sweet and can be enjoyed cold or warm!

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (1)

Why you'll love this recipe

This Thai zucchini pasta packs SO much personality into one meal! It's sweet, spicy, and tastes like summer in a bowl, yet can be made any season of the year. Serve zucchini pasta warm as an easy dinner recipe, or chill it for your weekday lunch.

Thai zucchini noodles answer all the demands of healthy, delicious, minimalist cooking all year, but especially during zucchini season. It's so easy to spiralize a whole zucchini, slice a few vegetables, whip up the 5-minute peanut sauce, and stir fry everything together.

Ingredients you'll need

Fresh produce

  • green onions
  • red bell pepper
  • carrots
  • purple cabbage
  • zoodles - spiralized zucchini noodles
  • garnish: cilantro and lime

Thai Peanut Sauce

  • peanut butter
  • soy sauce
  • rice vinegar
  • maple syrup
  • ginger
  • garlic
  • sriracha or chili paste
  • plain water
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (2)

How to make this recipe

To prep the vegetables, spiralize zucchini, shred carrots, slice bell peppers and cabbage, and chop green onions. I recommend using the white stalk for sauteing and the green tops for garnish.

To make the peanut sauce, whisk sauce ingredients together, adding water in small amounts to adjust consistency. The sauce should be thin enough to drizzle over the noodles but thick enough to stick to them.

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (3)
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (4)

Next, sauté the onions, bell pepper, and carrots in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the zucchini noodles and sauté for a few minutes until they’re al dente. Do not overcook them.

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (5)
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (6)

Remove skillet from heat to prevent overcooking the zoodles. Gently fold in the peanut sauce in small amounts until you reach your preferred noodle-to-sauce ratio.

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (7)
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (8)

Serve the peanut sauced noodles heated, at room temp, or chilled. Garnish with green onions, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.

Pro tip: If you made the peanut sauce ahead and it's chilled, bring it to room temperature to soften it. This makes it easier to coat the noodles.

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (9)

Make ahead tips

When you make this recipe ahead, it saves time and lets you hop right into a beautiful, healthy meal instead of reaching for frozen junk food. Here's how to make this recipe ahead:

  1. Prep all produce (slice and spiralize) and store, uncooked and unmixed, in an airtight container.
  2. Make the peanut sauce and refrigerate seperately from the prepped vegetables.
  3. To serve, continue to the saute instructions in the recipe.

Easy Asian recipes

  • Kale Sesame Noodles
  • Turmeric Chickpea Buddha Bowl
  • Zoodle Quinoa Bowl
  • Vegetable Lo Mein Noodles
  • Vegan Thai Lentil Chickpea Curry
  • Thai Coconut Soup

📖 Recipe

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (10)

Thai Peanut Zoodles Recipe

Thai Peanut Zoodles are zucchini noodles sauteed with simple, fresh vegetables tossed in a delectable Thai peanut sauce. Thai zoodles are mildly spicy and sweet and can be enjoyed cold or warm!

Prep TimePrep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook TimeCook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total timeTotal Time: 20 minutes mins

Yield 8 1-cup servings

Author Traci Antonovich

4.99 from 79 votes

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Ingredients

Peanut Sauce (makes ½ cup)

  • cup Unsweetened Peanut Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger finely grated
  • 1 clove Garlic finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha
  • Water as needed to adjust consistency

Vegetables and Zoodles

  • 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil
  • 2 Green Onions thinly sliced; stalk and stem separated
  • 1 large Carrot shredded (about 1 cup)
  • ½ large Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • ¼ pound Purple Cabbage thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 Zucchini spiralized (3-4 cups)

Equipment

Instructions

Make the 5-minute peanut sauce

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together PEANUT BUTTER, SOY SAUCE, RICE VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, GINGER, GARLIC, and CAYENNE until well-combined.

  • Slowly add small amounts of WATER and continue whisking until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Cook the zoodles and vegetables

  • In a large skillet, heat OIL on medium-high heat.

  • Add GREEN ONION (white part only), CARROT, BELL PEPPER, and CABBAGE; sauté a few minutes until tender.

  • Add spiralized ZUCCHINI; sauté about 2 minutes until zoodles start to soften. Turn off the heat.

  • Gently fold in PEANUT SAUCE in small amounts as desired for consistency.

  • Serve warm or chilled garnished with green onion tops, crushed peanuts, cilantro, and lime.

  • To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Final step

Click stars to vote. Please visit 'Comments' below for reviews.

4.99 from 79 votes

Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see it!Follow @thekitchengirl on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag #thekitchengirl. This always makes my day!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1752IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Course Main Course, Meal Prep, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Thai

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

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Comments

  1. Crystal Gonzales says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (11)
    Hello, I saw your recipe and it’s perfect trying to use veggies in my fridge before I leave for a week visit with my family. I followed your recipe except for sriracha I don’t like spicy. I did add sesame seeds and chow mein noodles. My doctor recently low carb diet, this fits right in. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  2. Nan C. says

    My husband doesn't like natural peanut butter. If I use "Jif" will it make a difference due to the sugar?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya, I haven't made this with jif, but if the sweetness is your concern, you could always add the maple syrup "to taste". This recipe is very customizable. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Thanks and enjoy!

  3. Mae says

    THis looks colourful and delicious! What can I serve it with?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you 🙂 Honestly I love it by itself or topped with a cooked protein like chicken or shrimp. It's great served over greens too. Hope you enjoy!

  4. Bonnie says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (12)
    Made this for two and nearly polished the whole thing off! Made as written, adding mushrooms as suggested in another review, and also shrimp. Healthy and so delicious!! Will be making this again and again. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yayy and you're so welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed and I love your customizations. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy!!

  5. Tabby says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (13)
    Made this for my bf and I! I want to start by saying I’m one to rarely leave reviews especially for recipes because I usually forget.. but this was sooooo delicious. I added mushrooms and substituted the maple for agave (had no maple syrup) but this was soo good! And adding the lime juice, crushed peanuts and cilantro at the end..👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 . Thanks for a great meal!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thank so much for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂 Much appreciated!

  6. Jody says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (14)
    Wonderful recipe, did you use yellow squash as well as it appears to look that way in the picture?
    Thank You!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya! That is only green zucchini squash in the photos but you can use yellow too! Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!

  7. KP says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (15)
    Great recipe! I used a store-bought peanut sauce for extra convenience and it still turned out awesome. Going to make again and again for sure! Thank you:)

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed. Thanks for the feedback. Cheers!

  8. Brooke says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (16)
    Super bomb recipe, I also added diced chicken, sprinkled with crushed peanuts and served with slices of lime. Wholesome and colorful, we love it!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay! So glad you found your way to the recipe and gave it a go 🙂 I love your add-ins too ... super yum! Thank you so much for the feedback. Cheers!!

  9. Virginia Planchon says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (17)
    I made this and served it for company. It was great! Will do it again.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay! So glad to hear it 🙂 Thanks!

  10. Myrna Gonzalez Childress says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (18)
    Amazing dish! I didn’t have any peanut butter so I used tahini instead. Also because I can’t help myself for taking creative liberties when I cook, I used a broccoli slaw bag in place of peppers and 1 zucchini and added edamame and tofu. It was amazing! I served it with quinoa on the side. Thank you!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Sounds like perfection! So glad you gave it a go ... thanks for the review! 🙂

  11. Pam says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (19)
    Made it tonight adding cubed chicken and doubling the sauce. This is going into the rotation. Seriously stupidly good.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awwww yay!! I'm so glad to inspire this. Love the chicken add-in. Thanks so much for the feedback!

  12. Jenifer says

    Hi!
    Can I cook this the day before and serve cold? We're doing an outdoor dinner and no way to heat up before serving. Wondering if if would stay well and still taste good?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      You sure can! It's meant to be served warm or cold. I personally like to go light on coating the noodles with peanut sauce because you can always serve it with extra sauce on the side. Hope you enjoy!

  13. Hannah K says

    Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (20)
    My husband and I LOVE this recipe!!! We have made it about 5 times now and don't get sick of it! So yummy and satisfying without feeling heavy or unhealthy. One of our all-time favorites!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Oh yayyyy! I'm so glad my recipe found its way into your world and that you LOVE it like we do 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know Much appreciated!

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Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - The Kitchen Girl (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook zoodles so they're not soggy? ›

Tip 5: Don't over-cook your noodles

To avoid soggy and limp noodles, I recommend cooking for only 3-5 minutes (5 if you're cooking more than 1-2 spiralized zucchinis) and tossing frequently. You want a slightly al dente noodle.

What's the difference between zucchini noodles and zoodles? ›

Zucchini noodles can be made into different shapes, much like regular pasta. The most common way to make zoodles is to run the zucchini through a spiralizer, which makes a spaghetti-sized zoodle. It is best to use a medium zucchini for spiralized zucchini noodles.

How do you get the liquid out of zucchini noodles? ›

Once you spiralize your zucchini, place the zoodles in a kitchen towel or few layers of paper towels and squeeze the moisture from the zoodles.

Why do my zucchini noodles get watery? ›

Zucchini is nearly all water, so when you go to cook zucchini noodles it releases the water content of the vegetable. And if you overcook them, you'll end up with a watery, mushy pile of zoodles. Here are my favorite ways to cook zoodles on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven.

Should you salt zoodles before cooking? ›

Don't pre-salt your zucchini noodles.

Whatever you do, do not let your cut zucchini noodles sit in salt before cooking.

Are zoodles soft or crunchy? ›

Don't overcook your zoodles

Zucchini noodles benefit from raw or quick-cooking preparations. Cooking them longer won't make them any crunchier — it'll just do the opposite. "They're not supposed to be mushy, but zucchini is also never going to be al dente like pasta," explained Gellman.

Are zoodles unhealthy? ›

Zucchini noodles (also known as zoodles) are a great low-carb or gluten free substitute for traditional wheat pasta. Zoodles can be made a few different ways using either a spiralizer, julienne peeler, or mandoline.

Are zoodles healthier than pasta? ›

Compare two cups of pasta weighing in at 480 calories, 90 grams of carbs, and two grams of fiber with two cups of zucchini zoodles at 66 calories, twelve grams of carbs, and four grams of fiber. Seems like a no-brainer, right? It is if you're using the right ingredients and the right sauce.

Which is healthier, pasta noodles or zoodles? ›

Unlike regular pasta, zucchini noodles contain fewer calories and carbs per serving, making them a healthier choice for those watching their weight or blood sugar levels. By substituting zucchini noodles in your favorite pasta dishes, you can enjoy a satisfying meal while still sticking to your health goals.

Why is my zucchini so slimy when I cook it? ›

This, the outlet asserts, is due to zucchini's high water content: If it cooks too slowly, it will release its moisture before it sears, becoming soggy and sodden. Over high heat, on the other hand, zucchini becomes caramelized on the outside but retains a meaty, firm texture within.

Do zucchini noodles get soft? ›

A very quick pan sauté.

I gently toss them with the other veggies and/or sauce for about a minute over medium heat, just until they're warmed through. Don't cook them any longer, or they'll get soft and watery.

Why is the inside of my zucchini slimy? ›

If it feels very soft or mushy when you squeeze it, it has likely gone bad. Mushy texture: A spoiled zucchini has a mushy or stringy texture when you cut it, and it may feel slimy to the touch.

Do you boil zoodles? ›

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season the water generously with salt. Add the zucchini noodles and cook until the noodles are crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Use tongs or a spider to immediately transfer the zoodles to a large bowl filled with ice water.

How do you know if zucchini noodles have gone bad? ›

Bad zucchini will feel rubbery or slimy to the touch. It may also have an off-putting smell and dark or fuzzy moldy spots. The interior of bad zucchini may be off-white to brownish with stringy, mushy flesh and large, hard seeds.

Do zucchini noodles keep overnight? ›

After you've spiralized several zucchini, line a large plastic or glass storage container with a paper towel, add your noodles and place in the refrigerator. They'll stay fresh for 2-3 days. Larger zucchini are easier to spiralize and will yield more noodles. For serving sizes, plan on one medium zucchini per person.

How do you firm up zucchini? ›

Arrange the zucchini pieces into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It will stick to the pan if you don't line it first!) Freeze the zucchini for about 1 hour, until it's firm to the touch, then transfer it to an airtight container to preserve the flavor as you store it.

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