Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles are spiralized zoodles sauteed with shredded carrots, bell pepper, and green onions, tossed in this easy peanut sauce. This 15-minute zucchini noodles recipe makes the perfect side dish, main course, or weekday salad and includes meal prep instructions.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles]
Here’s a super nutritious way to guiltlessly slurp down ALL the noodles your heart desires.
Zoodles! They’re low carb, low calorie, and gluten-free. Basically, miracle food!
We’ll always tip our hats to the genius behind a kitchen tool that turns produce into noodles. Thanks to the spiralizer, zoodles are dominating our zucchini recipe collections.
We’re thrilled about it, especially during summer when we have zucchini for dayssss!
This zucchini noodle recipe is so fresh, a little spicy, slightly sweet, and has a scrumptious Thai peanut flavor.
Whether you’re a zoodle-noob or an old pro, you’ll love this recipe, wholeheartedly!
But first…
What’s the best spiralizer for zucchini noodles?
Countertop Spiralizer:
I have owned and LOVED this spiralizer for a few years. [not sponsored btw, just an OXO fangirl].
It does everything I need, and at $40, it has more than paid for itself many times over.
Handheld Spiralizer:
If you don’t have a countertop spiralizer, you can use this handheld Titan Vegetable Julienne Peeler and Slicer. I owned this before I got the OXO tabletop version.
It works very well and it’s built to last, but isn’t really made for large quantity zucchini spiralizer tasks.
Then there’s the Vegetti Spiral Slicer that’s handheld, and just like the Titan, works in a pinch for very small jobs. The price is great for its functionality if you only need to spiralize one zucchini, or one carrot, etc.
Vegetable Peeler:
Yep, you can also use a conventional vegetable peeler. Simply cut ribbons of zucchini lengthwise into thin strips.
When you reach the zucchini core (where the seeds are), you can save that for smoothies or stir fry…they don’t make great zoodles.
Using a vegetable peeler can take a little longer, but I LOVE this option for making wide zucchini noodles. This also works in a pinch, but again, I recommend the tabletop version if you want to spiralize large amounts of zucchini noodles into spaghetti strands.
Can you cut zucchini noodles ahead of time?
You most certainly can! In fact, we cut zucchini noodles as part of our Sunday weekly meal prep routine.
To store pre-cut zucchini noodles, simply spiralize them, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate up to 5 days. Use them exactly as you would use freshly cut zucchini noodles.
I tell you, there’s nothing like cruising into a busy week with a container of raw zoodles that can be used so many ways.
We use them in garden salads, or sauteed and tossed in sauce (like this peanut sauce – yum).
Can you freeze zucchini noodles?
No. I would not freeze raw zucchini noodles just as I would not freeze most raw vegetables.
However, once cooked, I would consider freezing them, but only in a pinch because their texture may still be weird and potentially unappealing.
How to avoid watery zucchini noodles
When cooking zoodles, there are 3 tips to keep them from becoming watery.
Tip #1) The salt trick
Once the noodles are spiralized into zoodles, place them in a mixing bowl sprinkled with a little salt for about 20 minutes.
The salt’s job is to draw the moisture out from the noodles to their surface. Your job is to dab the noodles dry with an absorbent towel (or paper towel).
To be honest, I’m too impatient for the salt trick most of the time, so I rely on the next two tricks.
Tip #2) The al dente trick
If you like your zucchini noodles springy and not soggy, only cook them al dente, leaving them slightly firm. This prevents the noodles from sitting limply in the sauce.
It’s also the optimal texture when reheating zoodles so they don’t get mushy, just like wheat pasta.
Tip #3) The sauce trick
Use ONLY use SMALL amounts of sauce or oil on cooked or raw zoodles.
Zucchini noodles aren’t starchy like wheat pasta noodles, so there is really no place for the extra moisture to go, except to the bottom of the bowl. Nobody likes that, but it makes perfect sense.
So, for this Thai Peanut zoodle recipe, or any spiralized noodle recipe, the trick is to use just enough peanut sauce to barely coat the zoodles. Otherwise, I can guarantee you’ll have extra liquid under the noodles.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles Recipe Steps
Step 1: Prep the vegetables
Spiralize the zucchini, shred the carrots, slice the bell peppers, and chop the green onions (separate white and green parts)
Step 2: Make the 5-minute peanut sauce
Whisk the peanut sauce ingredients together. If it needs thinning, add water in small amounts to reach desired consistency. You want it to be somewhat pourable so you can coat the zoodles easily.
Step 3: Saute the vegetables
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.
Remove the cooked zoodles from the hot pan to prevent them from overcooking and set aside until you’re ready to dress them in peanut sauce.
Step 4: Add the peanut sauce
When you’re ready to serve, gently fold in the peanut sauce in small amounts until you reach the noodle-to-sauce ratio of your dreams.
Serve the peanut sauced noodles heated, at room temp, or chilled…your choice.
Pro tip: Bring the peanut sauce to room temperature (or briefly microwave) to soften it, making it easier to coat the noodles.
Step 5: Add toppings
- green onion tops
- chopped peanuts
- chopped cilantro
- fresh lime wedges
Meal Prep Steps for Zucchini Noodles with Easy Peanut Sauce
Step 1: Follow the recipe instructions for preparation of this dish but keep the peanut sauce separate from the zoodles until you’re ready to serve.
Step 2: Divide the sauce, cooked vegetables, and toppings into airtight, meal prep containers.
Step 3: Store portions in refrigerator up to 4 days. To serve, fold peanut sauce into zoodles, add toppings, and serve chilled or reheat to serve warm, stirring as needed.
Note: On meal prep day, allow the peanut sauce to come to room temperature if you’re not near a heat source. It will be easier to mix into the zoodles.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles Recipe Ingredients
- avocado oil (or oil of your choice)
- green onions
- red bell pepper
- carrot
- spiralized zucchini noodles
- peanut sauce
- toppings: crushed peanuts, cilantro, lime, chili oil
Kitchen tools I use for this recipe
- chef knife and cutting board
- spiralizer
- small mixing bowl
- Microplane zester
- silicone tongs
- 10″ skillet
Grab these other healthy zucchini recipes
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles]
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil or any oil of choice
- 2 Green Onions thinly sliced; green and white separated
- 1 large Carrot shredded
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 lb Zucchini spiralized
- 1/3 cup Peanut Sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat OIL on medium-high heat.
- Add GREEN ONION (white part only), CARROT, and BELL PEPPER; sauté a few minutes until tender.
- Add spiralized ZUCCHINI; sauté a few minutes ONLY until slightly tender (do not overcook them); remove cooked zoodles from the skillet to prevent overcooking.
- Gently fold in the PEANUT SAUCE in small amounts until desired sauce to noodle ratio is reached.
- Add toppings: green onion tops, sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, cilantro, or lime.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve cold.
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition
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Heather Breckenridge says
Fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
Traci Antonovich says
You’re so welcome…glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Ester says
Hi! What are your thoughts on spiralizing the carrots too?
Thanks.
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Ester…I’ve done it!…and I LOVE it! But the carrots need to be big enough diameter to make it worth it lol. Hope that answers your question 🙂
Taylor says
I’m the biggest fan of peanut sauce and this is the best way I’ve ever had it!! So yummy and fresh. Why would you ever eat regular noodles?
Traci Antonovich says
Taylor…thank you for taking the time to leave this feedback. I LOVE knowing how much you are enjoying it. Day made! 🙂
krys says
I absolutely love it!
i had to replace a few things because of allergies mainly i used almonds instead of peanuts. we actually were cautious with the red pepper in the almond sauce but i think we’ll use what’s suggested next time. if you like spice don’t be afraid of it being too much! we ended up with something good but very mild as far as spiciness by using half. so if you don’t handle spice well at all then no problem cut it down but if you like a good kick then don’t cut it down.
also if you have extra sauce and you haven’t completely cut out breads try dunking some in it, it’s great! though also a lot spicier since it’s not diluted by other things so keep that in mind.
easy, filling, and so delicious! awesome recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Krys! Love hearing this and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know 🙂 Thanks so much…glad you enjoyed!
Deanna says
Holy. Freaking. Delicious!!! Thank you!!!
Traci Antonovich says
Haha…my favorite words! Thank you Deanna…I’m so glad you like this Zoodles recipe! 🙂
Debra says
Love me a big bowl of goodness like this. All the vibrant colors with so much nutrition, plus all the great flavors and a bit of crunch too! I would probably devour the entire thing!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Debra! Yep, devouring the entire thing…guilty 😉
Donna says
Well, this is definitely my kind of salad. I am a huge fan of noodles, but trying to cut down on carbs, so loving all that veg in there to make up for lack of noodles. And I am putting my hand up for anything Thai flavored 🙂 Love it.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Donna! Yep, we can kick the noodle carbs to the curb with this one 🙂
Trish says
What a colorful, healthy dish! I’m pretty sure my kiddo would gobble this up and have no idea he was eating lots of veggies. Huzzah! I’ve got a spiralizer that never gets used… thanks for the inspo!
Traci Antonovich says
Woohoo! Seems like there’s a lot of people needing to pull out their spiralizers LOL. Hope you love this one!
Dana says
This looks SO good and I love that it includes so many other veggies, which helps it stand as a substantial dish. I find that a lot of zucchini noodle recipes are lacking extra “oomph” and after mowing down one serving I’m still hungry! But this is packed with goodness. (And that SAUCE.)
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Dana! Love hearing it…ALL of it 😉
Annissa says
You just gave me an excuse to get my spiralizer out of the cabinet. I love playing with it–it’s like a play dough machine for adults. This dish is so healthy AND gorgeous! Can’t wait to try it because that peanut sauce is calling my name!
Traci Antonovich says
Woohoo! So glad to hear it Annissa…hope you LOVE it! 🙂
Stef says
We were gifted a spirazlizer years ago and I’m embarrassed to say that it has sat in our basement unused. You have totally inspired me to break it out and give it a try. Thanks for the tips on not keeping the noodles from getting soggy. Excited to get started!
Traci Antonovich says
Glad to hear it, Stef…and yes, break that thing out! 🙂
Marisa Franca says
Ever since I talked Hubby into getting a spiralizer, both hand held and larger, he only wants to eat zucchini as zoodles. We love it. Now we really enjoy Thai recipes and this recipe for peanut zucchinin noodles sounds fantastic!! Can’t wait to try it.
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Marisa…love hearing that! Your hubby has good taste 😉 Hope you love this recipe!
Carmy says
I love peanut sauce! I love the use of zoodles here, it looks so fresh and much more exciting than regular noodles! This is prefect as a meal prep or as a quick weeknight dinner.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Carmy! Yep, love those zoodles! 🙂
Annemarie says
What a beautiful and flavorful dish! I love the colors and textures of the veggies and the sauce is amazing. I don’t have the OXO spiralizer, but it looks seriously easy to use so I’m going to have to look into that. Having an easy spiralizer will definitely help me make this recipe in the future.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks for the kind words Annemarie…I LOVE my oxo spiralizer 🙂
Tina says
I am trying to get more veggies into my diet without feeling deprived. Your recipe looks and sounds amazing, the colors and the flavor from the peanut sauce. Saving this for later. I actually have that hand held peeler, it works great. I would get the spiralizer if my kitchen wasn’t tiny, I would have to toss something to make room for it but I know I would use it all the time if I did have one. Thanks for the recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
The tiny kitchen struggle is real, isn’t it?! So glad you’re liking this recipe and hope you find yourself loving it 🙂
Lisa says
First, this is an absolutely gorgeous dish — the colors, flavors and textures are spot on! I love that you can serve it at room temperature or cold, too. It’s January now, but I think this would be AWESOME on a hot June day. I’m gonna have to get your spiralizer too. My husband bought one that was supposed to be the MAC-Daddy — and instead it was a total flop. It butchers my vegetables. Yours look perfect!
Traci Antonovich says
Yayyyy Lisa! Can’t wait for you try the OXO spiralizer. Since I first used it, I’ve never thought “hmmm, wish I had a different one”, so that’s saying alot (b/c I’m super picky about gadgets). Thanks for the kind words too 😉
Gloria says
Isn’t it funny, I was just saying today that I need to get some zucchini and make some zoodles. This looks delicious. Guess I know what we are having for dinner Friday night. Can’t wait.
Traci Antonovich says
Haha yay! Hope you love this recipe then…thanks Gloria! 🙂
Tara says
I love all the colors in this dish! Definitely need to pull out my spiralizer. The flavors sound incredible.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Tara! Yes…break that thing out! 🙂
Dannii says
What a colourful bowl. Love finding new Thai recipes to try.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Dannii! Hope you get to try this one out! 🙂
Veena Azmanov says
This Noodle option of Thai Peanut Butter is so unique and full of flavor. Love the colors to it.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much, Veena! Love hearing that 🙂
Morgan Eisenberg says
I love Thai peanut EVERYTHING, mixing it up with zoodles sounds like a good plan.
Traci Antonovich says
Haha me too, Morgan! Yes, give this one a try…you’ll love it! 😉
Stephanie says
Yum. This sounds so delicious and I love zoodles so can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing those tips about how to avoid soggy zoodles.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Stephanie! Glad you enjoy the tips 🙂
Ellen says
That peanut sauce sounds fantastic. This is such a great dish.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Ellen…love hearing that! 🙂
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
Like you Traci I’m all about eliminating the carbs wherever possible. . .so spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice & spiralyzed veggies are part of my usual menu. This Thai peanut version is such an interesting & tasty way to prepare the zoodles.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Lynn, hope you get to try it out sometime! I love it with all those veggies! 🙂
Kacie Morgan says
I love courgette noodles. You’ve just reminded me that it’s been way too long since I used my spiralizer actually, haha! Must dig it out soon 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Kacie! Yep, we need to keep those spiralizer’s running…esp during the spring and summer months 🙂
camila hurst says
this is one of the most delicious ways to serve zoodles that I’ve seen!
Traci Antonovich says
Aww thanks Camila…love hearing it put like that 🙂
Jyothi(Jo) says
Off late my dinner has been light vegetable loaded dishes. This zucchini noodles with that killer sauce is going to be my dinner tomorrow. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Jo! Love hearing that and I hope you enjoy the recipe like I do 🙂
Shelby says
We eat zoodles all the time! Sometimes raw like you mention, but more often I put them in a microwave steamer for 3-4 minutes to zap out some of that water and prevent the sauce I’m putting them in from getting watery. I love the flavors in your recipe and love the touch of the black sesame seeds!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Shelby! Great tip too…I’ll have to give that a go! 🙂
cakespy says
This looks wonderful. The peanut sauce sounds absolutely crave-worthy, with just enough kick, and I love that this is an overall healthier version of a classic.
Traci Antonovich says
Awww thanks so much Jessie! Love hearing that about this recipe 🙂 Yay!
Cookilicious says
One just cannot get enough of the spiralizer! Love how they make great recipes. This Thai noodle salad looks yumm.
Traci Antonovich says
Yay thanks so much…and yes, I can’t get enough. Just used it today AND yesterday for recipes 🙂
Catherine says
Yum! These zoodles sounds so good! Such a great way to start the New Year on a healthy note 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Catherine, thanks so much. Yep, it’s ALL about the healthies, esp after those holidays 🙂
Rae says
I can’t wait until summer when I’m swamped with zucchini—I love zoodles, especially when I get to use them in great recipes such as this one. My husband thinks zoodles need to be raw in order to be delicious… men. 😉
Traci Antonovich says
I’m right there with you, Rae. Still gotta have ’em in the winter 🙂 Yep, hear ya on the ‘men’ vibes LOL
Molly Kumar says
This looks super yumm and so simple n healthy. I’m a HUGE Zoodle fan and this would be perfect for a quick weeknight meal as I have most of the ingredients in the pantry.
Traci Antonovich says
Molly, I’m right there with you on the zoodles AND the “having ingredients on hand” part 🙂 Thanks so much!
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
This looks so delicious! I love cooking vegan, although I’m no longer vegan! There is something so clean about it if you know what I mean! These zoodles with the peanut sauce looks so fabulous and I can’t wait to make your recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
Elaine, you are too sweet! Thank you for all the love 🙂 Hope this recipe becomes your new fav!
Teri Stephens says
This looks so fresh and healthy. And all that flavor. Great recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much Teri…love hearing it! 🙂