This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Thai peanut zucchini noodles are spiralized zucchini noodles sautéed with fresh vegetables and tossed in a creamy, sweet-savory peanut sauce. Enjoy them warm or chilled.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Kitchen Girl.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Zoodles might be an OG trend, but they’ll always have a place on my table, especially during zucchini season. These Thai zucchini noodles are sweet, savory, a little spicy, and packed with fresh crunch, all tossed in a creamy Thai peanut sauce that pulls everything together.
Serve it warm for a quick dinner or chill it for an easy lunch. It works year-round, but really shines during zucchini season. If you’ve got a spiralizer tucked away or even just a vegetable peeler for ribbons, you’re in. Just spiralize (or slice), prep a few veggies, shake up the sauce, and toss—it comes together fast.
If you love spicy vegetables, try my Asian Cucumber Salad next!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Green onions - Add mild onion flavor without overpowering the dish. The green tops also bring a fresh finish.
- Red bell pepper - Adds crisp texture and a natural sweetness that balances the savory sauce.
- Carrots - Bring a subtle sweetness and extra crunch. Shred or julienne so they mix in easily.
- Purple cabbage - Adds color and crunch. It holds its texture well, even after the sauce is added.
- Zucchini (zoodles) - A light, fresh base for the dish. Pat dry after spiralizing to keep the sauce from getting watery.
- Cilantro and lime - Cilantro adds a fresh, herby finish, while lime brightens everything right before serving.
- Thai peanut sauce - A creamy, sweet-savory sauce made with peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and a touch of Sriracha for heat. Use water or coconut milk to adjust the consistency.
How to make this recipe
To prep the vegetables, spiralize the zucchini, shred the carrots, slice the bell peppers and cabbage, chop the green onions, and make the sauce.
To make the sauce, whisk the 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.
Next, sauté the onions, carrots, bell pepper, and cabbage in a 12-inch skillet on medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles and sauté for a few minutes until they’re al dente. Do not overcook them.
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.
Serve the sauced noodles slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Garnish with green onions, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro, fresh jalapeño, 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.
Tips From The Test Kitchen
- Use any zucchini – Green or yellow zucchini both work here.
- Don’t overcook the zucchini – Zucchini releases water quickly. Cook just until softened. Thinner zoodles cook faster, while thicker strands can handle an extra minute.
- Thai restaurant-style peanut sauce – Replace 1 teaspoon of soy sauce with fish sauce (not vegan), add ½ lime juice, and use coconut milk instead of water. Adjust the heat with more sriracha or chili paste to taste.
- Make it ahead – Prep the vegetables, zucchini, and peanut sauce, then store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Let the sauce sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before cooking.
- Serving tip – Don’t skip the toppings. Fresh cilantro, lime juice, peanuts, sliced fresh jalapeños, and Sriracha add flavor and texture.
Easy Asian recipes
- Kale Sesame Noodles
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Thai Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Chickpea Buddha Bowl
- Vegetable Lo Mein Noodles
- Thai Coconut Soup
📖 Recipe
Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Kitchen Girl.
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce (makes ½ cup)
- ¼ cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons Soy Sauce, or liquid aminos for GF
- 1½ teaspoons Rice Vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1½ teaspoons Sriracha Sauce
- 1 (½-inch) piece Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 clove Garlic, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon Cold Water
- 1 pinch Salt, optional
For the vegetables
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 2 small Green Onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 1 medium Carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
- ½ large Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- ¼ pound Purple Cabbage, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 8 ounces Zucchini, spiralized (about 2 cups)
Optional toppings
- Fresh cilantro, fresh lime, chopped peanuts, and sliced fresh jalapeños
Instructions
Make the peanut sauce
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together PEANUT BUTTER, SOY SAUCE, RICE VINEGAR, MAPLE SYRUP, SRIRACHA, GINGER, GARLIC, and SALT (if using) until smooth.*See recipe footnote for Thai restaurant-style sauce.
- Add WATER a little at a time, whisking between additions, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Set aside.
Cook the vegetables
- Preheat a 12-inch skillet on medium heat. Add AVOCADO OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Add GREEN ONION (white parts only), CARROT, RED BELL PEPPER, and CABBAGE. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until tender but slightly crisp.
- Add ZUCCHINI and cook 1–2 minutes, just until softened. Turn off the heat.
- Remove skillet from heat. Add PEANUT SAUCE, starting with about ¼ cup, and toss to coat. Add more as desired. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve warm with optional toppings and remaining peanut sauce.
- Cool completely, then refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Serve leftovers chilled or warm.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- chef's knife and cutting board
- spiralizer
- julienne vegetable peeler to shred carrots
- small mixing bowl
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
PATTI L says
Very tasty and colorful. I substituted spaghetti squash for the Zoodles and it came out good. I think I might add fish sauce to the peanut sauce to give it a little more "umami" I added lime and Siracha but it seems to need something more.
PATTI L says
Delicious! I used very few zoodles but just the vegetable mixture with the peanut sauce was wonderful in itself. I added a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of dry roasted peanuts. It could be a meal in itself. Maybe add tofu or chicken breast for a more substantial dish.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Patti! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Yep Thai peanut zoodles really are great on their own or with add-ins. Thanks for the review 🙂
Angea says
This turned out great! I didn't add but a tsp of maple syrup because the natural peanut butter was sweet enough! This recipe will be added to my a quick, easy go-to meal/side!
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad to hear it, Angea! Thanks for taking the time to let me know
KIRU says
TOO GOOD
The Kitchen Girl says
Hey Kiru...glad you think so! Thank youuuu
Tim says
I love this recipe. I had all the ingredients at hand and except for red cabbage but this is a “ pick your veggies” sort of dish and I had snow peas available so in they went.
This is a very satisfying vegetarian dish, especially considering I’m a big meat eater. This really hit the spot. I’ll be doing this one again! Thanks for sharing
The Kitchen Girl says
Tim...boom!!! I'm so glad you loved this! You're right...Thai peanut zoodles is totally "pick your veggies" Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Much appreciated!!
Pam Osborne says
This dish was very tasty and filling. I went a little cautious in the sauce because I had never cooked with chili paste before. I ended up adding a little hit sauce to my bowl afterwards. I will make this one again.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Pam...yes, Thai peanut noodles are definitely customizable. So glad you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for the feedback
Rosie Vipond says
This recipe is absolutely delicious. Thank you for helping me to make my husband to eat zucchini. 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Rosie! That makes me so happy! My other half loves it too Yayy for making them eat zucchini
Lisa says
This was absolutely delicious! A healthy and light version of peanut noodles!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyy and thanks, Lisa! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You're SO right about the peanut noodles. Funny enough, we just had this for dinner last night and lunch today
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
The Kitchen Girl says
Thank you, Shadi! I'm so glad to hear your family enjoys this zoodles recipe
Leslie says
Fantastic recipe here! I love the added veggies noodles. What a great idea!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Leslie! So glad you think so 🙂
Rita Steinbrunner says
Traci,
My daughter and I made this recipe and found it to be delicious. We ate it hot but I am going to try it cold next time. The peanut sauce is outstanding. We couldn’t decide on topping options, so we used them all.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Rita! This makes my day Sounds like you like the peanut sauce as much as I do Thanks for taking the time to review...much appreciated! ❤️ Btw, I'm an all-in toppings gal myself
Tara says
It has been way too long since I have pulled out my spiralizer. Such a great use for all the summer zucchini! The flavors sound fantastic.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Tara! So glad you can enjoy the spiralizer and all the zucchini noodles! Yay summer!!
HANNAH HEALY says
This is so good! I love all the fresh veggies. I always forget about how good peanut sauce is too!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Hannah! So glad you're enjoying this one! Yes, the peanut sauce is divvvine
Andrea Metlika says
Wow does this look amazing. Such perfect flavors and love using zoodles.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Andrea! Yes, we love the zucchini pasta zoodles for this recipe
Anjali says
I loved how packed with veggies and flavor this recipe was!! And the peanut sauce was so so delicious!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awww, glad to hear it and thanks, Anjali! We're pretty crazy about this zucchini noodle recipe too!
Mary says
How’d you get those carrots so thinly shredded? Cant wait to try the recipe for lunch this week.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Mary, I used this vegetable peeler, which is my favorite way to shred carrots because they are so thin and perfect 🙂 Glad you're going to give this recipe a go...enjoy!!!
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! 🙂