This Gluten-Free Pad Thai recipe is the perfect weekly dinner recipe. It is quick and simple to make but it packs tons of flavor. This healthy recipe is made with brown rice noodles and is loaded with good for you veggies. This Pad Thai recipe comes together in 40 minutes and will have your whole family raving.
*Originally published July 18, 2021 and updated with new copy and photos 3/1/22.
We are huge fans of easy and delicious dinners in our household. Monday's tend to always be the most hectic for us. For some reason, I am a little more exhausted at the end of a Monday than on most days. That is why I love this easy Gluten-Free Pad Thai. This Pad Thai recipe is easy and delicious and on the table in 40 minutes flat!
For more quick dinners, check out these Saucy and Spicy Garlic Noodles, this Red Curry Pasta, this Pad Woon Sen, this Vegan Jambalaya or this Vegan Chili Mac!
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Why This is The Best Gluten-Free Pad Thai
- Plant-Based- This recipe is plant-based which makes it great for those following a vegan lifestyle! The main protein in this recipe is tofu so this is the perfect dish for a meatless Monday!
- Perfect weeknight meal- This is the perfect weeknight meal. It is ready in just 40 minutes and comes together really quick.
- Easy and delicious- This recipe is so easy and delicious! There are just a few simple steps to this recipe and it is perfect for those who are adventurous and picky alike!
Ingredient Notes
- Pad Thai Noodles- Pad Thai is traditionally made with thin, flat rice noodles. I love to use this brand from Annie Chun's. If you are in a pinch and don't have rice noodles on hand, feel free to use fettuccine noodles or any thin, flat like noodle.
- Tamarind- Tamarind paste is one of the key ingredients in the sauce. It is made from the dark, sticky, sour fruit that grows from the tamarind tree. You can buy tamarind from your local Asian Market or order it online. Most Americanized recipes will swap out the tamarind with peanut butter, however we are using both in this recipe!
- Peanut Butter- The peanut butter in this gluten-free pad thai gives the sauce a creamy texture and taste. It works with the tamarind to round out the flavors.
- Coconut Sugar-We keep this recipe refined sugar-free by sweetening it with coconut sugar. However, if you don't have any on hand, feel free to use light brown sugar or your favorite brown sugar substitute.
Please see the recipe card for all ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
How to Press and Bake Crispy Tofu
- Drain tofu and wrap in towels or napkins. Lay on a flat surface and put a heavy pot or pan on top of the tofu. Set for 25 minutes. Additionally, you can purchase a tofu press like this one here.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Toss the pressed and diced tofu in olive oil and cornstarch
- Bake for 30 minutes
How to Make this Gluten-Free Pad Thai
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside
- Sauté the sliced vegetables over medium heat until tender
- Boil the rice noodles for 5 minutes
- Toss the noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, vegetables and sauce together in the pan. Serve warm with chopped peanuts
Substitutions
- Nut-Free- To make this recipe allergy friendly and nut-free, just leave out the peanuts.
- Soy-Free- To make this recipe soy-free, sub out the tofu. You can replace the tofu with seitan, however it would no longer be gluten-free.
Variations
- Zucchini Noodles- Make this Gluten-Free Pad Thai with zucchini noodles to keep the carb count down.
- Extra Veggies- Feel free to throw whatever vegetables that you have on hand in the dish to give it an extra boost. I like to add broccolini sometimes or extra red cabbage.
FAQ's
This Gluten-Free Pad Thai is close to being authentic. We swapped the soy sauce for coconut aminos and don't use fish sauce. However, I don't claim to have expertise in Asian cooking and I try my best to honor the Thai culture when making this dish. This dish is made more authentic by using the tamarind concentrate in addition to the peanut butter in the sauce.
Sure, while I have not tried this method, you can make it in the instant pot. You will still want to cook the tofu in the oven to crisp it up but you can sauté the vegetables in the instant pot using the sauté function. Add the noodles, Pad Thai Sauce and ½ vegetable broth the instant pot and set for high pressure to cook for 4 minutes. Do a manual release and then add the tofu.
Yes, if you don't have tamarind on hand, you can leave it out. However, it will not have that tangy taste that Pad Thai is known for.
Most Thai cuisine is naturally gluten-free so it is an excellent option for celiacs. In this recipe, we just swap out the soy sauce for coconut aminos to keep it gluten-free!
When I don't have rice noodles on hand, I swap them out for gluten-free fettuccine noodles. Jovial Foods is my favorite brand and it makes a great substitute when you don't have rice noodles on hand!
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. See below for the equipment you will need for this recipe.
- Non-stick pan
- Dutch Oven
- Cookie Sheet
- Chef Knife
- Cutting Board
Storage
The brown rice noodles soak up a lot of the sauce, therefore it doesn't hold well for leftovers the next day. If you are wanting to make this as meal prep, store the sauce separately and pour it over before reheating and serving.
This recipe doesn't stand up well for freezing.
Tips and Tricks
- Rice noodles have a tendency to stick together. To make sure your rice noodles don't stick together when making your Pad Thai, make sure to not overcook them. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions or for 5 minutes in boiling water. If you overcook them they will get gummy and start to clump up. It is normal, though, for them to clump up a bit; tossing them with the Pad Thai sauce should loosen them as they get coated with the sauce.
- Other great vegetable ideas for this Gluten-Free Pad Thai include zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy or asparagus!
- My go to toppings for Pad Thai are crunchy peanuts, lime juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some spice!
Other Great Recipes You Will Love!
- Taco Bell Spicy Potato Soft Tacos
- Instant Pot Vegan Thai Panang Curry
- Easy Vegan Wonton Soup with Frozen Wontons
- Fresh Vegetarian Spring Roll Bowl with Peanut Sauce
- 30 Minute Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad
The BEST Gluten-Free Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pad Thai Rice Noodles
- 1 cup diced cabbage
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 2 cups firm tofu pressed and diced
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons Tamarind Concentrate
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chopped peanuts for topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Dice the tofu and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Spread out the tofu on the baking sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- While the tofu is in the oven, add the coconut sugar, lime juice, tamarind concentrate, peanut butter, garlic, coconut aminos, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, pepper and water and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Slice your bell peppers into strips and dice the cabbage. In a warm pan, sauté the vegetables on medium heat until the bell peppers are tender, about 10 minutes.
- While the tofu is in the oven and the vegetables are sautéing, bring a large pot of water to boil and add the rice noodles. Boil the noodles for 4 minutes and then drain and rinse.
- In the sauté pan, add the noodles to the vegetables and add the finished tofu. Add in the 1 cup of bean sprouts and pour the sauce ingredients over and toss everything to combine. Toss with chopped peanuts and serve warm.
Notes
- Rice noodles have a tendency to stick together. To make sure your rice noodles don't stick together when making your Pad Thai, make sure to not overcook them. Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions or for 5 minutes in boiling water. If you overcook them they will get gummy and start to clump up. It is normal, though, for them to clump up a bit; tossing them with the Pad Thai sauce should loosen them as they get coated with the sauce.
- Other great vegetable ideas for this Gluten-Free Pad Thai include zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy or asparagus!
- My go to toppings for Pad Thai are crunchy peanuts, lime juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some spice!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Nancy says
Thank you for posting this recipe! Looks delicious and healthy!
Nancy says
Thank you for posting! This recipe looks delicious and very healthy!
kaydimaggio says
It is so delicious!
Lory says
Thank you for this recipe! I love pad Thai, but I needed a vegan recipe for it. My best friend is vegan and she's coming over for dinner. I can't wait to make this! Thanks.
kaydimaggio says
Glad you liked it! I hope your friend enjoys it!
Selena says
Looks delicious!! I'm allergic to nuts but would love to try it without 🙂 thanks for sharing!
kaydimaggio says
Yes! The nice thing about this recipe is you could easily just take off the peanuts. Most Americanized versions replace the tamarind with peanut butter but this one doesn't so it is easily adaptable to those with allergies.
Anaiah says
Yum! You can't go wrong with pad thai. When I was pregnant with my son, I legit ate pad thai every day.. (and pb&j which I don't even like lol!) This vegan version was so delicious and filling. I loved all the flavors in it!
kaydimaggio says
Haha! I could probably eat this every day too! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Andrea Hope says
This looks delicious! I pinned it for future reference. Can't wait to try it!
kaydimaggio says
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Savannah says
My husband grew up in Thailand, and I think our family would love this!
kaydimaggio says
It really is the perfect dinner!
Giangi Townsend says
Yummy!!! Love Pad Thai and love your recipe. I could not get enough of it when visiting Thailand. Thank you for sharing.
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! I am glad that you loved it!
Liz says
This is perfection. So, so yummy!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Emily Flint says
I love how easy this was to throw together, thanks for the great recipe!
kaydimaggio says
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Amanda Dixon says
This looks wonderful! I love the colors for summer and the crunch from the peanuts.
kaydimaggio says
I always say, you can always know you are eating healthy if you are eating a lot of colors!
Brianna May says
Yum!
Andra says
I love Pad Thai, I love tofu, I honestly cannot wait to try this recipe, it looks soo soo good <3
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Brianna says
Perfect quick dinner!
kaydimaggio says
Yes! Easy and quick dinners are my favorite!
Spring Davis says
This looks so delicious! I love plant-based recipes. Thanks for sharing!
kaydimaggio says
Of course! Glad you enjoyed it!
Natalie says
That looks delicious. Lovely summer lunch idea. I'm going to try this for sure.
kaydimaggio says
It really is a great idea for lunch!
Toni says
Perfect for an easy meal! Love how easy this is! Thanks!
kaydimaggio says
You're welcome! I hope you enjoy!
Erin Gierhart says
This is so easy, and the peanuts add great texture!
kaydimaggio says
I agree! When I am not making something for the blog, I often forget the garnish but the garnish is so important!
Adriane says
Pad thai is my absolute favorite! I can't wait to try this.
kaydimaggio says
Yes! Pad Thai is one of my favorites too!
Bobbie says
This recipe looks so bright and fresh! Can’t wait to try it!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you!
Katie Youngs says
I love how veggie packed this meal is!
kaydimaggio says
Thank you! Veggie packed meals are so tasty!
Kalin Williams says
Pad thai is one of my all-time favorite dishes! I will have to try it next time with togu
Matej @ CookWeWill.Com says
I love PadThai! Never had a vegan version though and that's about to change now. Thanks for the recipe.
Dawn Conklin says
Love this vegan tofu pad Thai! It was so easy to make and it is so delicious, the whole family loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Shilpa says
This vegan pad Thai was so delicious. We loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Natalie says
That was delicious. I made it for dinner yesterday and everyone in my family loved it. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!
Gina Abernathy says
Such a perfect weeknight dinner idea. So easy and delicious. My family loved it!