Easy Paleo Stir Fry Skillet

This Easy Paleo Stir Fry Skillet transforms your favorite Chinese food dish into a healthy version that’s made from real ingredients. Packed with vegetables, chicken, and Lo Mein “noodles” that are coated with a savory stir fry sauce, this recipe is sure to be a family favorite. It’s gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, refined sugar free, and soy free.

When I was in college, we had a local Chinese restaurant that had the best worst Chinese food. It was the kind of Chinese food that you knew wasn’t great but because it wasn’t dining hall food it tasted amazing. But the days of heating up left over Chinese food after a night of…studying…are long gone and have been for many years. Yet even after all this time, I still find myself craving it. I’ve made several Chinese food recipes over the years but none of them satisfied my craving.

I’m all about creating recipes made with real, whole ingredients that make me forget I have diet restrictions. This Easy Paleo Stir Fry Skillet does just that. The real MVP of this recipe is the spaghetti squash. In this recipe, this versatile vegetable is transformed into thin and tender Lo Mein “noodles”. Toss in some chicken and vegetables and cover with a savory soy free sauce and you’ve got the stir fry of your dreams.

The most time consuming part of this recipe is baking the spaghetti squash. My recommendation is to cook the spaghetti squash ahead of time. I would also suggest cooking your chicken at the same time. If I plan to make this recipe on a weeknight, I always prep these ingredients the weekend before. Then during the week I can throw everything together for a quick and easy dinner that’s ready in under 20 minutes.

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Place the spaghetti squash on a baking sheet with the inside facing up. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. For more detailed instructions, please check out my Baked Spaghetti Squash recipe here. Next, butterfly the chicken and place it in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (about 20 minutes). I butterfly the chicken because it will take less time to cook.

If you are prepping the spaghetti squash and chicken ahead of time, you will stop at this step. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove it from the oven. Cut it into cube sized pieces and place in the refrigerator. When the spaghetti squash is ready, remove from the oven and use a fork to scrape out the inside to create spaghetti like noodles. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the rest of the recipe.

If you are making the entire recipe all at once, continue with the following steps. Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove it from the oven. Cut it into cube sized pieces and set aside. Next, make the stir fry sauce by whisking together the coconut aminos, sesame seed oil, arrowroot flour, ginger, honey, and rice vinegar and set aside.

Add the frozen stir fry vegetables to the skillet and cook on high heat. Continue to cook the vegetables for about 5-7 minutes until they are tender. I use a frozen stir fry mix because it makes my life easier. But feel free to use fresh vegetables if you prefer. The mix I use has carrots, snap peas, water chestnuts, and broccoli. If you use a frozen stir fry mix, make sure you check the ingredients to make sure no sauces are added as this can be a hidden spot for gluten.

Once the spaghetti squash is finished cooking, remove from the oven and let cool. Add the cut chicken and sauce to the skillet. I would recommend whisking the sauce together before adding it to the skillet as sometimes the arrowroot sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Continue to cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Use a fork to scrape out the inside of the spaghetti squash to create the spaghetti like noodles. Add the spaghetti squash to the skillet and mix together until it is coated in the sauce. Continue to cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

The days of late night Chinese food may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy this adult version. And by adult version, I mean a healthy meal made from real food ingredients that tastes delicious and satisfies all your Chinese food cravings.

-Kelsey