Is Thai food spicy? It sure can be, but it depends on the dish, the chef, and the recipe! Some meals will make you sweat, while others have just the right amount of heat. Keep reading to discover the best spicy Thai dishes for spice lovers, plus milder options for a tasty family dinner!
BTW – If you’re a fan of heat, you absolutely must check out my collection of spicy Thai recipes, including the street food favorites pad kra pao and som tum Thai!
How spicy is Thai food?
Thai food can range from no spice to extremely spicy, depending on the dish and ingredients used. Common spicy ingredients include dried and fresh chili peppers. Dishes like papaya salad and tom yum are typically spicy, while classics like pad Thai are mild.
Not all Thai food is spicy, and that’s the beauty of Thai cuisine. Some dishes focus more on savory flavors, like pad see ew (fresh rice noodle stir-fry), while others can be fiery.
The many spice levels of Thai cuisine
The level of spiciness varies with each dish, and most importantly, the ingredients and the chef. The spiciness of your chosen dish also depends on which region of Thailand it comes from.
For example, in Southern Thailand and Isan, the northeast, we absolutely love our spicy food! Food in the Northern regions of Thailand like Chiang Mai is not that spicy. In tourist areas like Bangkok, chefs often tone down the spice because they believe it might be too intense for visitors.
How to boost the spice in your Thai dishes
If you’re on vacation in Thailand and love your dishes with an extra kick, just end your order with ‘phet mak mak’ for maximum heat!
Here are some more fun tips for those with a high spice tolerance who want their Thai food extra spicy:
- Ask for extra chili: Don’t be shy – ask the chef to throw in some extra chilies! Just tell them the quantity of chilies you’d like in your dish.
- Order spicy condiments: Spice up your meals with spicy table condiments like prik nam pla, Thai chili flakes.
- Eat like a local: Eat where the locals are! Observe how Thai people add spice to their food and follow their lead.
- Choose spicier dishes: Go for traditionally spicier dishes like som tum, tom yum, or larb. This is so important! I read a lot about people being disappointed that their Thai food is not spicy, while they have ordered dishes that are traditionally NOT supposed to be spicy!
- Chat with the chef: Just let your server or chef know you’re a spice lover!
What Thai food is not spicy?
Thai food isn’t always spicy. For mild options, try pad Thai, a stir-fried noodle dish, or khao man gai, the Thai take on Hainanese chicken rice.
Here are some more mild dishes to try:
- 10 non spicy Thai food recipes
- Kuay teow kua gai (roasted chicken noodles)
- Khao kha moo (braised pork leg)
- Vermicelli noodles stir fry
- Moo yang (grilled pork)
Discover spicy Thai dishes for spice lovers
Here are some dishes you’ll love if you like spicy Thai flavors!
- Thai jungle curry (a spicy water-based curry without coconut milk)
- Khao pad krapow (holy basil fried rice)
- Thai red curry + Thai green curry
- Sweet Thai chili wings
- Pad kee mao
- Beef larb
Conclusion
No matter your spice tolerance, Thai food has something delicious for everyone. Enjoy the incredible balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors that make Thai cuisine so addictive! Follow me on social media for more Thai cuisine insights! Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Most Thai dishes, in Thailand at least, are made to order. You don’t have to stick to recipes that never have chilies. You can usually ask for how spicy you want it to be:
mai phet (no chilies)
phet nit noi (a little hot, mild)
phet (“hot”, but not killer)
phet mak (very hot)
[The “ph” is pronounced like a hard “p”, not like “f” or “b”.]
You can also ask if you want it less sweet. Most dishes are only slightly sweet, if at all. Dishes like som tam can be rather sweet unless you ask for less:
mai wan (not sweet, no sugar)
wan nit noi (a little sweet)
Most real Thai restaurants, even in the west, have a condiment tray available to adjust the flavor. In the west, you’ll usually have to ask for it. There are typically four jars, with: white sugar, crushed dry chili, white vinegar with sliced fresh chili, fish sauce with sliced fresh chili. You will usually also find a bottle of fish sauce to make it more salty without more heat.
Panang curry DOES have chili in it and may be too spicy for those who are not used to any chili in their food.
A “family meal” need not be mild. A woman in my cooking class reported that she made a Thai curry rather hot, and her children (some young) loved it.