Best Chicken Khao Soi Recipe (Chiang Mai Noodles)
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Chicken khao soi recipe with homemade, fragrant red curry paste and a rich coconut milk curry broth. Today we’re heading into the mountainy hills of Northern Thailand, where Chiang Mai noodles are a favorite comfort food. Let’s bring this regional Thai food into your own kitchen, it’s a total delicacy, with hearty flavors and satisfying textures.
What is chicken khao soi
Khao soi (ข้าวซอย), the signature dish of Northern Thai cuisine, is an incredibly flavorful, fragrant northern Thai noodle soup. It’s a delightful combination of tender chicken or beef and egg noodles bathing in a flavorful curry broth. After eating a bowl, I can’t stop myself from having another, since every portion is so comforting and heartwarming.
It’s not often that you’ll come across a version with pork, because the Muslim influence in Northern Thailand has made chicken or beef the preferred choice.
Just like the flavorful massaman curry, this meal is a blend of different culinary traditions, flavors, and ingredients. It’s a signature dish in Chiang Mai, but also far beyond. The recipe has been influenced by Muslim traders coming from China, who travelled down the trade routes through Laos, Burma, and to Northern Thailand.
Chicken khao soi has many variations across different regions. You’ll find endless combinations in the neighboring countries, Laos and Burma (Myanmar). But also in the street food markets of Northern Thailand you’ll find hundreds of variations, different from province to province.
And that’s what makes this dish so interesting, with each order you’ll get to experience something different. The recipes are adapted as they are passed down through generations, taking on local flavor and ingredients preferences.
However, the heart of this Thai noodle dish remains the same – a vibrant curry paste infused coconut broth, with tender chicken or beef, egg noodles, several garnishes, and deep-fried egg noodles on top.
Easy recipe – hard to master
When someone mentions a meal that’s easy to whip up but hard to master, this one definitely springs to my mind.
The base of this Northern Thai soup recipe features everyday traditional Thai ingredients you might already have in your kitchen pantry. Fragrant red curry paste, yellow curry powder, tender chicken, creamy coconut milk, sweet palm sugar, and salty fish sauce.
The tricky part is getting the signature flavors of Thai cuisine just right – the sweet, the sour, the spicy, and the salty – all well-balanced in a bowl of noodleliciousness.
The curry paste can’t be too spicy, and not too mild either. It needs to have the right amount of heat, and one flavor can’t overpower the other.
Then, there are the noodles, not one but two noodle portions are used! One gets boiled and the other one gets deep-fried until golden brown and crisp. The noodles should be cooked al dente, so not too soft and not too hard either
Then there’s the chicken, it has to be tender and infused with the rich broth flavor.
The garnishing of this rich coconut milk soup is one of the most important parts. A balance of pickled mustard green, shallots, lime, and crushed dried chilies fried to perfection.
No need to get worried now! Remember, it’s easy-to-make, hard to master. I’m here to guide you through the ‘master’ part, while you do the ‘make’ part. Let’s make an irresistible bowl of egg noodles in curry broth.
Ingredients
For the exact measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Homemade red curry paste – This egg noodles recipe has been made and tested with my homemade curry paste. The paste is made of a blend of traditional ingredients such as salt, shrimp paste, lemongrass, turmeric, kaffir lime skin, shallots, garlic, galangal, and dried chilies. For store-bought, I recommend using Mae-ploy or Maesri brands. In Thailand, we have the luxury of purchasing khao soi paste, which is a ready-made paste for making these Chiang Mai noodles. However, you can get the same results by mixing my homemade paste with yellow curry powder.
- Yellow curry powder – A spice blend of coriander, turmeric, cumin, and other spices.
- Chicken – Chicken drumsticks are incredibly popular in Thailand, but you can use chicken thighs as well, they both stay juicy and tender when cooked in a broth. Drumsticks have skin, meat, and bone, so they will add a rich flavor to the curry broth. Chicken breast could become a bit dry, and doesn’t have as much flavor. The important thing is to cook the chicken tender.
- Coconut milk – The key is to use full-fat coconut milk. We’re looking for a rich, creamy soup base, full of flavor. Each spoonful has to be tasty and authentically delicious.
- Palm sugar – Palm sugar, widely used in Southeast Asian cuisine, adds a tasty hint of caramel sweetness to the soup. For this recipe, it’s not recommended to substitute with white sugar, brown sugar or other types of sugar.
- Fish sauce – Fish sauce, my day-to-day staple, brings an umami and salty flavor. Made from fermented fish and salt, it’s a great addition to this dish. Don’t add too little, but not too much either. Remember, Thai cooking is about balancing different flavors. I recommend following the exact quantities in the recipe card and tasting as you cook. Some versions may use soy sauce instead of fish sauce, but in modern Thai versions fish sauce is commonly used.
- Egg noodles – The noodles can be split into two parts – one boiled and one crispy fried. These type of noodles can be bought at Asian grocery stores.
For garnishing
- Pickled mustard greens – This is an essential garnish. They’re tangy and slightly crunchy, adding a refreshing flavor that goes hand in hand with the other ingredients in this dish. Alternatively, you can use pickled mustard stems.
- Lime – Serve with a lime wedge. Fresh lime juice adds freshness to the broth. An extra tangy note makes it more interesting.
- Shallots – Freshly sliced shallots are added as garnishing for their crunch and mild, sweet flavor.
- Dried chili flakes (optional) – Chili flakes add a spicy kick, start with a small amount if your spice-level isn’t high. You can always add more later.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow the easy instructions, and you’ll be enjoying a delicious Thai meal in no time!
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Wash the chicken and slice two diagonal cuts on the drumsticks to ensure that they cook evenly and so the flavors can penetrate the meat. Also prepare
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Reduce 10floz / 300ml of the coconut milk in a pan or pot over medium heat until it thickens, separating the oil from it, ±5min.
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Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder, and mix with the coconut milk until well combined.
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Add the chicken drumsticks to the coconut curry paste mixture and thoroughly coat the drumsticks. Then, pour the remaining coconut milk into the pan or pot.
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Now it’s time to add the seasoning ingredients. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and yellow curry paste to the coconut milk broth. Let it simmer and cook for approx 20–30 minutes over low heat, or until the chicken is fully cooked. If the sauce is too thick to your liking, you can add 3.4 floz / 100ml of water.
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Heat a large amount of oil and fry a small handful of egg noodles until they turn crispy, or 30 seconds. Then, cook the remaining egg noodles in a pot of boiling water until they reach an al dente texture. Once cooked, drain the noodles. Serve immediately. (To serve, see how to serve instructions below.)
How to serve
Serving this Northern Thai classic is an experience in itself.
Place a generous amount of boiled egg noodles into a bowl. Add your protein, and pour over the curry soup, making sure not to completely drown the noodles. Then, garnish with a handful of crispy fried noodles, sprinkle over some sliced shallots, pickled mustard greens, and add a wedge of lime on the side. For extra spice, serve with dried chili flakes. For a refreshing flavor, garnish with coriander and/or chopped cilantro.
How to store
If possible, store the leftover broth, chicken, noodles, and garnishes separate in airtight containers.
The chicken, noodles, garnishes and soup should be stored in the fridge. The crispy noodles can be kept at room temperature, and I recommend eating them the same day to ensure they stay crisp.
Fun facts
- When you order this meal in Thailand, it’s different every time. There are many regional varieties, and even families have different recipes. Also, the curry paste used influences the taste outcome of the dish, so make sure to use my authentic red curry paste.
- ‘Khao soi’ roughly translates to ‘cut rice’ in Thai. Not that there’s any rice included, this dish is made with egg noodles. However, the old method of making noodles was by cutting them from a sheet of rice dough.
Frequently asked questions (fAQ’s)
What is khao soi?
Khao soi is a popular noodle soup dish originating from Northern Thailand. It’s a fragrant and flavorful dish that combines traditional Thai ingredients with influences of other cultures. It’s made with egg noodles, both cooked and fried, and a soup base made of coconut milk and red curry paste plus yellow curry powder. Chicken and beef are usually the main source of protein. The garnishing is one of the most important factors for a successful khao soi. Toppings include fresh lime wedges, pickled mustard greens, sliced shallots, and fried egg noodles.
Can I make this in advance?
Khao soi is usually served fresh. If you want, you can make the soup in advance and store it in the fridge for later. When you’re ready to serve, cook and fry the noodles and add them to the soup. If you’re making the curry paste from scratch, you can make it in advance as well.
Can I make this recipe with other protein?
Yes! You can use any protein you want. Chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, seafood, you name it. You can even make a vegetarian version by adding a combination of vegetables of your choice.
Where are the vegetables?
The traditional version of chicken khao soi doesn’t have any vegetables in it. It’s delicious without veggies, but if you want you can add your choice of greens.
Is khao soi gluten-free?
No. Khao soi is made with egg noodles, and egg noodles are not gluten-free. Egg noodles are made from wheat flour. An example of gluten-free noodles is rice noodles.
Craving more Thai noodles?
- Authentic chicken pad Thai – Enjoy the authentic flavors of this classic Thai street food with my mother’s homemade recipe, truly the best you’ll find!
- Spicy dry tom yum – If you love a flavorful meal, you’ll love these hot, sweet, sour, and salty noodles with the iconic tom yum flavors.
- Pad see ew – These wide rice noodles are tossed with a savory sauce, perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Healthy yum woon sen pork – A refreshing and nutritious Thai glass noodle salad, packed with fresh vegetables and a mix of Thai spices.
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Best Chicken Khao Soi Recipe (Chiang Mai Noodles)
Description
This recipe makes a delicious noodle soup for 4, with chicken as the main source of protein.
Ingredients
Main
For garnishing
Instructions
-
Make two diagonal cuts on the chicken drumsticks to ensure that they cook evenly and so the flavors can penetrate the meat.
-
Reduce 10floz / 300ml of the coconut milk in a pan or pot over medium heat until it thickens, separating the oil from it, ±5min.
-
Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder, and mix with the coconut milk until well combined.
-
Add the chicken drumsticks to the coconut curry paste mixture and coat the drumsticks. Then, pour the remaining coconut milk into the pan or pot.
-
Now it's time to add the seasoning ingredients. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, and yellow curry paste to the coconut milk broth. Let it simmer and cook for approx 20–30 minutes over low heat, or until the chicken is fully cooked. If the sauce is too thick to your liking, you can add 3.4 floz / 100ml of water.
-
Heat a large amount of oil and fry a small handful of egg noodles until they turn crispy, or 30 seconds. Then, cook the remaining egg noodles in a pot of boiling water until they reach an al dente texture. Once cooked, drain the noodles. Serve immediately.
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To serve: Place a generous amount of boiled egg noodles into a bowl. Add your protein, and pour over the curry soup, making sure not to completely drown the noodles. Then, garnish with a handful of crispy fried noodles, sprinkle over some sliced shallots, pickled mustard greens, and add a wedge of lime on the side. For extra spice, serve with dried chili flakes.
Equipment
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Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 930kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 59.5g92%
- Saturated Fat 41.4g207%
- Total Carbohydrate 76.8g26%
- Dietary Fiber 6.5g26%
- Sugars 17.8g
- Protein 27.1g55%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.
- For the best results, use my homemade red curry paste recipe.
- If possible, store leftover broth, chicken, noodles, and garnishes separate in airtight containers.
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