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Thai

Khao soi gai

Non-vegetarian

ข้าวซอยไก่ · khao soi kai

Northern Thailand's signature noodle soup: egg noodles and tender chicken in a rich coconut curry broth, crowned with a nest of crispy fried noodles, pickled greens, shallots and lime.

Khao soi gai is a Thai noodle dish from Thailand, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes and made with curry powder, chicken pieces, skin-on and coconut milk. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of a tasty Khao Soi noodle dish served in a ceramic bowl, garnished with fresh herbs.
Photo: Likeboss lertpongsaporn / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h 15 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
998

Ingredients

4 servings

For the curry paste

For crispy noodles

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Blend the chillies, shallots (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, turmeric (opens in a new tab), curry powder (opens in a new tab) and coriander seed with a splash of water to a paste.

  2. Step 2

    Fry the paste in 2 tablespoons of oil with a few spoons of the thick coconut cream from the top of the cans until fragrant and the oil separates.

  3. Step 3

    Add the chicken and turn to coat, then the remaining coconut milk (opens in a new tab) and stock. Simmer gently until the chicken is very tender. Season with fish sauce (opens in a new tab), soy and palm sugar (opens in a new tab).

    • 35 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cook chicken until no pink remains and the juices run clear (74 °C in the thickest part).

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Fry the reserved 40 g of noodles (soaked briefly and dried, or fresh) in small handfuls in hot oil until crisp and golden; drain.

    Food safety: Never leave hot oil unattended, keep the pan no more than a third full, and lower food in away from you.

    Food deep-frying in hot oil
    How it looks · Photo: Riya Roy on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Boil the rest of the noodles, divide among bowls, add chicken and broth and top with crispy noodles. Serve with onion, pickled greens, lime (opens in a new tab), chilli oil (opens in a new tab) and coriander.

    • 4 min

About this dish

Origin
Chiang Mai, Thailand · Commonly attributedLinked to Chinese Muslim (Chin Haw) traders and to Burmese ohn no khao swe.Also popular in LaosMore food from Thailand
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Noodles · Curries · Soups
Cooking method
Simmered, Deep-fried
Taste
creamy, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced, rich
Diet
Dairy-free · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Curry powder · Chicken pieces, skin-on · Coconut milk · Egg noodles · Dried whole chillies · Shallot
Techniques
Deep-frying · Simmering · Bhunao · Pickling

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg noodles
  • Contains: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Peanutsfrom chilli oil
  • Contains: Wheatfrom soy sauce, egg noodles
  • Contains: Glutenfrom soy sauce, egg noodles
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce, chilli oil
  • May contain: Sesamefrom chilli oil
  • May contain: Mustardfrom curry powder
  • May contain: Celeryfrom curry powder, chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

998 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 586 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 19%
  • Carbohydrate 29%
  • Fat 52%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy998 kcal170 kcal
Protein47.3 g8.1 g
Carbohydrate73.4 g12.5 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars3.2 g0.6 g
Fibre——
Fat58.4 g10 g
Saturated fat27.2 g4.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol177 mg30 mg
Sodium1356 mg231 mg
Salt equivalent3.4 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1167 mg
Calcium
103 mg
Iron
9.5 mg
Magnesium
161 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
106 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
0.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
310 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: red onion, mustard greens, lime, chilli oil, coriander leaves.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Squeeze in plenty of lime — it lifts the richness of the curry.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the curry hard; simmer gently so the coconut milk stays smooth.

Serve with

  • Pickled mustard greens and raw shallots on the side are essential.

Storage

  • Curry keeps 3 days refrigerated; keep noodles separate.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 3, 5

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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