Thailand
49 recipes to explore
Classic Pad Thai with Shrimp
Thailand's most famous street food — stir-fried rice noodles tossed with plump shrimp, crunchy peanuts, and a tangy tamarind sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.
Tom Yum Goong — Spicy & Sour Shrimp Soup
Thailand's beloved hot-and-sour soup bursting with aromatic lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and plump shrimp. A comforting bowl that balances spice, citrus, and umami in every spoonful.
Thai Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keow Wan Gai)
A fragrant homemade green curry paste of green chillies, lemongrass, galangal and coriander, fried in coconut cream and simmered with chicken, Thai aubergine and basil. Hot, sweet, salty and aromatic all at once.
Massaman Beef Curry
Southern Thailand's mellow, warmly spiced curry: beef braised in coconut milk with massaman paste, cinnamon and cardamom until tender, with potatoes, shallots and roasted peanuts, balanced with tamarind and palm sugar.
Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Holy Basil Chicken)
Bangkok's go-to lunch: minced chicken stir-fried in a blazing wok with garlic, bird's-eye chillies and peppery holy basil, served over jasmine rice with a crispy-edged fried egg. Ready in 20 minutes.
Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Wide Noodles)
Wide, chewy rice noodles stir-fried in a very hot wok with chicken, egg and Chinese broccoli, glazed with sweet dark soy until smoky and caramelised at the edges. Mild, savoury and deeply comforting.
Thai Coconut Noodle Soup
A creamy coconut broth perfumed with lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves and a little red curry paste, poured over rice noodles and seared king oyster mushrooms, then topped with carrot ribbons, red onion, coriander and lime.
Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang)
Thailand's most loved dessert: tender glutinous rice soaked in sweet, salty coconut cream, served with slices of perfectly ripe mango, an extra drizzle of coconut sauce and a sprinkle of toasted mung beans or sesame.
Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
Shredded green papaya pounded with garlic, chilies, cherry tomatoes and long beans, then tossed with fish sauce, lime and palm sugar for Thailand's iconic sweet-sour-salty-spicy balance. Finished with crushed peanuts and dried shrimp for crunch.
Northern Curry Noodle Soup (Khao Soi)
A rich, fragrant coconut curry soup from Chiang Mai, loaded with tender chicken and soft egg noodles, finished with a tangle of crispy fried noodles, pickled mustard greens and a squeeze of lime.
Hainanese Chicken Rice (Khao Man Gai)
Whole chicken poached low and slow until silky, served over rice cooked in the chicken's own fat and broth, with a tangy ginger-chili-garlic sauce for dipping. Simple ingredients, precise technique, huge flavor.
Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen)
Strong black tea, brewed with warm spices, poured hot over condensed milk and chilled over ice until it's cold, sweet and silky. Finished with a cloud of evaporated milk on top for that signature orange-and-cream swirl.
Panang Curry (Gaeng Panang)
A thick, glossy curry of tender chicken (or beef) in a rich coconut and ground-peanut sauce, deeply savoury with a whisper of sweetness and the citrusy perfume of kaffir lime. Spoon it over jasmine rice for one of Thailand's most comforting curries.
Grilled Chicken Satay (Sate Gai)
Chicken strips marinated in coconut milk, turmeric and curry spices, grilled over charcoal until smoky and lightly charred, then served with rich peanut sauce and a bright, tangy cucumber relish.
Thai Omelette (Kai Jeow)
A puffy, lacy-edged omelette fried hot and fast in oil, seasoned simply with fish sauce and white pepper, then set over steaming rice with a drizzle of sriracha. This is Thailand's favourite fast comfort food, found on every home table and street-food cart.
Stir-Fried Pork with Curry Paste (Pad Prik King)
Thin-sliced pork and crunchy long beans stir-fried in a dry, pounded red curry paste until deeply fragrant — no coconut milk, just bold chile, garlic and lemongrass heat clinging to every piece. A classic quick dinner from Thai home kitchens.
Thai Fried Rice (Khao Pad)
Cold jasmine rice stir-fried hard and fast in a hot wok with egg, garlic, onion and tender chicken, seasoned with soy and fish sauce and finished with a squeeze of lime. Simple, fragrant, and endlessly comforting.
Spicy Glass Noodle Salad (Yum Woon Sen)
Slippery mung bean noodles tossed with juicy shrimp, ground pork, lime, chilies and fresh herbs in a punchy sweet-sour-salty dressing. One of Thailand's favourite cold-season salads, best eaten the moment it's tossed.
Thai Iced Black Coffee (Oliang)
A deeply roasted, dark coffee brew sweetened with palm sugar and poured over a tall glass of ice — the bold, no-milk street coffee that keeps Bangkok awake on the hottest days.
Red Curry (Gaeng Daeng)
A rich, red-gold coconut curry built by frying red chili paste in thick coconut cream until it splits and turns fragrant, then simmered with tender chicken, eggplant and sweet basil. Deeply savoury, a little sweet, and warmly spicy.
Sour Fish Curry (Gaeng Som Pla)
A bright, tangy tamarind broth built on a simple pounded chili-shallot paste, with chunks of firm fish and tender vegetables. Sour, salty and a little sweet, it's the kind of bowl Thai home cooks make on repeat.
Spicy Pork Rib Soup (Tom Saap Kraduk Mu)
A bold, herbal soup from Thailand's Isan region, built on tender pork ribs simmered with lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime, then sharpened with chili, lime juice and fresh dill. Hot, sour, salty and fragrant in every spoonful.
Grilled Chicken Isan-Style (Kai Yang)
Chicken marinated in lemongrass, garlic and cilantro root, then grilled slowly over charcoal until smoky and charred at the edges. Served the proper Isan way, with sticky rice and a sharp, tangy nam jaew dipping sauce.
Spicy Minced Pork Salad (Larb Moo)
Warm minced pork tossed with lots of lime juice, fish sauce, chili flakes, fresh herbs and toasted rice powder — the sour-salty-spicy salad that defines Isan home cooking.
Thai Beef Salad (Yam Nua)
Grilled beef sliced thin against the grain and tossed warm with a punchy lime-chili-fish sauce dressing, shallots, cucumber and fistfuls of mint and cilantro. Hot, sour, salty and a little sweet, all in one bite.
Crispy Fish with Chili Sauce (Pla Rad Prik)
A whole fish fried until the skin shatters like glass, drenched in a glossy, sweet-sour-spicy tamarind chili sauce. One of Thailand's great restaurant classics, easy to recreate at home.
Thai Chicken Biryani (Khao Mok Gai)
Golden turmeric rice cooked together with chicken marinated in curry spices and yogurt, a specialty of Thailand's Muslim communities. Serve with a tangy chili-vinegar dip and cool cucumber for the proper balance of flavours.
Fried Spring Rolls (Poh Pia Tod)
Crisp golden rolls packed with glass noodles, ground pork, mushrooms and vegetables, fried until crackling. A beloved Thai-Chinese street snack, best dipped in sweet chili sauce while still hot.
Thai Cotton Candy Roti (Roti Sai Mai)
Paper-thin, milky-sweet roti wrapped around clouds of hand-pulled spun sugar — a beloved Thai street dessert where every bite is soft, chewy and melts into pure sugar silk.
Northern Thai Herb Sausage (Sai Ua)
Coarse pork sausage packed with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and a hand-pounded chili paste, grilled over coals until the casing is deep gold and lightly charred. A Chiang Mai classic, best eaten warm with sticky rice.
Thai Rice Porridge (Jok)
A silky, savory rice porridge simmered until creamy, topped with gingery minced pork, a soft poached egg and crisp fried garlic. Thailand's favorite breakfast, equally good at midnight.
Thai Whiskey Sour (Mekhong Sour)
Thailand's beloved amber spirit shaken hard with fresh lime juice and a touch of syrup until ice-cold and frothy. Sharp, sweet and spicy all at once — the house pour at Bangkok bars.
Northern Pork Curry (Gaeng Hang Lay)
A deeply savoury, tamarind-sour pork belly curry from Chiang Mai, built on ginger, turmeric and curry powder with no coconut milk at all. Slow-simmered until the pork is tender and the sauce turns thick and glossy, this is Northern Thailand's great Burmese-influenced classic.
Northern Chili Dip with Pork (Nam Prik Ong)
A hearty, tomato-red chili dip from Chiang Mai, built on a pounded paste of dried chilies, shallots and garlic, simmered with minced pork and ripe tomatoes until thick and jammy. Served warm with sticky rice and a platter of crisp raw vegetables for scooping.
Shrimp Paste Chili Dip (Nam Prik Kapi)
A pungent, punchy central Thai relish of toasted shrimp paste pounded with chilies, garlic, lime and palm sugar, scooped up with crisp-fried mackerel and raw or blanched vegetables.
Isaan Sour Sausage (Sai Krok Isan)
Tangy, garlicky pork and rice sausages from northeastern Thailand, left to ferment until pleasantly sour, then grilled until the skin blisters and chars. Eaten hot off the grill with raw cabbage, fresh herbs, chilies and garlic.
Thai Steamed Dumplings (Kanom Jeeb)
Delicate wonton wrappers hold a juicy pork and shrimp filling, pleated into little open cups and steamed until silky, then finished with crisp golden garlic and a tangy-sweet dipping sauce.
Pandan Coconut Pudding Cups (Khanom Tako)
Silky pandan-flavored jelly set in little leaf cups and topped with a layer of salty-sweet coconut cream. A classic Thai market sweet with a fragrant, grassy perfume and a soft, bouncy bite.
Layered Pandan Dessert (Khanom Chan)
A jewel-green, nine-layer steamed dessert of coconut milk and pandan-scented rice flour, each thin layer steamed one at a time until it turns softly chewy. Cut into neat diamonds, it's a cool, fragrant bite served at celebrations all over Thailand.
Bananas in Sweet Coconut Milk (Kluay Buat Chi)
Ripe bananas simmered gently in warm, lightly salted coconut milk until soft and glossy. A simple, comforting Thai dessert that's ready in under half an hour.
Tapioca Pearls with Pork (Sakhu Sai Moo)
Chewy little dumplings coated in glossy steamed tapioca pearls, hiding a savoury filling of pork, peanuts and palm sugar. Served on crisp lettuce with fresh chili and lime, they're the kind of snack you can't stop popping into your mouth.
Jasmine Rice in Iced Flower Water (Khao Chae)
Fluffy jasmine rice chilled in flower-scented ice water, served with a small feast of sweet shredded pork, stuffed peppers, caramelized shrimp balls and crisp fresh vegetables. A refreshing royal Thai dish built for the hottest days of the year.
Spicy Vegetable and Shrimp Soup (Kaeng Liang)
A rustic, warming Thai soup where mixed vegetables and plump shrimp simmer in a fragrant broth of pounded shallots, white pepper and shrimp paste, finished with a handful of peppery hairy basil.
Thai Shrimp Cakes (Tod Mun Kung)
Golden, lightly crisp patties of minced shrimp with a springy, bouncy bite, seasoned with garlic, cilantro root and white pepper. Served hot with a sweet, tangy, chili dipping sauce for the perfect contrast.
Stir-Fried Morning Glory (Pad Pak Boong Fai Daeng)
Hollow-stemmed water spinach flash-fried over roaring heat with garlic, chili and salty fermented soybean sauce, so the leaves wilt soft while the stems stay crisp and juicy. A classic Thai street-food side, ready in minutes.
Eggs and Pork Belly Stew (Khai Palo)
Whole hard-boiled eggs and melt-in-the-mouth pork belly simmered slowly in a dark, fragrant five-spice sweet soy broth with golden fried tofu. A deeply comforting Thai-Chinese classic, best spooned over steamed rice.
Thai Red Barbecue Pork (Moo Daeng)
Pork marinated in garlic, cilantro root and five-spice, roasted until deep mahogany red and glossy, then sliced over rice with a sweet, savory gravy. The Chinese-Thai street food classic that turns weeknight pork into something worth saving.
Thai Lime Soda (Nam Manao)
The classic Thai street-stall cooler: tart lime juice, a touch of syrup and a pinch of salt fizzed up with soda water over crushed ice. Sweet, salty and sour all at once, and dangerously easy to drink on a hot day.
Thai-Style Sunflower Seed Noodles
Soft rice noodles tossed in a mild, creamy sunflower-seed sauce with grated carrot and zucchini hidden inside. A nut-free, kid-approved twist on classic Thai peanut noodles.