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Chicken Khao Soi

This delicious Thai khao soi with chicken is the ultimate comfort food and really easy to make!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste depending on spice preference
  • 2 tablespoons of curry powder
  • 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk see notes
  • 3/4 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
  • About 1/2 pound of chicken bite-size pieces (either boneless, skinless thighs or chicken breasts)
  • 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • Lime juice as needed to add some acidity and balance
  • 8 ounces of fresh or dried egg noodles see notes
  • Garnish options: thinly-sliced shallots raw or fried, cilantro, roasted chopped peanuts, lime wedges, chopped green onion, dried chilies, fried egg noodles

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallots, and cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the curry paste and curry powder, and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  • Add the coconut milk, broth, thinly-sliced chicken (thighs or breast), fish sauce, and sugar.
  • Stir everything together, scraping up any curry paste that has stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Taste and adjust seasoning, including adding more red curry paste if needed to bring the right amount of heat.
  • Bring to a gentle boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a lot of salt and the noodles, and cook the noodles according to package directions (you want al dente), timing it so that the noodles will be cooked when the curry is done simmering.
  • Drain the pasta and divide between two bowls. Pour your curry and chicken mixture over the top, and add garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Try and find a good brand of coconut milk that's thick without weird stabilizers.  Some of my favorite brands are Chaokoh and this Nature's Best has been good as well. (see links below)
  2. Figuring out the best noodles can be tough if you don't have an Asian grocery store nearby.  But you'll see anything and everything.  I tend toward Asian egg noodles, udon, or soba if I can find it, but you'll see lo mein, fettuccine, linguini and more.
  3. To make this gluten-free, you can use rice noodles (like you'd use for pad thai)
  4. You can substitute the chicken with other types of meat, tofu or vegetables.
  5. This recipe only makes two (good-sized) servings, but after trying multiple recipes it's definitely my favorite...the flavor is much more intense and the sauce thicker.  
  6. One tip on slicing chicken thinly, it can help to throw it in the freezer for like 15 minutes to *just* slightly solidify it and make it easier to cut.
  7. As with most Thai cooking, it helps to gather and prep all your ingredients ahead of time, because things move pretty quickly once you begin.