Description
This Tom Kha Gai recipe is a quick and flavorful Thai coconut chicken soup that combines tangy lime, spicy chilies, savory chicken, and creamy coconut milk in just 30 minutes. Perfect for an aromatic and comforting meal, it balances sour, spicy, sweet, and salty flavors beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Mixture
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
Soup
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, cremini or button), torn into pieces or thinly sliced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bottom half only, tough outer layers removed and scored in half lengthwise, kept whole
- 8 slices galangal
- 3 fresh or dried makrut lime leaves or zest of 1 lime
- 1-2 Thai chilies, cut in half (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 14 ounces coconut milk (1 can)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup cilantro or scallions, roughly chopped
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Combine the sliced chicken with cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of neutral oil, and 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. Mix well and set aside.
- Cook mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for about 5 minutes until tender.
- Add aromatics and broth: Add chicken stock, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves or zest, Thai chilies, red curry paste (if using), and sugar. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Then cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 6 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and chicken: Stir in the coconut milk and bring back to a gentle simmer, avoiding a rolling boil to prevent the coconut milk from splitting. Add the marinated chicken strips, bring to a simmer again, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Finish and serve: Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining fish sauce, lime juice, and chopped cilantro or scallions. Adjust salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve alone or with steamed jasmine rice.
Notes
- This soup delivers a perfect balance of sour, spicy, sweet, savory, and salty flavors in just 30 minutes.
- Use chicken thighs for juicier meat or breast for leaner option.
- If you prefer a milder soup, omit the Thai chilies.
- Galangal can be substituted with ginger if unavailable, though the flavor will differ slightly.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 387 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 388 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.02 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 81 mg
