Easy Tom Yum Gai Soup: A Bright, Spicy, and Aromatic Thai Chicken Recipe

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Top-down view of a rich, creamy Tom Yum Gai (Thai spicy chicken soup) in a black bowl set on a wooden surface, garnished with fresh coriander. The soup contains pieces of chicken, mushrooms, and sliced tomatoes.

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Tom Yum Gai (ต้มยำไก่) is Thailand's beloved hot and sour chicken soup that delivers an explosion of flavors in every spoonful. This iconic dish combines the tanginess of lime, the heat of chilies, the fragrance of lemongrass, and the earthiness of galangal into one harmonious bowl. The best part? It's surprisingly easy to make at home, requiring just 30 minutes from start to finish.

Why This Recipe is So Easy

Unlike many Thai dishes that require hard-to-find ingredients or complex techniques, Tom Yum Gai is remarkably straightforward:

  • Simple cooking method: Everything simmers in one pot—no stir-frying or multiple steps
  • Readily available ingredients: Most items can be found in Asian grocery stores or even well-stocked supermarkets
  • Forgiving recipe: The soup is naturally adjustable to your taste preferences
  • Quick cooking time: Chicken breast cooks through in just 5-7 minutes
  • No special skills needed: If you can boil water and slice vegetables, you can make this soup

Perfect Pairings with Thai Dishes

Tom Yum Gai is traditionally served as part of a Thai meal spread. It pairs beautifully with:

Tom Yum Gai also works wonderfully as a standalone light meal or as a starter to more elaborate Thai dinners.

Ingredients

Overhead shot of all the ingredients for Tom Yum Gai, including sliced chicken breast, mushrooms, tomatoes, shallots, lemongrass, coconut milk, water, lime juice, chili paste, and sauces, neatly arranged on a white surface.

For the Broth (Serves 4)

  • 6 cups (1.5 liters) chicken stock
  • 3-4 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 4-5 slices fresh galangal (or ginger as a substitute)
  • 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 3-4 Thai bird's eye chilies, smashed
  • 3 shallots, halved
  • 200g (7 oz) oyster mushrooms or straw mushrooms, cleaned
  • 2-3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

For the Chicken

  • 300g (10 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (for marinating)

For Seasoning

  • 3-4 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to taste)
  • 2-3 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 1-2 tablespoons Thai roasted chili paste (Nam Prik Pao) - adds smoky depth
  • 1-2 tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar as a substitute)
  • 3-4 tablespoons coconut milk (optional, for creamy Tom Yum Nam Khon style)

For Garnish

  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Sliced green onions
  • Extra Thai chilies (if you like it spicy)
  • Lime wedges

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients (5 minutes)

Thinly slice the chicken breast and marinate it with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife to release their oils. Tear the kaffir lime leaves to release their aroma. Smash the chilies gently. Clean and halve or quarter the mushrooms, depending on size. Cut tomatoes into wedges.

Step 2: Build the Aromatic Broth (10 minutes)

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, smashed chilies, and shallots. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes to allow the aromatics to infuse the broth. The kitchen should smell incredibly fragrant at this point.

Close-up of a black pot on a blue gas flame, boiling water with Tom Yum soup base ingredients including thick slices of galangal, lemongrass stalks, and kaffir lime leaves, creating an aromatic broth.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken and Mushrooms (7 minutes)

Add the mushrooms and tomato wedges to the simmering broth and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften and the tomatoes start to release their juices. Add the marinated chicken slices, stirring gently to prevent clumping. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through and no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook, or the chicken will become tough.

Step 4: Season to Perfection (3 minutes)

Remove the pot from the heat. This is the crucial moment: Add the Thai roasted chili paste (Nam Prik Pao) first and stir well—adding it off the heat preserves its fragrant, smoky aroma rather than burning it. Then add fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar. Stir until the palm sugar dissolves completely. For a creamier version (Tom Yum Nam Khon), add coconut milk at this stage and stir gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning—it should be sour, salty, and spicy with layers of complexity, with a subtle sweetness from the palm sugar balancing everything. The chili paste should give you that irresistible roasted chili fragrance.

Close-up of a steaming bowl of Tom Yum Gai (Spicy Thai Chicken Soup) in a clear, red-orange broth. The soup features white shimeji mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, shallots, and visible slices of galangal.

Step 5: Serve Immediately

Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure each serving gets chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, and some of the aromatics (though the lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves are typically not eaten). Garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions, and serve with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy while piping hot with jasmine rice.

Common Problems and Solutions

Overhead view of Tom Yum Gai ingredients neatly arranged on a black plate: diced chicken breast, quartered tomatoes, white shimeji mushrooms, shallots, sliced galangal, lemongrass stalks, and kaffir lime leaves. A kitchen knife is visible on the side.

Problem: The soup tastes flat or one-dimensional

  • Solution: You likely didn't bruise the lemongrass or tear the lime leaves enough. These steps release essential oils. Also, make sure your aromatics simmer long enough (at least 8-10 minutes).

Problem: The chicken is tough and rubbery

  • Solution: You overcooked it. Chicken breast only needs 5-7 minutes in simmering (not boiling) liquid. Slice it thinly against the grain for tenderness.

Problem: Can't find galangal

  • Solution: Use fresh ginger as a substitute, though the flavor will be slightly different. Galangal is more piney and medicinal, while ginger is spicier and warmer.

Problem: The soup is too spicy

  • Solution: Remove the chilies after infusing, don't break them open. You can also add a splash of coconut milk to mellow the heat (this creates Tom Yum Gai Nam Khon style).

Problem: The lime juice tastes bitter

  • Solution: Add lime juice off the heat at the very end. Cooking lime juice makes it bitter. Always use fresh lime juice, never bottled.

Problem: Can't taste the sourness

  • Solution: Add more lime juice gradually, tasting as you go. Different limes have varying acidity levels. Start with 2 tablespoons and work your way up.

Essential Equipment 

Large Soup Pot or Stock Pot (4-6 quart capacity)

Sharp Chef's Knife

Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula

Citrus Juicer

Fine Mesh Strainer (Optional)

Ladle

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

A graphic showing the nutrition information for Tom Yum Gai Soup, listing Calories (180-200 kcal), Protein (22g), Carbohydrates (8g), Fat (6g), Fiber (2g), and Sodium (850-1000mg). An illustration of a bowl of soup with lettuce is visible on the right.
  • Calories: 180-200 kcal
  • Protein: 22g
  • Carbohydrates: 8g
  • Fat: 6g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sodium: 850-1000mg (varies with fish sauce amount)

Health Benefits:

  • High in protein from chicken
  • Low in calories and carbs
  • Rich in immune-boosting ingredients (galangal, lemongrass, lime)
  • Anti-inflammatory properties of chilies
  • Hydrating and warming

Note: Nutritional values are approximate and based on a standard serving size without rice.

Insider Tips You Won't Find in Regular Recipes

Tip 1: The Secret Timing for Lime Juice. Add half the lime juice at the end of cooking, and reserve the other half to add to individual bowls just before serving. This creates layers of bright, fresh citrus flavor that doesn't get muted by heat.

Tip 2: Freeze Your Lemongrass Lemongrass actually releases more flavor when it's been frozen and thawed. Buy extra stalks, bruise them, and freeze them in a bag. Use directly from frozen in your soup for an even more intense aroma.

Tip 3: The Mushroom Water Trick. If using dried shiitake or straw mushrooms instead of fresh, save the soaking water and use it as part of your stock. It adds incredible umami depth that amplifies the overall flavor.

Tip 4: The Two-Temperature Method. For the most tender chicken, bring your soup to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) before adding the chicken. Violent boiling makes the proteins seize up and toughen. Look for small bubbles, not large aggressive ones.

Tip 5: The Shallot Transformation Don't discard the simmered shallots! After 15 minutes in the broth, they become sweet, soft, and delicious. Many Thai people consider these a delicacy and eat them with the soup.

Tip 6: The Chili Paste Secret Thai roasted chili paste (Nam Prik Pao) is absolutely essential for authentic Tom Yum flavor. The key trick: always add it OFF the heat at the very end, along with the other seasonings. This preserves its complex roasted aroma and prevents the oil from separating or the flavors from turning bitter. Adding it while cooking destroys that beautiful fragrance that makes restaurant-style soup so irresistible. This single technique elevates your Tom Yum from good to extraordinary.

Tip 7: The Overnight Improvement. While Tom Yum Gai is best fresh, the broth actually develops a deeper flavor overnight. Make the aromatic broth ahead, refrigerate it, then reheat and add fresh chicken and lime juice just before serving for maximum freshness with maximum flavor.

Tip 9: Palm Sugar Makes the Difference. Real palm sugar (not white sugar) adds a caramel-like depth and rounds out the sharp flavors beautifully. Break it into small pieces or grate it for faster dissolving. The subtle molasses notes complement the lime and fish sauce perfectly in a way that regular sugar simply can't match.

Tip 10: Tomatoes Are Not Just Filler. Many people think tomatoes are just for color, but they serve a crucial purpose: their natural acidity and umami complement the lime juice, while their sweetness balances the heat. Use firm, slightly underripe tomatoes so they hold their shape in the soup. Cherry tomatoes work beautifully too—just halve them and add them in the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Tip 11: The Ice Cube Method for Leftovers Freeze leftover Tom Yum broth (without chicken) in ice cube trays. Pop out 4-5 cubes to make a quick single serving of soup, or use them to flavor stir-fries and fried rice with instant Thai flair.

Tom Yum Gai is more than just soup—it's a bowl of Thai soul food that warms you from the inside out. With its perfect balance of hot, sour, salty, and aromatic flavors, it's no wonder this dish is beloved worldwide. Now that you know how simple it is to make at home, you can enjoy authentic Thai flavors any night of the week. Don't be afraid to adjust the seasonings to your preference—that's the beauty of home cooking!

Chok dee! (Good luck!) And enjoy your homemade Tom Yum Gai!

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