Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Khao Soi
Chiang Mai’s coconut-curry noodles: soft egg noodles in golden broth, crowned with a crispy noodle nest.
Thai (Northern) · medium · serves 3
prep 20 min · cook 30 min
~1005 cal · 43g protein · 26g carbs · 85g fat · 7g fiber · 13g sugars · 60g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Khao soi is the signature dish of northern Thailand and Chiang Mai, soft egg noodles in a rich, golden coconut curry broth, topped with a tangle of crispy fried noodles. It reflects the region's Burmese and Yunnanese influences, a distinct cousin to the Muslim-Chinese noodle soups of the trade routes.
The broth is built on a fragrant curry paste and , mild and aromatic rather than fiercely spicy, its depth from turmeric, curry, and warm spices. The genius is the textural contrast, silky boiled noodles beneath, shattering crisp noodles on top.
Served with pickled mustard greens, shallots, and lime to squeeze in, khao soi is everyday food across Chiang Mai and the north.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 3
3 chicken legs
1 lb fresh egg noodles (some for frying)
3 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 cans (28 oz)
2 tbsp
1 tbsp palm sugar
a small dish pickled mustard greens, to serve
a small dish shallots, to serve
a few lime wedges, to serve
to taste chili oil, to serve
1 cup , for frying
Instructions
1
Fry a handful of the noodles in hot oil until puffed and golden, to make the crispy noodle crown, then drain.
2
Fry the curry paste, curry powder, and turmeric in thick coconut cream until the oil splits red-gold.
3
Add the chicken (or tofu and mushrooms), the remaining coconut milk, and a cup of water, and simmer 25 minutes (10 for the plant version).
4
Season with fish sauce and palm sugar; it should taste rich up front and finish faintly sweet.
5
Boil the fresh noodles and divide into bowls, then ladle the curry over.
6
Crown each bowl with the crispy fried noodles, and serve with pickled greens, raw shallot, lime, and chili oil on the side.
Chiang Mai caravan-route tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Chiang Mai (North). Northern Thailand's Chiang Mai cooks milder, herbal food, the Burmese-influenced curry noodle khao soi, sticky rice, and fermented sausage. Mountain herbs and Lanna heritage define its distinctive table.
🗺️
Thailand. Thai food does not arrive in courses. Dishes land together and are eaten with rice, each person taking a little at a time so that the sour, the sweet and the fiery balance across the table rather than inside a single bowl. The granite mortar is the tool everything starts in, pounding chillies, garlic, galangal and shrimp paste into the pastes the curries are built from.
🌍
Asia. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, and its food spans the delicate seasonality of Japanese washoku, the chili-fired curries of India and Thailand, and the wheat-and-lamb traditions of Central Asia. Rice, noodles, soy, and fermentation recur across its regions, while ancient spice routes and religious traditions shaped distinct grammars of flavor. Whether from a street-cart wok or a monastery kitchen, eating is deeply communal and ritual-rich.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Thailand
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JokA silky Thai rice congee topped with ginger, scallion, and a soft egg, the classic Bangkok breakfast.
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Good to know
Storing it: Best fresh. Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated; loosen with a splash of water or oil as you reheat so they do not clump.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Khao Soi?
Chiang Mai’s coconut-curry noodles: soft egg noodles in golden broth, crowned with a crispy noodle nest.
Where does Khao Soi come from?
Khao Soi is a Thai (Northern) dish from Chiang Mai (North), Thailand.
Can Khao Soi be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Khao Soi recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Khao Soi safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Khao Soi take to make?
About 50 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking), serving 3.
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