Want to learn How To Make Thailand Food that tastes just like you’re in Bangkok? Forget complicated recipes – this guide gives you 26 easy and authentic Thai dishes perfect for beginners. From flavorful soups to iconic stir-fries, you’ll be cooking like a pro in no time!
Been teaching Thai cooking for over 12 years, and often get asked, “What’s the best Thai dish to start with?”. Well, these are some very common dishes in Thailand, regularly enjoyed by locals. While you might want to make your favorite, you will also want to make “what Thai people eat!”
Before diving in, make sure you have the right ingredients. Check out this guide to buying essential Thai ingredients at Asian markets.
1. Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup) ต้มยำกุ้ง
If Thai cuisine had a flagship dish, it would be tom yum. This iconic soup bursts with spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors, thanks to essential herbs like lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves (kaffir lime leaves). It is a must-know on how to make Thailand food.
Once you have the ingredients, it is quick and easy to make. If it is your first time, you can skip the shrimp stock and use chicken stock to keep it simple.
Tom Yum Goong Recipe
2. Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Galangal Chicken Soup) ต้มข่าไก่
Craving something comforting instead of spicy? Tom kha gai is like a warm hug in a bowl. This dish is a crowd-pleaser. It wows people with its unique flavors.
If you can find galangal, you must try this recipe.
Get the Tom Kha Gai Recipe
3. Thai Green Curry (Chicken and Vegan Options) แกงเขียวหวาน
Green curry is a popular dish in Thai cuisine. The good news is that it’s straightforward to make. You don’t need to make your own green curry paste from scratch (most Thai people don’t!). Learning how to make Thailand food is easy with green curry.
Green Curry Chicken Recipe
Vegan Thai Green Curry Recipe
4. Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry (Pad Kra Pao) ผัดกะเพรา
Also written as pad krapow, pad gaprao, or pad kra pao, are all different spellings for the same famous Thai stir-fry with holy basil. The flavour of this humble street food is impressive, making it one of the most popular dishes amongst Thais and foreigners alike.
Holy basil (gaprao) is used traditionally, but if you can’t get it, Italian basil or Thai basil can also work and both are delicious. The crispy fried egg on top is optional but highly recommended. Totally weeknight friendly, this will become your new regular!
Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Pad Gaprao)
5. Instant Pot (or not) Massaman Curry แกงมัสมั่น
If you love Indian food, you’ll probably love massaman. It has a rich sauce loaded with aromatic spices. This dish is suited to Instant Pot adaptation because it involves a long braising time that can be significantly shortened in a pressure cooker; but you can absolutely do it on the stovetop.
Feel free to substitute chicken or even lamb, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
Stovetop Massaman Curry Recipe
Instant Pot Massaman Curry Recipe
6. Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum) ส้มตำ
If you’re grilling some meat for dinner, and looking for a side that will make it a complete and healthy meal, som tum is Thai people’s go-to side dish. Crunchy green papaya is tossed with fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind paste and fresh lime juice. With a little (or a lot) of chilies for that spicy flavor. Serve it with sticky rice or Thai coconut rice.
No green papaya? No problem. Try this corn and cucumber salad that uses a similar dressing, or this chayote and apple salad.
Green Papaya Salad Recipe
7. Healthier & Easier Pad Thai ผัดไทวุ้นเส้น
Pad thai is Thailand’s most iconic stir-fried noodle dish, but it isn’t the easiest. You can start learning how to make Thailand food with this iconic dish.
But no one said you have to use rice noodles! Glass noodles are way more forgiving and faster; not to mention healthier. Glass noodle pad thai is a dish we make in Thailand!
If you’re new to Thai cooking, this simplified version is the one I recommend you start with. It will still taste like the classic pad thai because glass noodles have a neutral flavour.
Healthier and Easier Pad Thai with Glass Noodles
8. Cashew Chicken ไก่ผัดเม็ดมะม่วงหิมพานต์
Cashew chicken is a popular item on takeout menus, but I promise you this version will beat any of them. It’s my husband’s favorite Thai dish, and I have put much effort in maximizing the flavour of this easy stir fry, so you might even be surprised by some of the tricks!
If you already love this dish from your local Thai restaurant, you’re in for a treat!
Ultimate Cashew Chicken Recipe
9. Thai Pineapple Fried Rice ข้าวผัดสับปะรด
If you’ve only had pineapple fried rice in the context of Chinese food, you’ve got to try this Thai style! The recipe is easy, yet the result is a complex flavoured dish that also looks impressive.
You can make the pineapple bowl for the wow-factor, or skip it and buy pre-cut fresh pineapple chunks from the grocery store (but don’t use canned!).
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe
10. Laab (not larb) Gai ลาบไก่
First and most importantly, it is laab, not larb. Laab is a northeastern Thai salad made traditionally with ground meat. It’s tossed in a spicy dressing made with fish sauce, lime juice, and toasted rice powder that adds a wonderful nutty flavor. This chicken laab is just an example, and as I have said many times, “you can laab anything.”
Laab Gai Recipe
11. Pad See Ew ผัดซีอิ้ว
Of all the Thai stir-fried noodles, pad see ew is the one with a cult following. This iconic street food is surprisingly simple. Fresh wide rice noodles stir fried with a mix of soy sauces, eggs, and Chinese broccoli, that’s it.
But because it’s so simple, the ratio of ingredients is key here, so please measure everything carefully. If you can’t find fresh wide rice noodles, you can also try a version using egg noodles or rice vermicelli.
Pas See Ew Recipe
12. Thai Red Curry (Chicken or Vegan) แกงเผ็ด
This is a simple curry that might not even require you to visit an Asian grocery store. Many Western supermarkets already carry red curry paste, fish sauce, and coconut milk which are the main ingredients you’ll need.
The recipe calls for Thai basil, but regular basil will work, and it will still taste great if you skip it altogether.
Thai Red Curry with Chicken Recipe
Vegan Thai Red Curry Recipe
13. Pad Prik King (Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry) ผัดพริกขิง
Thai curry paste isn’t just for curries! We use it in all sorts of applications, including stir fries. This quick and simple chicken stir fry with red curry paste and long beans is one of my favourites – sweet, salty, spicy flavors…it has it all!
Pad Prik King Recipe
14. Thai Marinated Grilled Steak เนื้อย่าง
This is the only steak marinade you need. Yes, it is Thai, but it also has a neutral enough flavour that the steak will still go with any meal; Thai or not. Pair it with Thai sticky rice, but if you want mashed potatoes, that will work too!
Thai Marinated Grilled Steak Recipe
15. Thai Fried Rice ข้าวผัดปู
Thai fried rice is one of those dishes that look so simple that you think … “it can’t possibly be THAT good”. But friends, I am still shocked by how good it is every time I eat a well-made Thai fried rice.
The crab version is the most popular in Thailand (and the best IMO), and also the easiest in a sense that you don’t have to do anything with the protein.
Thai Crab Fried Rice Recipe
16. Panang Curry แพนงเนื้อ
Of all Thai curries, panang is indeed the simplest and quickest one to make. With very little chopping to do, panang is more of a stir-fry than a curry. The creamy sauce has roasted peanuts and spices that add to the richness of it.
Panang Curry with Beef Recipe
17. Glass Noodle Stir Fry (Pad Woon Sen) ผัดวุ้นเส้น
This classic Thai stir-fried noodle dish uses mostly pantry staples, and can be adapted to work with different ingredients that you have in the fridge. It’s also kid friendly and reheats well the next day!
Glass Noodle Stir Fry (pad woon sen) Recipe
18. Cabbage & Fish Sauce Stir Fry กะหล่ำปลีผัดน้ำปลา
There are many easy Thai recipes, but this might take the trophy for the easiest one. I know “cabbage and fish sauce” may seem like a suspicious combination to some, but it delivers an incredible flavour. It’s a popular veggie side dish in Thailand for a reason!
Garlicky Cabbage Fish Sauce Stir Fry Recipe
19. Spicy Thai Egg Salad (Yum Kai Tom) ยำไข่ต้ม
This is a hidden gem. You won’t find yum kai tom in your local restaurant, but it’s a common dish in Thailand that’s so easy to make.
An egg salad unlike any egg salad you’ve ever had, and you can serve it as an appetizer or with jasmine rice as part of a main meal.
Spicy Thai Egg Salad Recipe
20. Satay & Peanut Sauce เนื้อสะเต๊ะ
It’s hard to find an authentic Thai peanut sauce on the internet, especially one that isn’t made with peanut butter (news flash: peanut butter is not a Thai ingredient).
The peanut sauce in this satay recipe is the real deal and you can put it on anything, even plain roasted chicken or roasted vegetables. This recipe is for beef satay, but you can adapt it for chicken satay without any changes except for cutting the chicken thicker and bigger so it won’t dry out quickly.
Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce Recipe
21. Fish Sauce Wings (3 ingredients!) ปีกไก่ทอดน้ำปลา
This is a recipe that truly highlights the power of fish sauce as a flavour enhancer. It’s the MSG without the MSG. Chicken wings and fish sauce, that’s it. I coat them with a little with rice flour, but you can skip it.
Fish Sauce Wings Recipe
22. Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry ผัดผักรวม
If you need to use up some fresh vegetables in your fridge, this is the perfect recipe to turn to. This humble mixed vegetable stir-fry has over a million views on YouTube, because as it turns out, people actually do like vegetables :).
Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe
23. All-Purpose Thai Basil Sauce
This is an awesome sauce you can put on anything and turn it into a Thai dish. I came up with this recipe because I wanted to have a versatile sauce that I can keep in the fridge and add Thai flavors to any protein.
All-Purpose Thai Basil Sauce Recipe
24. Steamed Fish Ginger Soy Sauce ปลานึ่งซีอิ๊ว
Thai people eat steamed fish on the regular. It’s so easy: steam the fish, while it’s steaming make the sauce, when the fish is done pour the sauce on top. That’s it.
Steamed Fish with Ginger Soy Sauce Recipe
25. Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken (Gai Yang) ไก่ย่าง
We all need one of those reliable “marinade today cook tomorrow” recipes, because nothing is more satisfying than coming home to a meal that’s prepped and ready to cook. Here’s a classic Thai BBQ chicken that you will return to again and again, as many people have.
Ultimate Thai BBQ Chicken Recipe
26. Mango and Sticky Rice ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
Thai desserts are totally underrated. Thai people love our sweets, and if you could only eat one Thai dessert in your life, this is it.
Mango and Sticky Rice Recipe
Cool down with Thai Iced Tea!
If you’re looking for a beverage to tame the spices of your Thai meal, this is it! Thai iced tea is a rich and creamy black tea sweetened with condensed milk, and is the most popular Thai beverage.
Thai Iced Tea Recipe
So there you have it – 26 delicious and easy Thai dishes to get you started on your culinary adventure. Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust the flavors to your liking. Happy cooking!
