Authentic Tom Kha Gai (Printable Version)

Tender chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Creamy, tangy Thai comfort food.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Aromatics & Broth

01 - 3 cups chicken broth
02 - 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
03 - 4 slices fresh galangal
04 - 4 makrut lime leaves, torn
05 - 3 Thai bird's eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Main Ingredients

06 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
07 - 13.5 fluid ounces full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
08 - 5 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
09 - 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

→ Seasonings & Finishing

10 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
12 - 1 teaspoon palm sugar
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
14 - 2 green onions, sliced
15 - Lime wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - In a medium pot, bring chicken broth to a gentle simmer. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, and chilies. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to extract aromatic flavors into the broth.
02 - Add sliced chicken and shallot to the simmering broth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken becomes opaque throughout.
03 - Add mushrooms to the pot and pour in the coconut milk. Stir gently and bring back to a simmer, maintaining gentle heat to prevent vigorous boiling.
04 - Season with fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings to achieve balance between salty, sour, and sweet flavors.
05 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass, galangal slices, and lime leaves if preferred for a cleaner presentation.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a warm hug from someone who really knows how to cook, with that perfect balance of creamy and tangy that feels almost impossible to get right.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes, which means you can serve something restaurant-quality on a Wednesday night without losing your mind.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you're not sacrificing anything to make it work for different diets.
02 -
  • Don't boil the soup vigorously once the coconut milk goes in—gentle heat keeps everything silky and unified, while aggressive heat makes it look curdled and broken even though it's technically fine.
  • The flavor develops and mellows as it cools slightly, so taste before you finish seasoning because what seems perfect hot might taste different once you've actually eaten some.
  • Galangal slices and lemongrass are traditional for a reason—they're meant to stay in the soup and infuse the broth; if you can't find them, you can make a decent version with ginger, but it won't be Tom Kha anymore, just a soup that tastes Thai-adjacent.
03 -
  • Make extra broth the day before and let it infuse in the refrigerator overnight—the flavors deepen and mellow, and reheating the soup the next day tastes even better than when you first made it.
  • If your coconut milk looks separated in the can, that's normal; just stir it well or use an immersion blender to bring it back together before adding it to the soup.
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