Tom Yum Chicken (Print Page)

Spicy Thai soup with chicken, lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves. Bold, aromatic, and perfectly balanced.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Broth

02 - 5 cups chicken stock
03 - 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and smashed
04 - 4 slices fresh galangal (about 0.4 oz), or 2 tsp dried galangal
05 - 5 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces
06 - 4 birds eye chilies, lightly crushed

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

07 - 5.3 oz mushrooms (oyster or button), sliced
08 - 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
09 - 1 small onion, sliced
10 - 3 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Seasonings

11 - 3 tbsp fish sauce
12 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
13 - 1 tsp sugar
14 - ½ tsp salt

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
16 - 1–2 spring onions, thinly sliced
17 - Extra lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - Bruise the lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves with the back of a knife to release their essential oils and aromas.
02 - In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, birds eye chilies, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to fully infuse the broth with aromatics.
03 - Add the sliced chicken and onion to the simmering broth. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
04 - Add mushrooms and tomato wedges. Cook for another 5–7 minutes until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
05 - Stir in fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Taste and adjust the balance of sour, salty, and spicy elements as desired.
06 - Remove from heat. Discard lemongrass, galangal, and makrut lime leaves if preferred for a cleaner presentation.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, spring onions, and extra lime wedges. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking Thai food your whole life, even if you're winging it for the first time.
  • The soup comes together in less than 45 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day.
  • One bowl warms you from the inside out in a way that feels almost medicinal.
02 -
  • Don't skip bruising the aromatics—smashing them actually matters because you're releasing essential oils that make the whole soup sing.
  • Fish sauce is polarizing until you understand it's not meant to taste like fish, it's meant to amplify everything else and make the broth taste complete.
03 -
  • Always taste the broth before adding fish sauce and lime juice so you know your baseline—then you'll feel how those two ingredients completely transform the flavor profile.
  • Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the chicken goes in; boiling it hard turns the meat stringy and tough, and nobody wants that.
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